Samsung Galaxy S9 Active seems to have quietly dropped off the radar

Samsung is one of the few makers that has consistently released a ruggedized variant of its products. The devices typically find favor with people who work in construction industries, the military and other outdoor activities types who need a device that can withstand regular drops and the elements. Each year since the Galaxy S5 in 2014, Samsung has released an Active variant of its flagship handset — however, that doesn’t seem to be on the cards this year.

As the folks over at Sam Mobile note, the typical June-July launch window for the latest what would have been the newest iteration, the Galaxy S9 Active, has come and gone without a trace or leak of the device. This strongly suggests that Samsung has decided to skip a ruggedized variant of the Galaxy S9 this year. Given the relatively lackluster sales of the Galaxy S9 line in general, it wouldn’t surprise if Samsung didn’t launch what would be a relatively low sales volume device.

That leaves last year’s Galaxy S8 Active as the most potent ruggedized smartphone on the market. That model is still available for US$850 from Samsung’s US website (or through AT&T on a plan), although you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere. It is powered by a Snapdragon 835, which is still a solid chip, while it should eventually get an update to Android 9.0 Pie as well.

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