The Samsung Galaxy S6 active, a rugged version of Samsung's flagship S6, delivered top-notch performance in many key areas of our tests, including great battery life. In addition to such standard S6 features as integrated health apps and a heart-rate monitor, the S6 active includes an Activity Zone app, which puts a barometer, compass, flashlight, and stop watch within easy reach. The Galaxy S6 active is built to handle immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to about 5 feet of water. We put the Galaxy S6 active through its paces, submerging it in about five feet of water for about 30 minutes. It continued to work, and we saw no visible signs of water intrusion or damage. It can also take pictures and videos underwater. A handy Active key button on the left side can be customized to open your favorite apps with a short press (Default is the Activity Zone app) or a long press (default is the Music app). Like the Galaxy S6, its display has a very high resolution, and supports both Qi and Powermat wireless charging pads out of the box--a convenience many mixed-family smartphone users will relish. The Galaxy S6 active maintains the ample 5.1-inch display size of its predecessor, and resolution was upped significantly from 1080x1920 (1080p Full HD) to 1440x2560 (1440p Quad HD), which presents photos, videos, Web pages, and other objects with more than 550 pixels per inch of detail--about 100 pixels more per inch than the Galaxy S 5 Active. Most users may not notice the benefits of those extra pixels in everyday use. The excellent quality display is also easy to see in bright light. The Galaxy S6 active battery life was excellent, a notch above the Samsung Galaxy S6 models. The Galaxy S6 active also worked effortlessly with both the Qi and Powermat wireless charging pads we have in our labs. The Galaxy S6 active's camera took very good 1080p video, among the best in our Ratings. It can also record in Ultra HD (4K) video format, whose extra clarity can best be appreciated on an Ultra HD TV. The camera also took very good stills under low-light conditions. But like the S6 models, gone is a removable battery and memory-expansion slot. That means Galaxy S6 active owners will have to bring their phone to a service center to replace the battery, and you can't expand on its built-in 32GB of memory. Also, unlike the Galaxy S 5 Active, the display lacks a glove mode, which increases the touch sensitivity of the screen while wearing gloves --a handy option to have during the cold winter months, or while wearing work gloves.
The Galaxy S6 active also delivered top-notch performance in many key areas of our tests, including Ease of use, Web browsing, and battery life, and has an abundance of other features and capabilities that include:
Safety. This mode will automatically blast SOS messages to designated contacts. This is a feature designed to help if you're in a car accident or other emergency situation. To activate this feature, press the Galaxy S6 active's power button three times. The screen can also be changed to a black theme to reduce battery consumption via Emergency mode.
Multi window. This convenient feature has evolved for more multi-tasking options. You can choose how to access select applications with full, split or pop-up screens, and can change the size and positioning of apps. You can have up to five apps open at once, but we found it's difficult to manage more than a few on a relatively small screen. For instance, in a split-screen view, you can handily watch a video while viewing an e-mail, or you can use Google Maps and Messaging. Multi window also lets you interact with two apps on a screen simultaneously, so you can drag a photo from the gallery into a text message to attach it, for example. To activate Multi window, press and hold the recent apps key, then just drag and drop two apps onto the home screen. Or you can access this feature by sliding your finger down diagonally from the upper left corner of the screen of the open app. When minimized, they reside as icons on whichever home screen you're on, for easy access.
Flipboard Briefing. This gives you a snapshot of news, business, technology, sports, science, and more. You can customize it to your own interests, or turn it off.
Smart Stay. The front-facing camera monitors your eyes while you're reading a Web page or other document to prevent the screen from timing out.
Peel Smart Remote. The Galaxy S6 active comes with an IR blaster and its Smart Remote app, like a universal remote, can be programmed to control HDTVs and set-top boxes (you can even initiate DVR recordings) from a host of different makers. It also shows local cable listings, program details, and reminders geared to your preferences.
S Health. The integrated health and fitness apps include a heart-rate monitor. The sensor is below the main camera's Flash. When you put your index finger on it, you should see your heart rate on the phone's display.
There are also numerous features and capabilities that let you wirelessly connect nearby compatible Galaxy phones or other devices to share pictures, music, documents, and more.
The Galaxy S6 active, though, lacks some features we've become accustomed to with other Galaxy phones. For instance, you can't accept a phone call, flip through photos, or skip to the next song on your playlist by waving your hand in front of the phone. Also gone is the On/Off toggle switches, in settings, for WiFi, Bluetooth, and more, which we found very convenient.
The Galaxy S6 active has two home screen modes: an easy experience mode for new Android users and a standard experience mode. The Easy mode has icons and widgets that are larger and simpler, and there are "+" icons users can push to easily add an app to the phone's desktop or add a contact. In the Standard mode, the Galaxy S6 active has intuitive navigation that provides easy access to all its main functions via a highly responsive touch screen that supports more than seven home screens of apps, programmable shortcuts, as well as a home button flanked by recent apps and back button. The recent apps button lets you see a stack of screen shots of your most recently used apps. Tap any one of them, and you can jump to that app. Pressing and holding the recent apps key launches Multi window. Also, pressing and holding the home button directly launches the search function. The phone allows you to launch the camera or phone directly from a locked screen without the need to first unlock the screen. You do this by swiping upward on the camera or phone icons that are visible on the locked screen. The Galaxy S6 active lets you perform Google searches by voice command and lets you download applications, services, games, and more from the Google Play Store. Its multi-touch screen lets you zoom in and out of photos or Web pages using two fingers (for instance, your thumb and index finger). A handy on-screen drop-down status bar alerts you to and takes you to new messages, upcoming appointments, and other items that need your attention, even when your screen is locked. Its Android OS offers better text editing tools and controls for managing data usage, and enhanced voice-activated navigation and dictation. The Galaxy S6 active supports both types of AT&T's "4G" network (LTE and HSPA+), allowing fast streaming, downloading, and uploading of high-definition videos and other large files. The fast network also facilitates better Web browsing experiences. The WiFi connection provides another way to access the Web, e-mail, and other Internet-based content, without using your data plan allowance. The phone supports Near Field Communication (NFC), a short-range wireless communication technology that allows the phone to read "smart" tags or other items that have NFC capability in them (though the technology is not yet widely deployed for mobile phone users).
MESSAGING: The virtual keyboards were excellent to use. In portrait orientation, it features five rows (a rarity among phones) with dedicated keys for numbers across the top row. A useful feature is the cursor control on the Samsung virtual keyboard which makes it easier to change text. You can move the cursor by just sliding your finger across the keyboard. The virtual keyboard also supports Swype, a method that allows users to type words without lifting a finger--literally. You enter a word by dragging your finger across the screen from letter to letter. Though it's initially awkward to use, we eventually had a lot of success "typing" quickly and accurately with Swype. The virtual keyboard has an advanced voice command feature that supports text fields, allowing you to dictate e-mails, text messages, Tweets, and other normally typed forms of communication. This phone comes with common preset text messages and allows you to create your own custom preset messages for your individual special situations or frequent use. Excellent e-mail readability and attachment capabilities. This phone allows you to create and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets out of the box, which can come in handy when working on the go. The Galaxy S6 active also supports Microsoft Exchange and Outlook for work e-mail. When connected to Windows or Macintosh computers, this phone can appear on the computer as another drive. You can then transfer data to and from your phone as you could on a regular drive.
PHONE: We tested the Galaxy S6 active under a variety of conditions to simulate environments ranging from the quiet indoors to noisy roadsides. We found voice quality very good when talking, good when listening. Talk time overall, was top-notch, including measuring more than 24 hours of talk time in one of our tests. Its Ultra Power Saving Mode can squeeze out even more battery life by adjusting the screen from color to use the more efficient grayscale and limit access to your applications, such as sending and receiving voice calls and texts. The phone has an excellent mixture of controls and features for making and taking calls. Excellent keypad readability under most lighting conditions, even bright light. Its voice command allows you to conveniently dial numbers from your phone book by speaking the name, without the usual training. You can also dial numbers by pronouncing the digits. It has Bluetooth for wireless hands-free voice communication. This model can simultaneously be on a phone call and an Internet-based connection over the cellular network. Can be used internationally.
MULTIMEDIA: The 15.9-megapixel camera has a very short shutter lag, and produced good-quality pictures at ISO settings up to 800. The camera performed very well under low-light conditions. Its Aqua mode lets you use the Active key to take pictures and use the volume key to record videos, while underwater. The camera's built-in flash and ISO-setting controls help improve your chances of taking better pictures under low-light conditions. Its face detection comes in handy when you're snapping pics of children or other fussy subjects. Its touch focus feature lets you override the autofocus by tapping on any subject on the screen. You can also snap a still picture at any moment while shooting a video. Its voice control allows you to snap a picture or record a video by saying, for instance, "smile", "cheese", or "record video". The camera took very good 1080p video, on par with what you'd get with the better pocket camcorders. The Galaxy S6 active can record in Ultra HD (4K) video format, which has benefits when viewing on an Ultra HD TV, giving you more detail for extra clarity. But the file size in Ultra HD is about three times the size of HD, and you are limited to 5 minutes per recording. An effect, called Virtual shot, lets you take a panoramic image or selfie (imagine how the background would change if you took an image or selfie and slowly rotated in place). Later, you can get the background to pan left or right by tilting the phone. You can also record in fast or slow motion. The front-facing high-resolution 5-megapixel camera allows easy self-portraits, and can support video chats. It can also take wide-selfies, and record at WQ HD (2560x1440).
The music player has the capabilities and controls of a typical stand-alone MP3 player, including an equalizer, music shuffle and repeat controls, and options for sorting music by album, artist, etc. This model also supports Bluetooth stereo headsets, and can download music over the phone network. Its Bluetooth data support enables the phone to wirelessly share pictures, contacts, and other files with compatible printers, computers, and mobile devices.
GPS navigation capability provides spoken turn-by-turn directions and automatic re-routing. The Galaxy S6 active also supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. This lets the phone connect via WiFi to share content with other compatible certified devices such as a TV, printer, and computer.
The Galaxy S6 active can act as a mobile hotspot for up to ten WiFi-enabled devices. It has 32GB of built-in memory. Its memory capacity is beneficial for storing music, videos, pictures, and other types of files. But the battery is non-removable.
