Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: A Great Phone That Likes the Water

Unless we're talking about senior citizens, when the adjective "active" is applied, it's usually a synonym for "rugged" or "tough." In the case of gadgets, when I hear the word I think, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" (yes, I'm old enough to have seen the original Timex commercials featuring John Cameron Swayze).

So when Samsung sent us its smartphone (AT&T, $199.99 with a two-year contract), a tougher version of its , I figured my testing would include both dunking and dropping.

But when Samsung says active, it doesn't mean "rugged" or "tough." The GS4 Active is IP67 certified, which means it's dust- and water-resistant (it can spend 30 minutes in up to 3 feet of water), but not shock-resistant