Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

                            Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is the more ruggedized , more durable version of it's cousin , Galaxy S4.

This phone is supposed to be waterproof and dust resistant. It has an IP67 rating. 

Here , 'IP' is "Ingress Protection"

Let us see what the numbers 6 and 7 mean.

First number
0 – No protection (Sometimes X)
1 – Protected against solid objects up to 50mm³
2 – Protected against solid objects up to 12mm³
3 – Protected against solid objects up to 2.5mm³
4 – Protected against solid objects up to 1mm³
5 – Protected against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit)
6 – Totally protected against dust

Second number
0 – No protection (Sometimes X)
1 – Protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation)
2 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical
3 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical
4 – Protection against water sprayed from all directions – limited ingress permitted
5 – Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions – limited ingress permitted
6 – Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (e.g. ship deck)
7 – Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m
8 – Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure

Hence we see that the mobile is totally protected against dust and is protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm - 1m.

This mobile has almost the same specifications of Galaxy S4 with a few "downgrades" and other things. Let us look at these changes

Design changes

The Active version of this mobile is more ruggedized.

It has physical buttons instead of capacitive buttons on Galaxy S4.

The 3.5 mm jack and the USB slot are covered to stop water from going into the mobile.

The Active is slightly thicker and heaver than Galaxy S4.

Feature changes

The Active has a TFT LCD screen instead of the super AMOLED screen in Galaxy S4.
The colours are overly vibrant in the Galaxy S4 and are more real in the Active version. My opinion is that the TFT LCD screen is more readable in outdoor conditions and has better viewing angles.

This mobile's camera has been downgraded from 13 MP to 8 MP and it has a shooting mode called aqua mode which allows one to take photos in water.

Verdict

Priced at 40,000 , the Active is a good phone for people who use their mobile outdoors , or go swimming often .

Flipkart link

Samsung Ativ Tab 3

                            Samsung Ativ Tab 3

The new Samsung Ativ Tab 3 was showcased in London and here is it's review.

The product specifications -

Screen - 10.1 inch

Resolution - 1366 x 768

Processor - Intel Atom

Storage - 64GB

RAM - 2GB

Thickness - 8.2mm

Weight - 550g

Operating system - Windows 8 (full and not RT)

Design

On taking a first look at this tab , you would find out that it looks like all other Samsung gadgets , especially Galaxy Tab.

The casing is plastic and feels cheap , but it's not too bad.
This tab also comes with a "stylus" that makes the tab all the more usable.

This tablet comes with a keyboard cover and a modifiable magnetic case.

It's also extremely thin, 8.2mm, which is also thinner than Apple Ipad.
It's weight is extremely good and is therefore very usable.

The Ativ Tab 3 has speaker grills on the left and the right side. On the left side, 3.5 mmm headphone jack is present, and on the right, a mircoUSB slot and a HDMI slot are present.

A sim slot is also present on this tab which will allow 4g/3g use.

Features

Ativ tab 3 comes with Atom processor and 2 gigs of rams which is not much, but it is enough for normal use. The apps run smooth enough.
It obviously wont be as fast as Nexus, S4 etc.

The screen resolution is pretty less and appears grainy. The viewing angles are good though .
The tab has a front and a rear camera with HD recording facility.

The operating system is windows 8 which comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office.
Importantly, its not the RT version of windows , but the full version of it.

Verdict

The samsung Ativ Tab 3 is a really cool gadget that is portable and also comes with a keyboard and a magnetic case. 

[IMG]

But the screen resolution is nothing special, and the processor isn't really fast and it's certainly not meant for hardcore gadget fans but for general use.

The price is not confirmed , but maybe priced at $699 (~Rs 40,000)

which would surely come down in the coming months.