Samsung announces metal-clad Galaxy Alpha as “next evolution of Galaxy Design”
Samsung has made the Galaxy Alpha official this morning, folks. No longer do we have to rely on thin rumors to figure out what exactly we’re getting. This thing is built out of metal, which is quite a big deal considering Samsung has largely used plastic materials to date. Samsung made special care to first mention that this is the “evolution of Galaxy Design,” which certainly suggests they won’t be shying away from using metal in future smartphones (including a possible appearance in their upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4).
The Galaxy Alpha doesn’t come with a unibody frame so you’ll still be getting that “premium” soft-touch backplate found on many of their latest smartphones. But the use of metal as the frame and on several edges of the devices certainly should provide an enhanced look and feel that you don’t quite get with plastic. Taking a break from the design of it all, let’s jump into the specs:
- 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display
- Octa-core processor (1.8GHz quad-core and 1.3GHz quad-core chips)
- 2GB of RAM
- 32GB of internal storage (no microSD)
- 12 megapixel rear camera + 2.1 megapixel front camera
- WiFi ac w/ MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and GPS
- Fingerprint scanner
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat
- 132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7 mm, 115g
- 1,860 mAh battery
And you can expect Samsung’s usual take on the software front, including S Health, Ultra Power Saving Mode, and more. Unfortunately Samsung didn’t give any indication as to which markets this thing will be headed for, but we at least know it’ll be here starting early September and that you’ll get to choose from a wide range of colors: Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver, and Scuba Blue (with availability of colors being subject to your market, of course).
So Samsung’s finally gotten the confidence to launch a metal-clad smartphone that isn’t just a one-off variant (like the Galaxy Active) line, and it sounds like they’re committing to metal for the future. Will you be looking to jump on one of these or will you wait for this new design language to be reflected in flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and possibly the Samsung Galaxy S6? Let us know your thoughts below!
[via Samsung]