Yet another evidence that the Galaxy S8 active is real turns up, and none other than Samsung itself let the cat out of the bag.
Aside from previous leaks and Wi-Fi certification, the company is known to follow up its flagship with a rugged version. In other words, practically everyone more or less saw this coming from a mile away, but there was no solid confirmation until this development unfolded.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active Is Underway
Presumably by accident, Samsung listed down the Galaxy S8 active on its official Knox website, confirming that the smartphone is well on its way to AT&T's shelves.
Why AT&T, though? Well, for the uninitiated, the active lineup is traditionally sold exclusively by the carrier. On top of that, the documents (PDF) mention AT&T, particularly the myAT&T app and AT&T Remote Support, to name a few.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active SM-G892A mentioned on Samsung's website: https://t.co/spMSFkRjXJ / App list: (PDF) https://t.co/J6eJLfLV9q
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) June 19, 2017
Galaxy S8 Active Difference From Standard Models, Predecessors
Targeted at the butterfingered demographic, Samsung's active lineup is the sturdiest of the sturdy. Typically, the tougher variants are the same as the standard ones, except that they're MIL-STD-810G certified, which means they can withstand drops and the elements way better.
More than that, they sport physical recent apps and back keys. This time around, it appears that Samsung is ditching this layout, though.
If a recent leak holds substantial weight to it, then the Galaxy S8 active will have the same touch buttons as the standard variant, probably to keep bezels to a minimum. However, it also entails that the handset will sport a flat display instead of an Infinity Display, which is one of Samsung's main selling points for the S8 line.
Long story short, the Galaxy S8 active might not have physical buttons like its predecessors, and it may not have a curved screen, though it'll retain the Galaxy S8's rounded corners.
The Bottom Line
Samsung may have accidentally confirmed the existence of the Galaxy S8 active to the joy of many users.
Unfortunately, the documents don't reveal the Galaxy S8 active's release date. Really, the main takeaway here is just that it's coming in due time.
However, it should be pointed out that previous Galaxy active smartphones rolled out in June or July, and if that's anything to go by, then the rugged Galaxy S8 could launch in a couple of weeks' time.
The handset is expected to have the same components as the Galaxy S8, but it may have a more powerful battery under the hood. Case in point, the Galaxy S7 has a 3,000 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S7 active has a 4,000 mAh cell.
Speaking of "accident," Samsung also revealed the Galaxy J5 (2017) and Galaxy J7 (2017) ahead of schedule back in May. At this point, it almost feels like the company's doing these "quiet unveilings" on purpose.
With everything cleared up, are you as excited as we are to grab the Galaxy S8 active? If so, feel free to hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.
