AT&T will exclusively retail the Galaxy S8 Active, a special edition of Samsung’s upcoming Android flagship that’s expected to feature a more robust body, sources with knowledge of the matter told SamMobile. The upcoming variant of the device is expected to sport the model number SM-G892A, one that hasn’t yet been mentioned in any previous reports, including certificates issued by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Due to that state of affairs, it seems unlikely that the second largest wireless carrier in the country will start selling the Galaxy S8 Active as soon as the regular variants of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus launch. Naturally, that assumption is also reinforced by the fact that the Dallas, Texas-based mobile service provider hasn’t made any official announcements on the matter so far, which probably wouldn’t be the case if the device was slated to be released next week.
The original report also reveals that the Galaxy S8 Active is codenamed “Cruiser,” speculating how that name could imply it will carry a larger battery than the regular device as that ship classification denotes vessels designed for traversing distant waters. Regardless of whether that speculation turns out to be baseless or not, sources with direct knowledge of the matter claim that the Galaxy S8 Active will be hitting the market in the near future. The device itself will likely be made in accordance with the MIL-STD-810G military standard, though it remains to be seen whether it will feature a dedicated Active button like previous Active-branded revisions of Samsung’s flagships did. Seeing how the Galaxy S8 already boasts four physical buttons on its sides, Samsung may decide against including the fifth one and could instead simply remap the Bixby button or offer users the choice to do so themselves.
While the report doesn’t specifically state this, it seems likely that AT&T will only retail an Active variant of the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8, while the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus won’t get the same treatment, just like last year when Samsung only released an AT&T-exclusive Galaxy S7 Active. More details on the device are expected to follow later this year.