Galaxy S7 active vs Galaxy S8 Active

The month Samsung's promise of security updates for this phone runs until: the date Samsung's own page gives, or worked out from the number of years Samsung announced, counted from when the phone came out.

A phone bought later or used has fewer years left. "No longer updated" means the phone is no longer on Samsung's list of phones that get security updates.

Matters most if: You plan to keep the phone for years, or you're buying one used.

How many new versions of Android (with the matching One UI) Samsung promised this phone would get after the one it came with.

Samsung promises a number of versions rather than a date. Each upgrade brings new features; security updates are a separate promise, in the row above.

Matters most if: You want the newest Android features for years to come.

Galaxy AI is Samsung's name for its set of AI features, such as live translation of phone calls, writing help and photo editing that fills in parts of a picture.

Samsung lists which phones get Galaxy AI, at launch or through a One UI update. Some features work on the phone itself and others use the internet; Samsung lists which is which, and availability varies by language and country.

Matters most if: You want AI features such as call translation or photo editing built into the phone.

How many cameras are on the back. Each one is a separate lens for a different view: wide (the main camera), ultra wide and telephoto (zoom), depending on the model.

More cameras let you switch between a wide scene and a zoomed-in view using real lenses instead of cutting out part of the picture.

The resolution of the main camera's sensor in megapixels (MP), meaning millions of light-catching dots.

High-megapixel cameras usually combine neighboring dots into a smaller photo by default; you can switch to full resolution for large prints or cropping.

Matters most if: You want full-size photos for large prints or for cropping later.

The resolution in megapixels (MP) of the ultra wide camera: the lens that fits the most into the frame.

Use it for group photos, rooms and landscapes when you can't step back.

Matters most if: You shoot group photos, small rooms or landscapes.

The resolution in megapixels (MP) of the telephoto camera: a separate zoom lens that sees far-away things as if you were closer. "None" means the phone has no telephoto camera. Some Ultra models have two.

At the telephoto's own zoom level, the photo comes from a real lens instead of a cropped, enlarged image.

Matters most if: You photograph kids' sports, concerts, pets or wildlife from a distance.

How far the telephoto lens zooms on its own compared with the main camera (1x), for example '3x optical zoom'. Where Samsung lists two telephoto lenses, the comparison uses the longer one.

At this level the lens does the zooming, so no part of the image is cut away. 'Optical quality zoom' figures some models list come from cropping a high-resolution camera, not from a lens.

Matters most if: You compare zoom between phones: compare this row, not the 'up to' figures.

The highest video quality the rear camera records. 4K and 8K describe the picture size (8K is larger), and fps (frames per second) is how many still images make up each second.

Higher settings make bigger files, so long 8K or 4K 60 fps clips fill storage quickly.

Matters most if: You film a lot.

The type of screen, in Samsung's own words, such as Super AMOLED or Dynamic AMOLED 2X. AMOLED screens light each dot on its own, so black areas are truly black.

The name alone does not tell you how bright or sharp a screen is, so compare the brightness, resolution and refresh rate rows.

How many times per second the screen redraws the picture, in hertz (Hz). 120 Hz means up to 120 times a second.

A higher rate makes scrolling and switching apps look smoother, and uses more battery.

Matters most if: You scroll social feeds, read long pages or play fast games.

The range of refresh rates the screen moves between on its own, in Samsung's words, such as '1~120Hz'. A screen that can slow to 1 Hz saves battery on still images.

The screen speeds up for scrolling and games and slows down for reading, to balance smoothness and battery life.

Matters most if: You care about battery life as well as smooth scrolling.

The brightest the screen can get, in nits (a unit of screen brightness; higher is brighter), as Samsung measures it.

A high peak brightness makes the screen easier to see in direct sunlight. Makers measure peak brightness in different ways, so compare it only between phones from the same maker.

Matters most if: You use your phone outdoors a lot, such as for maps or photos in sunlight.

How much the phone weighs in grams (g); about 28 g is 1 ounce.

You feel the weight most when you hold the phone up for a long time, such as reading or filming.

The phone's size in millimeters (mm): height x width x depth (thickness). 25.4 mm is 1 inch.

Height and width tell you whether it fits your pocket and hand; depth is how thick it is.

A standard code for how well the phone keeps out dust and water. The first digit is dust (6 means dust-tight) and the second is water (8 is the highest of the usual ratings).

Samsung tests in fresh water; salt water, pools and soapy water are not covered, and the protection can wear off over time.

Whether the phone has a 3.5 mm socket for wired headphones (the standard round headphone plug).

Without the jack, wired headphones need a USB-C plug or an adapter, or you use Bluetooth earbuds.

How fast the phone charges with a cable, in Samsung's words, such as Super Fast Charging (25W or 45W). W (watts) is how much power the charger can deliver.

The top speed needs a charger and cable that support it; recent Galaxy phones come with a cable but no charger.

Matters most if: You often need a quick top-up before heading out.

Qi2 is a wireless charging standard with magnets that hold the charger in the right spot.

Samsung says which Galaxy phones work with Qi2 chargers, and whether they need a case with magnets for the charger to snap on.

Matters most if: You want a charger or stand that snaps onto the phone.

Wireless PowerShare lets the phone wirelessly charge another device, such as Galaxy Buds or a Galaxy Watch, placed on its back.

It works with devices that charge wirelessly, and it uses the phone's own battery.

Matters most if: You carry wireless earbuds or a watch and want to top them up away from a charger.

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The Wi-Fi generation, such as Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. 6E and 7 can also use the 6 GHz band, which is less crowded. Older phones list only the 802.11 letters (n is Wi-Fi 4, ac is Wi-Fi 5, ax is Wi-Fi 6).

A newer generation helps only with a router that supports it, and the 6 GHz band is not allowed in every country.

Matters most if: You have, or plan to buy, a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router.

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a radio chip that measures how far away another UWB device is and in which direction. It only works with another device that also has UWB.

With a tracker tag that has UWB, such as a Galaxy SmartTag+, the phone can show distance and direction to find keys or a bag.

Matters most if: You use tracker tags to find keys or bags.

mmWave ("millimeter wave") is a high-band type of 5G. The more common type, Sub-6, uses frequencies below 6 GHz. Usually only the US versions of Galaxy phones can use mmWave.

You need a carrier with mmWave 5G where you use the phone; the carrier's network decides which type the phone uses.

Matters most if: Your carrier offers mmWave 5G where you live or work.

An eSIM is a digital SIM built into the phone: it connects you to your carrier without a SIM card.

Whether you can use eSIM depends on your carrier and country. Some versions of a model have eSIM and others do not.

Matters most if: You travel abroad or want two phone lines on one phone.

FeliCa is the contactless chip behind Osaifu-Keitai, the tap-to-pay service used in Japan for transit cards such as Suica and e-money such as WAON.

Samsung Japan lists it for the Galaxy versions sold in Japan; versions sold elsewhere do not have it.

Matters most if: You live in Japan, or want to use Suica or other Osaifu-Keitai services.

A separate secure processor that keeps passwords, PINs and other sensitive data apart from the rest of the phone. Samsung calls it Knox Vault.

Phones where Samsung names no security processor still have Samsung Knox security in their software; this row only shows a separate chip Samsung names.

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