Samsung debuts rugged Galaxy S8 Active with larger battery

Samsung is introducing a new model for its Galaxy S8 smartphone line featuring a metal frame, larger battery and shatter-resistant screen.

The Galaxy S8 Active, which the South Korean company says has passed military specification testing, is geared toward users in environments such as extreme outdoor sporting events and construction sites, where a standard device may succumb to wear and tear.

The model doesn’t have the thin glass back of the standard Galaxy S8, first introduced in March, and instead is made from a more rugged material.

Samsung has previously sold Active versions of prior Galaxy smartphones. The S8 phone receiving the rugged makeover is the smaller, 5.8-inch model. Samsung also sells a Galaxy S8+ phone with a 6.2-inch screen.

The new S8 Active model loses the edge-to-edge screen design of the standard models, which is a key selling point of the device, in favor of a frame for improved durability.

The phone includes a larger 4000mAh battery, giving better battery life than with the standard 3000mAh battery pack.

The S8 Active comes just weeks ahead of Samsung’s planned debut of its next flagship device, which is expected to be called the Galaxy Note 8. It would mark the first redesign to the Note line since the Note 7 battery debacle last year.