After months of anticipation, Samsung finally unveiled the Galaxy Alpha. The new Android KitKat-running smartphone looks classy in gold and sleek with the curved corners.
The August 13 announcement turned out to be true and the phone was even showcased at a special yachting event in Moscow, Russia. The smartphone's global release will be this coming September 12 in 150 countries although it's not certain if release will be simultaneous.
No official announcement on the pricing but the phone could be $689 according to a recent report. The smartphone might even be showcased at the IFA 2014 in Berlin also happening next month.
The Galaxy Alpha features a metal frame, which Samsung describes as built using "sophisticated and compact construction techniques." The design is reminiscent of the iPhone 5S but is larger and wider. It weighs 115 grams and measures 132.4x65.5x6.7mm. The screen is a 4.7-inch AMOLED HD display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution.
The Android 4.4.4 KitKat-powered Samsung Galaxy Alpha also boasts of LTE Cat.6 support, which means, it can reach up to 300Mbps LTE-A speed like the LG G3 Cat.6 and LG G3 A smartphones.
Inside the smartphone is an octa-core Exynos SoC processor (quad-core 1.8GHz and quad-core 1.3GHz) but a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 805 SoC model will also be available. Other specs of the phone include a fingerprint scanner, a non-expandable 32GB built-in storage, 2GB RAM, 12-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 1860mAh battery, Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, and NFC. Like the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy Alpha will also have a heart rate sensor.
Samsung said the Galaxy Alpha will be available in different colors: Scuba Blue, Frosted Gold, Dazzling White, Sleek Silver, and Charcoal Black.
The South Korean company already put the Galaxy Alpha phone up for pre-order. Early adapters can expect to receive some bonus accessories but no mention what will be included in the bundle and for how much.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha seems like another Galaxy S5-variant but only with lower specs. It looks more like a well-designed mid-range phone, which could be placed side by side the S5 but with a more affordable price. What is actually impressive is its metal-build. Galaxy could have improved on the battery and the processor though.
