The Samsung Galaxy lineup has always been compared and placed side by side with the devices from Apple. With a number of successful and highly popular Galaxy devices, choosing the best model can be tricky.
However, four of these models have managed to stand out from the rest of their siblings. These include some of Samsung's latest devices, such as the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Alpha.
All of these four models were launched in 2014. The S5 came first in February, followed by the Alpha six months later. The Note 4 and Note Edge both came out in September. These two models, compared with the S5 and Alpha, have more things in common in terms of specs and features. The S5 and Alpha also seemed to have specs that are more aligned with each other compared to their September-born siblings.
Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 features a RAM of 2GB, Android KitKat and runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 801. The main camera has a resolution of 16MP while the front shutter is set at 2MP. With the dimension of 142 by 72.5 by 8.1mm, it's bigger than the Alpha but a little more compact than the Note 4 and Note Edge.
The 2800mAh battery delivers a talk time that can last up to 21 hours, which is the longest compared to the three other models. Other features include a 5.1-inch FHD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, Bluetooth v4.0, weight of 145g, and CPU speed of 2.5Ghz. It supports the wearable devices Gear 2, Gear Fit, Gear 2 Neo, Galaxy Gear and Gear Circle.
"The Galaxy S5 absolutely is a premium, fast phone that I would buy and use every day. Its improvements over the Galaxy S4 are small, but they add up to a smoother experience. The phone's high-quality camera won't let you down, there are plenty of features to keep you occupied, and the display is bright and beautiful. And even though it is plastic, the water-resistant seals are an extra perk if you often head to the pool, hot tub, or beach," said CNET.
Galaxy Alpha. The Galaxy Alpha has a RAM of 2GB, Android KitKat and runs on Exynos 5 Octa 5430 chipset. The main camera features a resolution of 12MP while the secondary delivers 2.1MP, which is slightly higher than the S5's. The dimension measures 132.4 by 65.5 by 6.7mm. Other features include 4.7-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 by 720, Bluetooth v4.0, weight of 115g, CPU speed of 1.8GHz or 1.3GHz and an 1860mAh battery that delivers 11 hours of talk time. It can be paired with the Gear Circle and Gear Fit. Compared with the three other Galaxy models, the Galaxy Alpha is the only one that doesn't have a MicroSD slot.
"The Galaxy Alpha is an unusual device for Samsung that augurs well for the future. It combines most of the good things about the Galaxy S5 with the metallic allure of recent competitors from HTC and Apple. It's beautiful. Now Samsung needs to make sure that it's practical too," The Verge noted.
Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge. The Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge have several things in common. Both feature a RAM of 3GB, Android KitKat, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset, S pen support, main camera of 16MP, front camera of 3.7MP and CPU speed of 2.7GHz.
While the Note 4's display of 5.7 inches is slightly bigger than the 5.6 inches found in the Note Edge, both devices feature a Quad HD display and 2560 by 1440 resolution with the Note Edge's notched just a little bit more (Quad HD+ and 2560 by 1440 + 160).
The Note 4's 3220mAh battery delivers a talk time of up to 20 hours while the 3000mAh found in the Note Edge delivers up to 18 hours. Dimensions are not really that far apart, with the Note 4 measuring 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm and Note Edge at 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm. Both devices also feature Bluetooth v4.1.
The Note 4 weighs a little heavier at 176g than the Note Edge which weighs 174g. Both devices also support the Gear Fit and Gear Circle.
"The Galaxy Note 4 is the best large phone on the market. It's a device you'll be proud to whip out in public, thanks to its elegant design, robust build, beautiful screen, impressive battery life and solid camera. It also excels from a productivity standpoint, offering seamless multitasking and stylus functionality that's as smooth as I've ever seen on a smartphone," Engadget wrote.
Android Central, for its part, reviewed the Galaxy Note Edge.
"The Note Edge is a really novel idea, and for what it is it's executed quite well, particularly in terms of hardware and display technology. Samsung manages to introduce a rounded portion without compromising image quality; the software is fairly limited but speedy, and the rest of the phone is exactly the same as the well-liked Note 4," it said.
