The Galaxy S24 series offers customers many great things, including a wealth of AI features. However, there seems to be a disturbing trend regarding the phone's durability: recent tests by Allstate have shown it to be less durable than the Galaxy S23 series, at least with respect to drops from 6 feet.

Such vulnerabilities are nothing new in recent smartphones; in fact, they have been relatively vulnerable since the Galaxy S6. But for those who wanted something a little more rugged, there was another option: the Samsung Galaxy Active phone. If you've never heard of the Galaxy Active, I don't blame you; it's a great phone, but it's not the most rugged. Its premise is pretty simple: imagine a cell phone, but with a more rugged case designed for use in the outside world. The popularity of the Active has had its ups and downs, but it remained part of Samsung's lineup from the Galaxy S6 Active to the Galaxy S8 Active.

There was also a model based on the Galaxy S9, but it never saw the light of day; it was a reported model, but was never released and was cancelled. However, the design remained in one form, namely as a tactical edition of future Galaxy phones. These were designed primarily for the military and first responders and have some specific features to help these responders do their jobs. I don't know why the active line was cancelled, but perhaps it is time for it to be reinstated.

I know that active feels like the antithesis of current smartphone design. For the most part, they are not sleek, look blocky, and can be uncomfortable to hold. However, a modern smartphone can cost over $1,000, plus the cost of a reasonable case, insurance, and repairs for potential damage. For many, this is an unreasonable demand and a huge financial burden, especially when it breaks.

So hear me out: let's bring back the active model for those who want it. It would not be that difficult, at least in principle. I recently wrote about how I felt that the Plus model of Samsung phones had become somewhat redundant. They usually don't sell as well as other models. So why not get rid of the Plus model and replace it with an active model?

This has several advantages, at least as I see it. The base Galaxy phone would be the least expensive option, the Ultra would have more advanced hardware, and the Active would be the most robust. This would give customers more options than they currently have.

One of the biggest costs of modern smartphones is repairing broken glass or screens. Most phones crack easily with even the slightest drop, and screens crack relatively easily; as seen in the JerryRigEverything test of the Galaxy S24, improved glass strength has certainly made scratches less of a concern, but cracks are difficult to prevent It is.

The problem is that cracks often occur because of small amounts of damage between the bezel and the screen. This could be anything from a deep scratch to the bezel changing shape due to the damage and putting pressure on the glass. Titanium can be used to reduce this, but it does not permanently stop it, nor does it necessarily make it more durable, as we have seen in drop tests.

The Active model counters this by focusing on making the bezel thicker and of a more durable material. They typically consist of plastic and metal bumpers to absorb some of the impact. The trade-off is often an unattractive appearance. In addition, because the frame of the Active extends outside of the screen, a dropped object strikes the frame before the glass. This is less stylish and affects the seamless appearance of the screen, but may be a fair trade-off for many.

As for active models, the problem is that they are historically expensive. The Galaxy S8 Active cost about $100 more than the base Galaxy S8 at the time, which was a pretty big deal. However, the current Plus model is usually the same price difference, and looking at the Galaxy S24 Plus, it does not appear to be as big a difference as the Active variant.

Of course, this is all speculation and very unlikely to come to fruition. However, recent drop tests indicate that Samsung needs to look into the design and see where this glitch is occurring. Alternatively, if the Nokia 7310 is resurrected, it would have little problem being dropped from a building.