Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport for Sprint

The GS5 Sport from Sprint is surprisingly different from the GS5 Active from AT&T. It loses the Active's thicker, sturdier corners. The Active's outer edge is framed in hardened rubber. In contrast, the Sport's is simply a chunkier plastic shell that feels more solid than the standard GS5 model, but not as robust as the Active's. You could say the GS5 Sport sits between the GS5 and GS5 Active in terms of toughness, though it is much closer to the standard GS5 than the Active. That's a bit of a disappointment.

Where the GS5 has a chrome-colored band circling the outer edge, the Sport has a matte-finished polycarbonate frame. The phone has lots of textures and lines running all over the place. I find it somewhat disjointed-looking. The colored plastics are a nice change from black, but any device that has "Sport" branding needs to be either super sleek or much more rugged. Unlike the Active, I'd be afraid to drop the Sport. I certainly wouldn't kick it, throw it, or smack it with a hockey stick. These are things you can do with the Active. Skip the roughhousing with the Sport.

The Sport is a big phone. People with small hands may find it too big. The thick sides mean it doesn't rest comfortably in your hand, it doesn't cheap meizu mx5 nestle into your palm. You can feel just how wide the phone is. On the positive side, it feels robust. It should fit into most pockets without too much trouble, but the rim protecting the display means the phone is easy to feel against your leg as you move about.