Life is tough enough. The Galaxy S7 Active is the best phone to let you traverse the perilous, waterlogged journey ahead.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
It is truly a bummer that the Galaxy S7 Active is an AT&T exclusive because this is a smartphone worthy of all SIMs. Inside, it's packed with the same stellar components as the rest of the Galaxy S7 family, including a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also offers a massive 4000mAh battery, in addition to a rugged, dust-proof, and water-resistant enclosure. Its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display is bright enough to see in the great outdoors and sits behind a shatter-resistant protective coating that can withstand the toughest of falls.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 Active is what other consumer-oriented rugged smartphones should aim to be like.
One more thing: If you're bummed about the exclusivity of this particular device, you might consider the next best thing for your Galaxy S7: An Otterbox case.
Why it's the best
It's basically a more robust Galaxy S7 with a better battery.
The Galaxy S7 Active is a great example of what works when a manufacturer attempts to ruggedize one of its existing smartphones. Samsung took the best parts of the Galaxy S7 — its components, its camera capabilities, its other extra bits — and shoved it all into a shock-resistant case. It's also stylish enough that it's not a complete outlier; You don't immediately look at this phone and go, "Well, that's certainly not geared for me." The idea is that anyone who wants a tougher smartphone can have it without sacrificing features and aesthetics.
Best MacGyver phone
CAT S60
The Cat S60 is an unlocked, GSM-compatible smartphone with FLIR thermal imaging available at the touch of a button. CAT swears this is "the world's most waterproof smartphone," as it can survive depths of up to 5 meters for an entire hour—that's 30 minutes more than any of the Galaxy S7 variants claim to last. It's also drop-proof up to 1.8 meters and reinforced with a strengthened die cast frame, which makes it perfect for perilous environments like construction sites. However, there are some downsides, like the fact that the CAT S60 has a mere 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and it runs on a mid-range Snapdragon 617 processor—the same SoC that's inside the HTC One A9.
Bottom line: If you're out in the field on a daily basis and you're with T-Mobile or AT&T, you have a choice of the CAT S60 as your badass daily driver.
One more thing: The Cat S60 will not work with Sprint, Verizon, or any of their MVNOs.
Best Verizon-compatible phone
Motorola Droid Turbo 2
It's really too bad that Motorola keeps its exclusives with Verizon, because the Droid Turbo 2 is still pretty impressive even a year later. This smartphone features Motorola's ShatterShield technology, so the 5.4-inch POLED Quad HD display is essentially shatterproof. It also comes with a massive 3,760mAh battery, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 32GB of onboard storage with expandable memory. And best of all, this phone has received its Marshmallow update.
Bottom line: If you're on Big Red and you're in need of a smartphone that can withstand all that life throws at you, the Droid Turbo 2 is a worthy consideration.
One more thing: You can order a replacement Moto Shattershield Lens if you scratch up your Droid Turbo 2.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
It is truly a bummer that the Galaxy S7 Active is an AT&T exclusive because this is a smartphone worthy of all SIMs. Inside, it's packed with the same stellar components as the rest of the Galaxy S7 family, including a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also offers a massive 4000mAh battery, in addition to a rugged, dust-proof, and water-resistant enclosure. Its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display is bright enough to see in the great outdoors and sits behind a shatter-resistant protective coating that can withstand the toughest of falls.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 Active is what other consumer-oriented rugged smartphones should aim to be like.
One more thing: If you're bummed about the exclusivity of this particular device, you might consider the next best thing for your smartphone: An Otterbox case.
