Samsung Galaxy S7 Active rugged Android phone comes to AT&T with massive battery

The summer is almost here, and I am so excited! Relaxing and having fun at the beach, pool, or my backyard are some of my favorite things. Unfortunately, water and sand are not good for electronics. While I absolutely adore my iPhone, I wouldn't dare bring it to the beach, or rest it on a table near a pool.

If you live a very active summer lifestyle, and cannot deal with owning a phone that you must treat gently (such as Apple's), a rugged such offering would be a wise choice. Today, Samsung announces that the all-new rugged Galaxy S7 Active is coming to AT&T as an exclusive. Best of all, it will be available just in time for the summer season.

"The Samsung Galaxy S7 active gives you greater peace of mind when you're dealing with life's everyday fumbles. It has a 5.1 inch Super AMOLED display that lets you watch vivid, clear video. The phone's 4,000mAh battery is the largest of any Galaxy S device, providing up to 32 hours of talk time, and can fully charge in less than two hours", says AT&T.

The carrier further says, "the Samsung Galaxy S7 active has all the premium features of the Galaxy S7 series including a 12 megapixel rear facing camera with Dual Pixel technology, fingerprint sensor, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor. Additionally, the Galaxy S7 active has 32GB of internal storage with a microSD slot for up to 200GB of additional storage".

If you are a fan of Android, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active should be absolutely brilliant. While some might expect for the company to offer anemic specs because of the rugged body in an effort to bring the overall cost down, it is actually quite powerful. It even improves on the standard Galaxy S7 with battery life. The 4,000 mAh battery packed into this phone will allow you to keep the music playing longer as you party this summer.

Samsung promises that the smartphone is shatter resistant (not shatter proof) from up to 5 feet. Since most humans are under 6-feet tall, and won't likely drop it while holding it over their head, most accidental drops during normal usage and handling should be protected. A drop from a third-story balcony, for example, will likely cause massive damage.

Water resistance is IP68, allowing it to be submerged for up to 30 minutes in 5 feet of water. In other words, depending on the depth of your pool, it should survive a quick drop or splash. With that said, I wouldn't purposely submerge it for fun -- "resistance" does not equal absolute protection. At the beach in particular, keep in mind that salt water can damage the seals, making it less water resistant in the future.

If you are interested in purchasing this rugged smartphone, you can do so on June 10 in Sandy Gold, Titanium Gray, and Camo Green. AT&T explains that it will cost $33.13/month for 2 years with its "Next Every Year" plan, or $26.50 over 2.5 years with the "Next" plan.

Will you buy it? Tell me in the comments.