Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 Active, a rugged smartphone for the outdoors

Recognizing that some users want extra-durable devices, Samsung on Wednesday announced the Galaxy S 4 Active, a smartphone built for those who love the outdoors.

The Galaxy S 4 Active is a variant of the company’s flagship smartphone that is designed to handle rugged situations such as a day at the beach or a hike through a forest.

“Samsung has taken the innovative features of the Galaxy S 4 and added breakthrough protective design elements to create a device that thrives in an active environment and is built for a lifestyle of travel and exploration,� said J.K. Shin, one of Samsung’s co-chief executives.

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The device features a heavier and thicker case than the regular Galaxy S 4, but which keeps dust out. It also lets the device be submerged underwater more than three feet for up to a half-hour.

Despite being built for the outdoors, the Galaxy S 4 Active comes with top-of-the-line specs. The device uses a 1.9GHz quad-core processor and a features a 5-inch full HD 1080p screen. It also comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera. The Galaxy S 4 Active runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system.

Samsung has not announced when the device will launch in the U.S., but it will showcase the Galaxy S 4 Active on June 20, and perhaps give out more details, at an event it has planned in London.

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