Samsung Galaxy S6 Active vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Price | $70 | $79 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 3,500 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 5.1 in | 5.1 in |
| Main camera | 16 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 170 g | 185 g |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Jun 2016 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S6 Active is ahead on main camera, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is ahead on battery, storage (max).
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so Samsung Galaxy S6 Active is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 5.1 inches | 5.1 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels (Quad HD) | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~577 ppi density) |
| Pixel Density | ~577 ppi | — |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Shatter-resistant (Gorilla Glass 4 underneath) |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 7 Octa 7420 (14 nm) | Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 |
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53) | Quad-core (2x 2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x 1.6 GHz Kryo) |
| GPU | Mali-T760MP8 | Adreno 530 |
| OS (upgradable to) | Up to Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | — |
| OS | — | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, upgradable to Android 7.0 Nougat |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Internal Storage | 32GB | 32GB |
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4 | 4GB |
| Card slot | No | — |
| Card Slot | — | microSDXC (dedicated slot, up to 256GB) |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Resolution | 16 MP | — |
| Aperture | f/1.9 | — |
| Features | Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Autofocus (Phase Detection, Contrast), LED flash, HDR, Panorama, Pro mode | LED flash, auto HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec. |
| Single | — | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Resolution | 5 MP | — |
| Aperture | f/1.9 | — |
| Features | Wide-angle lens | Dual video call, Auto HDR |
| Video | QHD (1140p@30fps) | 1440p@30fps |
| Single | — | 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.4µm |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Ion | Li-Ion, non-removable |
| Capacity | 3500 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charging | Fast charging, Wireless charging (Qi/PMA) | Fast charging (Quick Charge 2.0), Wireless charging (Qi/PMA) |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Dimensions | 146.8 x 73.4 x 8.6 mm (5.78 x 2.89 x 0.34 in) | 148.8 x 75.0 x 9.9 mm |
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | 185 g |
| Build | Rugged plastic/polycarbonate body with reinforced edges | Plastic body with rubberized bumpers, shatter-resistant display |
| Durability | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min), MIL-STD-810G compliant (salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistant) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min), MIL-STD-810G compliant (drop-to-surface protection) |
| Buttons | Physical navigation buttons | — |
| SIM | — | Nano-SIM |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.1, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | FM radio (region dependent) |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| Infrared port | Yes | — |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Active | Samsung Galaxy S7 Active |
|---|
| Announced | March 2015 (with Galaxy S6) | 2016, June 04 |
| Status | Released June 2015 | Discontinued |
| OS (initial) | Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop) | — |
| Release Date | — | 2016, June 10 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy S6 Active or Samsung Galaxy S7 Active?
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active — 3,500 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active versus 4,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S6 Active or Samsung Galaxy S7 Active?
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active — 170 g for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active versus 185 g for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S6 Active or Samsung Galaxy S7 Active?
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active — Jun 2015 for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active versus Jun 2016 for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active or the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active 8/10.
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