Samsung Makes Metal-Strapped Galaxy Alpha Official
We were beginning to wonder if Samsung would ever release a high-end smartphone without a plastic chassis, and now that it finally has, expect comparison's to Apple's iPhone design to begin anew. In the meantime, meet the Galaxy Alpha, the newest addition to Samsung's Galaxy family and the first in the series to sport a metal frame with a solid finish.
"The Galaxy Alpha was built and designed based on the specific desires of the consumer market," said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics. "With an entirely new appearance, the Galaxy Alpha focuses on both beauty and functionality combining a stunning metal frame and slim, light weight design with the same powerful hardware and features users expect from a flagship Galaxy mobile device."
On the topic of design, the Galaxy Alpha has curved corners and a tactile soft cover. It also sports a soft matte finish, which Samsung claims is the "perfect contrast" to its reflective metal frame, resulting in a "visually balanced" handset. The device is also compact, measuring less than 7mm thick (132.4mm x 65.5mm x 6.7mm) and weighing 115g.
Moving on to the hardware, the Galaxy Alpha comes equipped with an 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) Super AMOLED display, Samsung Exynos octa-core processor (high performance quad-core 1.8GHz + low power quad-core 1.3GHz), 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO, 2x2), Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, NFC support, 1,860 mAh battery, and Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
Noticeable absent is a microSD card slot for expandable storage, and there's also no mention of the battery being removable, both of which are popular features on the Galaxy S5. However, those craving an iPhone-like design running Android will likely be willing to overlook those shortcomings.
Samsung says the Galaxy Alpha will be available at the beginning of September in Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver, and Scuba Blue.
"The Galaxy Alpha was built and designed based on the specific desires of the consumer market," said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics. "With an entirely new appearance, the Galaxy Alpha focuses on both beauty and functionality combining a stunning metal frame and slim, light weight design with the same powerful hardware and features users expect from a flagship Galaxy mobile device."
On the topic of design, the Galaxy Alpha has curved corners and a tactile soft cover. It also sports a soft matte finish, which Samsung claims is the "perfect contrast" to its reflective metal frame, resulting in a "visually balanced" handset. The device is also compact, measuring less than 7mm thick (132.4mm x 65.5mm x 6.7mm) and weighing 115g.
Moving on to the hardware, the Galaxy Alpha comes equipped with an 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) Super AMOLED display, Samsung Exynos octa-core processor (high performance quad-core 1.8GHz + low power quad-core 1.3GHz), 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO, 2x2), Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, NFC support, 1,860 mAh battery, and Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
Noticeable absent is a microSD card slot for expandable storage, and there's also no mention of the battery being removable, both of which are popular features on the Galaxy S5. However, those craving an iPhone-like design running Android will likely be willing to overlook those shortcomings.
Samsung says the Galaxy Alpha will be available at the beginning of September in Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver, and Scuba Blue.
