Is the S5 Active truly worth it?

jleebiker

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I recently read a review that stated the S5 Active wasn't a big enough difference to warrant swapping out to it. Are there any people here that had an S5 and swapped to an S5 Active that feel otherwise?

The reason I ask is bc I am on Verizon and the S5 Active is an ATT exclusive. I am looking for a more rugged phone and LOVE the capabilities of the S5 Active and it's styling. I love the fact that I don't have to put a separate case on it. I can use it as is right out of the box. If the plain S5 is similar in all respects from a user-based perspective, I'm wondering if I really need to go for the Active.

Thoughts from people who have owned both? Thanks!
 

rc75149

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It will still get scratched if you put no case on it, it's still prone to dings.

Keep your normal s5, if you plan to get rid of it, it will have a higher resale value down the line.

Posted via Android Central App
 

jleebiker

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It will still get scratched if you put no case on it, it's still prone to dings.

Keep your normal s5, if you plan to get rid of it, it will have a higher resale value down the line.

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks for the feedback. I was going to put a Zagg on the screen.

Interested in why you say the normal S5 will have a better resale value down the line?
 

jmagid51

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Keep your current S5 and use an OtterBox Defender case for it. The S5 active seems to be a one off and that is not really good for resale value down the road.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AC Forums mobile app
 

robertopod1968

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I recently read a review that stated the S5 Active wasn't a big enough difference to warrant swapping out to it. Are there any people here that had an S5 and swapped to an S5 Active that feel otherwise?

The reason I ask is bc I am on Verizon and the S5 Active is an ATT exclusive. I am looking for a more rugged phone and LOVE the capabilities of the S5 Active and it's styling. I love the fact that I don't have to put a separate case on it. I can use it as is right out of the box. If the plain S5 is similar in all respects from a user-based perspective, I'm wondering if I really need to go for the Active.

Thoughts from people who have owned both? Thanks!
I had an S5. Gave that to my wife and got an active. I like it better. I hate big old ugly cases. Got a good glass screen protector on it and no reason to worry. Dust, shock and water resistant. Oh and the camera lens is protected better. I've sent in the S5 regular version twice for repairs already. 1st time Broken camera lens and then charger port cover came off and charging cords wouldn't stay in also. Much prefer the cover over the active charging port. And it seems easier to plug in. And I like the active key additional button that you can make open anything and use it as a camera shutter button.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
 

jleebiker

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I had an S5. Gave that to my wife and got an active. I like it better. I hate big old ugly cases. Got a good glass screen protector on it and no reason to worry. Dust, shock and water resistant. Oh and the camera lens is protected better. I've sent in the S5 regular version twice for repairs already. 1st time Broken camera lens and then charger port cover came off and charging cords wouldn't stay in also. Much prefer the cover over the active charging port. And it seems easier to plug in. And I like the active key additional button that you can make open anything and use it as a camera shutter button.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

I was wondering also about the lack of wireless charging. I would think that the S5 Active would have supported like the S5 and also would make it better since you weren't opening and closing a flap door all the time. My current phone has wireless charging and I would REALLY hate to go back to not having it. :-(
 

robertopod1968

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Yeah. The flap on the active is a lot less annoying than any others I've used. I wasn't going to do the wireless charging back with the S5 anyway. I was worried about the water resistance being compromised. I like taking my phone in the water. Wasn't a big deal to me, but I can see how others might want it for sure.

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scobb

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The lack of wireless charging is my only disappointment with the S5 Active. I agree - that with a proper (sealed) charging back, it would be perfect. You would never have to hassle with the USB cover.
 

sparker04

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I personally wouldn't invest in the active but that's also because I don't really live a REALLY active lifestyle where I need all the functions and all that. The waterproof of the S5 alone is good enough for me.
 

freakdaddydog

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It all came down to personal preference for me. I needed to replace my S3 and I just liked the look of the S5 Active. Found a red one at the local AT&T store and decided to get it. Installed an SD card, rooted it, installed a screen protector, and put a slim case on it (it may not need one, but I wanted to protect my investment). After disabling and freezing some unneeded running applications (I don't remove the bloatware, I just move it to the SD card and freeze it with TiBU), I have great battery life and the phone works great. Hopefully, I'll get a few years out of it.
 

jaleesag88

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I personally would rather have the s5 active over the s5. But Craigslist sucks lately and no one is even selling an s5 active or looking to trade their s5 active. I can find s4 actives all day long!
 

troshs

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I would have gotten it but I'm one of those people who sits on the edge of my seat when a new update comes out....considering how slow and crappy the updates were for the last Active (still waiting on the boyfriends since February) it wouldn't be good for me.

Posted via Android Central App
 

robertopod1968

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Aren't the specs on the active models usually inferior?

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The only the thing the active doesn't have is the finger scanner. It has an additional button on the left side that you can use as a shortcut for the camera and shutter or program it for other things. The rest of the specs are the same.
 

pjniez

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The only the thing the active doesn't have is the finger scanner. It has an additional button on the left side that you can use as a shortcut for the camera and shutter or program it for other things. The rest of the specs are the same.

The Active is also missing the wireless charging as previously stated by others in this thread... 😊
 

robertopod1968

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It will still get scratched if you put no case on it, it's still prone to dings.

Keep your normal s5, if you plan to get rid of it, it will have a higher resale value down the line.

Posted via Android Central App
Well after having mine for a while and dropping it several times, I'd say there is no need to put a case on the active. This thing is VERY resistant to damage.