Heavy Metal Samsung Galaxy Alpha Launches In September

Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a high-end smartphone that eschews the trademark plastic casing of the Galaxy S series in favour of a metal exterior similar to high end rivals like the iPhone or HTC One.

In addition to the metal frame, the Galaxy Alpha claims to be one of the thinnest Samsung devices produced, measuring at 7mm, but the Korean firm says the focus on aesthetics has not compromised the handset’s feature set.

The Galaxy Alpha is powered by an octa-core processor, comprising 1.8GHz quad-core and 1.3GHz quad-core chips, with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory that cannot be supplemented by a MicroSD card. Also on board are a 12 megapixel rear camera, 2.1 megapixel front facing sensor, Near Field Communication (NFC) and support for LTE Cat 6 networks.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha

The new handset borrows several features from Samsung’s current flagship device, the Galaxy S5, including fingerprint scanner, S Health apps and Ultra Power Saving Mode.

The metal frame might be interpreted as an acknowledgement by Samsung that plastic might not be to everyone’s tastes. Its latest handset will hope to maintain Samsung’s share in developed countries, markets that Samsung fears are nearing saturation, once the widely-expected iPhone 6 launches later this year.

“The Galaxy Alpha was built and designed based on the specific desires of the consumer market,” says JK Shin, CEO and head of IT and Mobile Communications at Samsung.

“With an entirely new appearance, the Galaxy Alpha focuses on both beauty and functionality combining a stunning metal frame and slim, lightweight design with the same powerful hardware and features users expect from a flagship Galaxy mobile device.”

The Galaxy Alpha will be available from September in Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver, and Scuba Blue varieties, but there is no information on pricing as yet.

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