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Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Active smartphone, the ruggedized version of the company’s flagship S8 and S8+ smartphones, will be available through AT&T exclusively starting Aug. 11.
The S8 Active, which can be preordered starting Aug. 8, features many of the same specifications of its S8 and S8+ siblings, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor, a 12-megapixel auto-focus main camera and the integration of Samsung’s Bixby personal assistant services.
The ruggedized model builds on those features by adding resistance to shock, water, dust and screen shattering. Unveiled by Samsung in an Aug. 8 announcement, the handset is built using military-grade materials with a strong metal frame and integrated bumpers to protect it against drops, shock, abrasion and other hazards. Also included is Samsung’s Knox security suite to protect user data with enterprise-grade biometric security.
The S8 Active smartphone can be purchased from AT&T for $850 in one payment or for $28.34 a month on a 30-month, interest-free AT&T Next installment plan. It will be available in AT&T stores or from ATT.com in Meteor Gray or Titanium Gold colors. Initially, the phones will be available only through AT&T, according to Samsung.
The ruggedized S8 Active handset features a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED quad-HD display incorporating a rugged Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover (2,560-by-1,440 resolution), 4GB of memory, 64GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for expanded storage cards up to 256GB. The 12MP main camera includes optical image stabilization, LED flash and an 8x digital zoom capability, while the front-facing 8MP auto-focus camera has an f/1.7 lens and 4K video capabilities.
The 4G LTE GSM smartphone runs on the Android 7 (Nougat) operating system and features a 4,000mAh non-removeable battery and quick-charging and wireless charging capabilities, and can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to 10 devices The handset can be used around the world and also includes 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/i/r WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz, near-field communication and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. It is also 5G Evolution-capable, making it ready to be used with future 5G wireless services.
The S8 Active is 5.98 inches long, 2.95 inches wide and 0.39 inches thick, and weighs 7.34 ounces.
AT&T customers are also eligible for several offers when buying a new Galaxy S8 Active handset, including a free Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone with the addition of a new line of service on AT&T Next and the addition of DirecTV service, as well as $500 toward a Samsung television purchased online with the purchase of an eligible smartphone on AT&T Next and DirecTV.
In addition, customers can receive a Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch for 99 cents or a Gear S3 smartwatch for $49.99 on a two-year agreement with the purchase of a smartphone on AT&T Next. Also available are up to $200 in credits with the purchase of an eligible smartphone on AT&T Next and a trade-in of an eligible smartphone.
The previous model, the Galaxy S7 Active ruggedized smartphone, was released in June 2016, according to an earlier eWEEK story. The S7 Active was the ruggedized version of Samsung’s earlier flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones.