A recent report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech  states that in Europe, previous users of Samsung devices, specifically the Galaxy SII, upgraded to a Sony Xperia Z rather than another Samsung device such as the Galaxy SIII, S4 or Note.

The reason for this may be in the Xperia Z’s water and dust resistant features, and with its recent iterations, the ZR and the Ultra are now waterproof.  This appeals to the more outgoing or adventurous demographic.  But will Europe’s interest in the Xperia be maintained now that Samsung’s ruggedized S4, the Galaxy S4 Active, is already available to consumers?

Let’s compare how these two devices stack up against each other.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active vs. Sony Xperia ZR

Design

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: Polycarbonate body with a metallic finish, the ports are covered in plastic flaps, has rivets in the back and the overall look makes it appear more high-end than the original S4.  Available in Urban Gray and Dive Blue colors.  With physical buttons for home, back and menu aside from the usual volume control buttons and power button.  And the volume rocker doubles as a camera button when underwater.

Sony Xperia ZR: Shatter-proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass, matte plastic material covers the back of the device which makes the device appear like it’s metallic in nature. Available in Black, White, Pink and Mint

Dimensions

S4 Active: Height 5.50 x Width 2.81 x Depth 0.36 inches, Weight 5.29 oz.

Xperia ZR: 5.15 x 2.63 x 0.40 inches, 4.93 oz.

Display

S4 Active: 5” 1920×1080 Full HD TFT (441 ppi), 16 million colors

Xperia ZR: 4.55” TFT, 1280×720 pixels, 16 million colors

OS

S4 Active: Google Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

Xperia ZR: Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Battery/Battery life

S4 Active: Removable 2600mAh; Talking Time Hours: Up to 17 Hours; Standby Time: Up to 13 Days

 Xperia ZR: Talk Time: Up to 13 Hours; Standby Time: Up to 520 Hours; Music Listening Time: Up to 45 Hours; Video Playback Time: Up to 8.5 Hours

Camera

S4 Active:Rear-facing camera 8MP with autofocus and LED flash, 4x digital zoom, live video capture and playback 1080p with slow motion video capture; Front-facing camera 2MP

Xperia ZR: 13 MP with Auto Focus, 16x Digital Zoom, Sony Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, Full HD Recording (1080p), Front Facing Camera (VGA), Face Detection, HDR for both  Picture/Film, Flash/Photo Light, with a dedicated camera key for faster picture taking when needed

Durability

S4 Active: IP67 rating water resistant for up to one meter of water for 30 minutes, dust resistant

Xperia ZR: IP55 and IP58 rating – dust-proof and water-resistant, 1.50 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes

Processor

S4 Active: Qualcomm MDM9215 + APQ8064pro 1.9GHz Quad-core

Xperia ZR: 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Quad Core

Memory

S4 Active: Internal memory storage Up to 16GB  expandable to up to 64GB via microSD card, 2GB RAM

Xperia ZR: 8GB of flash memory, can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card, 2GB RAM

Connectivity (Wireless and ports)

S4 Active:  4G-LTE Bands 2, 4, 5 and 17, 4G HSPA+ HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, 3G – UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz, Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 5GHz Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC) , Bluetooth technology 4.0, Mobile Hotspots Up to 10 devices, FOTA capable – upgrade Firmware Over The Air, 3.5mm jack, Hearing Aid (HAC) rating M3; Infrared to control TV

 Xperia ZR: 3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA), aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, DLNA Certified, Media Go, Media Transfer Protocol support, Micro USB support, Native USB tethering, NFC, Screen mirroring, Xperia Link, Wi-Fi and WiFi Hotspot Functionality, Synchronisation via Exchange Activesync, Google Sync and Facebook

Pricing and Availability

S4 Active: Exclusively available at AT&T with a two-year contract for $199.99

Xperia ZR: Not yet available in the US

Special Features

S4 Active: earSmart Advanced Voice processor improves call clarity & sound quality, WatchON, Air View, Air Gesture, Smart Pause, and Smart Rotation.

Xperia ZR: OptiContrast panel gives you clearer images when turned on, Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 automatically optimises images, making them sharper and brighter, Xperia Care

The Verdict – Keep Your Underwater Camera

Thought the S4 Active doesn’t have the same AMOLED display as the original, it’s still on par with the Xperia ZR’s display.  As for the other features, the S4 Active still takes the cake, especially with the Jedi-like features such as the AirView, Smart Stay, Air Gesture and other Smart features that are also available in the original S4.

The S4 Active is shorter and fatter than the original but not by much, so I doubt that you’ll actually notice the difference, while the Xperia ZR is lighter and thinner than the Active. So if you’re looking for a rugged smartphone that’s still sleek and light, the Xperia ZR may be your best bet.

As for the water-resistant aspects, the Xperia ZR can go into deeper water than the S4 Active but make sure you only do it in freshwater as salt, or chlorinated water may do some damage to the device.  Same goes for the S4 Active.  And because the S4 Active has a removable back cover, make sure the back cover is secured tightly and the rubber covering for the ports are closed, as getting water inside your phone is no fun.

Over all, if you like taking photos underwater, especially at sea, these two devices aren’t for you, as they both have limited range underwater plus salt water and chlorinated water can damage your device.  Your best bet is buying an underwater camera.