Samsung announces Galaxy Alpha—built with metal, but on a budget

via arstechnica

Samsung has officially announced its first metal phone in a very long time: the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Normally, Samsung goes all-out in the specs department and puts all the pieces in a plastic case—but the Galaxy Alpha is all about design over specs.

SPECS AT A GLANCE: SAMSUNG GALAXY ALPHA
SCREEN	1280×720 4.7" (312 PPI) AMOLED
OS	Android KitKat 4.4.4 with TouchWiz
CPU	Octa Core (Quad 1.8GHz + Quad 1.3GHz)
RAM	2GB
STORAGE	32GB, not expandable
NETWORKING	802.11b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
PORTS	Micro-USB 2.0, headphones
CAMERA	12MP rear camera, 2.1MP front camera
SIZE	132.4mm × 65.5mm × 6.7mm
WEIGHT	115g
BATTERY	1860 mAh

The Galaxy Alpha is a 4.7-inch device that uses a metal frame, but it's not an undisputed new flagship and doesn't have top-tier specs. The screen resolution is 1280×720, which works out to 312 PPI, below the pixel density of most Android flagships (~430 PPI) but right in the iPhone 5S range (326 PPI).

Samsung's official blog lists the processor as either an "Octa Core (Quad 1.8GHz + Quad 1.3GHz)," which would be an Exynos processor, or a "Quad Core 2.5GHz" processor, which sounds like a Snapdragon processor (either an 801 or 805) that might land in the US version. The processor will be paired with 2GB of RAM, which again is not top-of-the-line for Android but should still make for a perfectly serviceable device.

Besides reducing the specs overall, Samsung dropped micro-USB 3.0, the microSD slot, and waterproofing. The one area it didn't skimp on is the storage; the phone comes with 32GB standard. It also has a fingerprint reader and heart rate monitor. No word yet on pricing.

At less than 7 mm thick, Samsung calls this "one of the slimmest Galaxy devices ever." The tradeoff for that slimness is that you get a battery that only clocks in at 1860 mAh—almost 1000 mAh less than the Galaxy S5. The battery life is definitely something that we'll take a look at when we have the device in hand, but with the smaller, lower-resolution screen, the phone still stands a good chance of having decent runtime. (Ballooning battery sizes are a recent trend in Android devices—the Galaxy S II survived with an 1800 mAh battery.)

With a metal frame and chamfered edges, Samsung says the Alpha sets "a new standard for Samsung Galaxy design." J.K. Shin, the CEO of Samsung Electronics, says, “The Galaxy Alpha was built and designed based on the specific desires of the consumer market.” In other words, Samsung is directly addressing the complaints about its usual materials choice. The back is still plastic, though, and it still has the golf ball texture from the Galaxy S5. The plastic back is removable, allowing the battery to be swapped out.

While the specs aren't at the crazy stratospheric levels that Samsung devices usually attain, the company is promising "same powerful hardware and features users expect from a flagship." If it can keep the performance up, Samsung may have a device that matches up well with the iPhone 6 rumors. As with the Galaxy Gear, Samsung is all about preparedness these days—if a competing device is rumored, Samsung wants to build a rival first.

According to the press release, the Alpha will launch "at the beginning of September." On September 3, Samsung will hold an event that we expect to focus on the Note 4—but perhaps the Alpha will make an appearance, too.