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Enjoy this moment, Galaxy S4 Active users—it will probably be the last update your aging phone ever sees. AT&T has announced the rollout of Lollipop on this device, and you should be able to grab it from the update menu now. The OTA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1GB.
Galaxy S4 Active users on AT&T, don't get too excited when you see a new software update message appear in your notification bar. This is a minor update with minor changes, and once you apply it the phone will still be running the same Android 4.4.2 build that you've had since June. According to an AT&T support page, the update includes just three things:
The Galaxy S4 Active is pretty solid as both a high-end phone and a "ruggedized" handset, but as with a lot of Samsung devices, TouchWiz keeps some power users away from a purchase. Now the indefatigable CyanogenMod team is giving you some AOSP-style options: they just released their first nightly build for the S4 Active. You can pick it up for your phone at the usual spot and install it via the custom recovery of your choice.
Back in April, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active were treated to the ultimate tease when an update to Android 4.4 KitKat began rolling out, only to be put on hold a few days later. The only explanation was a claim that AT&T and Samsung were "looking into potential improvements." It looks like the time has come -again- for the S4 Active to make the jump to KitKat.
Last week, AT&T started pushing the KitKat OTA to Samsung Galaxy S4 Active owners on its network. Looks like that was a short-lived rollout, as the company has now halted the update, explaining that it is working with Samsung to improve the OTA.
The more rugged, athletic version of the Galaxy S4 is about to indulge itself with a taste of KitKat. AT&T has started rolling out an OTA update to its version of the device that will bring it up to Android 4.4.2. The company has provided the following changelog on its blog.
An update is hitting AT&T's Galaxy S4 active today, but it's not KitKat. No, this update is finally bringing the more durable S4 variant up to Android 4.3 with the rest of Samsung's current generation.
If you're in the market for a powerful phone that can take a few hits, then eBay's Daily Deals portal should be your first stop today. Well, so long as you need that phone to work on the AT&T network and don't mind a refurbished model. The AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is [ebay id=380802855583 text="on sale for just $349.95"] with free shipping to the US. You can have it in any color you want, as long as you want teal.
Samsung, for whatever reason, has not released a back plate for the Galaxy S4 Active that allows it to take advantage of Qi wireless charging. The folks at Monster Watts seemed to have a solution with their WIQIQi battery attachment, and even managed to pull off a successful Indiegogo campaign. However, legal issues have forced the cancellation of the product.
It doesn't take very long for new phones to go on sale these days, especially if you're savvy enough to check Amazon. For example, the AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is now just $108 for new customers, or $118 for those who are eligible for an upgrade. (You can also add a new line and get the phone for $108.) Want something a little tougher? Amazon is offering the ruggedized Galaxy S4 Active at the same prices.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a neat device that's ruggedized and water-resistant. However, there's that accursed USB port. The port on this device is covered by a flimsy plastic flap that's tough to close properly, and feels like it could break off at any moment. It would be nice if you didn't have to mess with the port to charge the device, but Samsung hasn't released a wireless charging back for the S4 Active. If you get your hands on the WiQiQi Active from Monster Watts, you don't have to wait on Samsung to get its act together.
When a phone is advertised as "water-resistant" you have to wonder just how resistant it actually is. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active on AT&T, the answer is apparently "not very." Despite AT&T heavily advertising the device as “whatever-proof” and great for taking underwater videos, some owners have been complaining of damage to the device after an encounter with water.
If you like the look of the Samsung Galaxy S4, but you're just a big butterfingers, maybe this is your lucky day. The Galaxy S4 Active is on sale through eBay Daily Deals, and it's quite the steal. The 16GB unlocked device is selling for $589.99.
Samsung announced this spring that security app LoJack would soon be built into the Galaxy S4. The necessary firmware arrived on most North American variants of the S4 in recent weeks, and now the service is live to take advantage of it. LoJack can be activated on your Galaxy S4 today for $29.99 per year. In return for your money you get phone tracking, remote wipe, and recovery assistance.
Samsung has been muddying the waters of the Galaxy brand ever since it launched, and the Galaxy S4 has been sent to new depths, with no less than three "S4" variants following the original's release by only a few months. But the Galaxy S4 Active - the sporty, tough, waterproof version of Samsung's flagship - is the first of the company's myriad extended line that actually deserves the same name as its more mainstream brother. With specifications that match the US version of the S4 in nearly every category, plus a design that's both "ruggedized" and appealing, the S4 Active is worth a look for AT&T customers who want a top-of-the-line smartphone that they won't have to treat like a delicate flower.
There's nothing like a fresh batch of source code to get you through another Monday morning. Samsung has just posted the kernel source for two of its newer S4 variants, the Galaxy S4 active (i9295), and the dual-SIM version of the Galaxy S4 Mini (i9192). Samsung has been on an open source run lately with the AT&T GS4 and Galaxy Tab 8.0 going up just last week.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Now Available For Preorder at AT&T: $200 On-Contract, $595 Outright
Ready to live life to the fullest, you jet-skiing, rock-climbing, skateboarding, heath food commercial stereotype? Then you need a phone that can take
Ready to live life to the fullest, you jet-skiing, rock-climbing, skateboarding, heath food commercial stereotype? Then you need a phone that can take at least as many bumps and bruises as you can, and Samsung and AT&T are happy to oblige. The carrier-branded version of the ruggedized Galaxy S4 Active announced yesterday is now up for preorder on the AT&T website. It's being offered in Dive Blue and Urban Gray colors. The phone will launch online and at retail stores on Tuesday, June 18th.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Gets Official: Same Great Specs (Mostly), IP67 Waterproof Rating, Available This Summer
Samsung's tougher brother to the flagship Galaxy S4 is a pretty poorly-kept secret, with multiple leaked photos, videos, and different sets of specifications
Samsung's tougher brother to the flagship Galaxy S4 is a pretty poorly-kept secret, with multiple leaked photos, videos, and different sets of specifications coming out weeks before its announcement. Samsung confirmed the device today in a press release coinciding with Computex, painting a picture of the S4 Active as a device that mostly matches the Galaxy S4 for power and capability, with the ruggedized design seen on some of Samsung's Rugby smartphones. The Galaxy S4 Active will be available for purchase this summer starting in the United States and Sweden, for an undisclosed price.
Leak: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Press Shots Show AT&T Branding, Possible June Release Date
The @evleaks Twitter account has become a surprisingly accurate source for pre-release hardware information, and the elusive Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is
The @evleaks Twitter account has become a surprisingly accurate source for pre-release hardware information, and the elusive Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is its latest target. The tipster revealed to The Unlockr that the ruggedized version of the S4 will be headed to AT&T's network in the near future, along with a handful of other Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S4 Mini, S III Mini, and the Galaxy Mega 6.3. Only the Active was shown with a convincing set of AT&T-branded press shots, so that's what we'll focus on.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Caught On Video With Slower Snapdragon CPU And 8MP Camera
The ruggedized Galaxy S4 Active is real. It's been spotted on camera before, not to mention in various less dramatic leaks. The folks at MobileTechReview
The ruggedized Galaxy S4 Active is real. It's been spotted on camera before, not to mention in various less dramatic leaks. The folks at MobileTechReview got their hands on one, and it looks pretty close to finished, assuming that they don't already have a production model. In the video below, you can see the tougher red chassis (probably water and dust-resistant to some degree) and physical navigation buttons, as previously featured on Samsung's Rugby models.