Samsung has taken some flack in recent weeks for the plastic build materials used in its flagship Galaxy S4 handset, but the device could be toughened up this summer with the launch of a new rugged iteration, according to reports on Friday.
The Wall Street Journal reports Samsung is planning to launch a waterproof and dustproof device called the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active as soon as July.
The as-yet-unannounced device is said to be similar in form and appearance, although it is not known whether the internals, screen resolution and other features will also be up to scratch.
The report comes just days after a Samsung executive Mr. Young Soo Kim spoke of the existence of the handset at the Galaxy S4 launch in July.
The presence of waterproof and rustproof features within the Galaxy S4 would allow Samsung to match up with the highly-rated Sony Xperia Z, which toughened up the device without resorting to brutishly altering the aesthetic quality of the device.
Just this week, Google commented on how future Motorola phones will be better suited to withstanding the elements, while reports this week suggested Samsung itself would be launching the Galaxy Note 3 with the long-awaited “unbreakable” flexible, plastic OLED displays.
Also on the menu for Samsung this summer, according to the WSJ report is a new 8-inch Galaxy Tab device, which would bridge the gap between the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 devices as well as the Galaxy Note 8.0.
Also coming in July, according to the report, is the long-rumoured Galaxy S4 Mini, which is set to rock a 4.3-inch screen and scaled back tech specs.
Would you plump for a ruggedised version of the S4 if Samsung maintained the same look and feature list? Let us know in the comments section below, or on the Trusted Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Via The Verge
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
