While the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 has an IP68 rating, which means it is water- and dust-proof, it is said that Samsung is still planning to come out with a tougher iteration, called the Galaxy S7 Active.
According to a recent tweet by noted tipster Evan Blass, although Samsung has yet to confirm it directly, an active partner with Samsung, mobile carrier AT&T, is currently testing a Samsung flagship device, the SM-G891A.
Blass mentioned that the name of the model is interesting as the Galaxy S6 Active is called model SM-G890A. The perennial leaker then stated that either Samsung is coming out with an updated Galaxy S6 Active, or it is the rumored Galaxy S7.
Samsung has yet to confirm the rumor, but The Week says that a third addition to the Galaxy S7 lineup is highly plausible. Past flagship lineups in the Galaxy S series, particularly the last three, all have Active variants.
The industry observer added that should Samsung really plan on releasing a Galaxy S7 Active, it looks like it will be a carrier-exclusive device rather than having a global roll-out, since it is only U.S.-based AT&T that is testing the handset at this time.
However, even if Samsung limits the Galaxy S7 Active to AT&T subscribers, global fans of the lineup may still get a third iteration in the series. According to speculations, Samsung is reportedly planning to revive its mini phones and will release a Galaxy S7 Mini.
Apparently, Samsung is hoping to compete with Apple in this regard. The Cupertino-based company recently launched a new addition to its smartphone lineup, the iPhone SE. The new flagship is the smallest current-gen variant in the iPhone lineup, with a 4-inch screen. However, its internals are on par with the current-gen iPhone 6s, making the new iPhone SE one of the flagship releases to watch out for this year.
