Samsung's Galaxy Alpha smartphone ditches plastic for metal

[Scorpus]

Following a number of leaks, Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Alpha, the first smartphone in their line-up to ditch the signature all-plastic body for a more premium metal finish. It's also the slimmest Galaxy handset to date at just 6.7mm thick, making this a true display of what Samsung's design team is capable of.

Going on the product shots provided by Samsung, the Alpha appears to be a mash-up of the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S II, utilizing a more rectangular body than the Galaxy S5. The removable back cover is still plastic though, featuring a dot-patterned design.

Hardware-wise, the Galaxy Alpha will be available in two variants: a Snapdragon 801 powered model for markets such as the US, and an Exynos 5 Octa 5430 powered model for the rest. The Exynos 5430 hasn't been fully detailed by Samsung just yet, but we do know it includes a 1.8 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU alongside a 1.3 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU and a Mali-T628MP6 GPU.

Other specs include 2 GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of Ultra HD video recording, 32 GB of internal storage (but no microSD card slot), a 1,860 mAh battery, and a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The included Intel XMM7260 modem gives the international version Category 6 LTE, supporting speeds up to 300 Mbps.

The Galaxy Alpha, running Android 4.4.4, will be available at the beginning of September. No pricing has been given, although the premium chassis and mix of mid-range and high-end specs indicates it'll sit just below the Galaxy S5 in the company's smartphone line.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/57724-samsungs-galaxy-alpha-smartphone-ditches-plastic-for-metal.html

 

[Guest]

So disappointed... I have been waiting for this device for a a year. Not Quad HD screen, not the 805 processor, less RAM, not water resistant/rugged and low front camera resolution etc... it doesn't deserve the "Alpha" name. I love Samsung but it doesn't compare to LG's newest phone.

 

[Guest]

Well considering Alpha is usually attached to projects in their first stages of development. I would say its a very appropriate name.

 

[rub900]

Unlocked nexus 5. Bye Samsung

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

So disappointed... I have been waiting for this device for a a year. Not Quad HD screen, not the 805 processor, less RAM, not water resistant/rugged and low front camera resolution etc... it doesn't deserve the "Alpha" name. I love Samsung but it doesn't compare to LG's newest phone.

I don't think this phone is intended to replace the Galaxy S top tier phones, it looks more like a high mid range phone so it should be a lot more affordable and that's where the action is.
I like the size of the 4.7" 720p screen, it's sufficient, sensible and help keeps costs down but what I don't like is the fact it doesn't take SD cards to expand storage although 32GB is more than enough, it raises the price. Bummer!
Personally I would like to see a 8GB model but with the ability to take an expansion card and that should reduce costs even more but I suppose we can't have everything.

 

[Guest]

Damn..is that the new Iphone Galaxy S?

 

[Guest]

Love the metal! Hope it still has the finger print scanner.. So I can keep my sneaky girlfriend out

 

[Marty LK]

Not worth having. Though the construction is nice, the specs are 2 years old. The size is smaller than the GS3 and the display resolution is the same as the GS3, which is over 2 years old. Has only 2GB RAM and no card slot.

Samsung dropped the ball on this device. They could have had a hot seller like the GS3 was.