The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active leaked out yesterday in a video which showed off the smartphone from all angles. And today, a series of videos have also been released that reveal the smartphone in its entirety and talk about some new features we didn’t know about. First and foremost, there appears to be a dedicated hardware key known as the ‘Active’ button that can perform a variety of tasks on its own. A quick press could launch the Active Zone, which contains the barometer, compass, stopwatch and flashlight applications all in one place. A long press could launch the camera application with the button also doubling as a hardware shutter key for taking images. Users can further customize the functioning of the Active Key from the settings to open a wide range of apps. So it’s clear that the Galaxy S5 Active will take utility and ruggedness to a whole new level. [Ed note: this can also be quite handy for use underwater. The S5 Active will certainly be water-resistant, but we all know smartphones screens aren’t very touch-friendly when in contact with water, making photo snapping an ordeal. A physical button solves that issue.] Another video reveals the presence of OIS on the camera, although it’s hard to ascertain if it’s done with dedicated hardware or a software feature like the Galaxy S5. We’re leaning towards the latter as it’s unlikely that Samsung would use improved optics on a device which is considered a variant of the company’s main flagship. You can watch all three video below to get a better idea of what the Galaxy S5 Active can do.
