galaxyalpha
Latest
Samsung gives its metal-framed Galaxy Alpha a leather backside
Samsung's Galaxy Alpha was already a nice departure form its usual plastic wrapped phones. Now, the metal-framed option has a new material around back: leather. On the company's French site, four new devices surfaced, complete with back panels sporting the aforementioned scaly rawhide. However, the front of the phones keep the silver and gold hues we've seen on the regular models, and these new handsets are only available in limited quantities. In fact, there's only 100 of each. As you might expect, that kind of exclusivity and the addition of premium materials translates to a price tag of €649 ($790) -- €80 ($97) more than the existing options in France.
Engadget Daily: Galaxy Alpha and Xperia Z3 reviews, the new 'Smash Bros.' and more!
Interested in upgrading to the Galaxy Alpha or Xperia Z3? You've come to the right place. Today, we take both handsets for a spin, journey through the historical roots of Assassin's Creed: Unity, play a whole bunch of the new Smash Bros. for 3DS, and more. Read on for all our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha review: Samsung's most beautiful phone yet
When a company names one of their products after the first letter of the Greek alphabet, it means business. Take Samsung's Galaxy Alpha: The name alone exudes confidence. Although the term typically signifies the first in a series, the Alpha obviously isn't Samsung's inaugural Android phone; rather, it ushers in a completely new design direction for the company. It's not a top-of-the-line flagship device on the inside, but what matters is that it actually looks like one on the outside, thanks to its premium aesthetics, metal frame and sleek body. Samsung has every reason to be confident in the Alpha's design. As always, however, there's more to a device than meets the eye.
Samsung's upscale Galaxy Alpha reaches AT&T on September 26th
Good news: if you want Samsung's slimmer, ritzier Galaxy Alpha in the US, you won't have to beg your Canadian friends to ship an unlocked unit across the border. AT&T has revealed plans to carry the Alpha starting on September 26th, the same day it launches up North. Be prepared to pay a premium for this compact yet speedy Android phone, though. The Alpha will cost $200 on a contract, or $613 contract-free. That's not much different than what you'd pay for the larger, slightly more powerful Galaxy S5 -- you'll have to really value the Alpha's metal-clad design for AT&T's pricing to make sense.
Samsung's Galaxy A5 has some Alpha style, but not the substance
Samsung likes to get some mileage out of its lofty design themes and plenty of people have gone gaga over the Galaxy Alpha's subtle style, so it's no surprise that the phone's design DNA is being injected into other devices. SamMobile has been reporting for a while now that the Korea electronics giant has been working on a range of phones -- the so-called A series -- that feature some of the Alpha aesthetic, and now they've obtained images of the first one. It's called the Galaxy A5, and if these reports hold true it falls very firmly onto the middle of the road. There's a 5-inch Super AMOLED screen running at 720p up front, paired with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset ticking away within the minimalist frame that may or may not actually be made of metal. Yeah, we know, it's a bummer, but the more modest price tag that'll almost assuredly stick to it might make the change in materials worth it.
Where to buy Samsung's Galaxy Alpha
Samsung usually keeps its design team busy with the Galaxy S and Note ranges, but clearly they had some extra time to kill this year. One side project turned out to be the Galaxy Alpha, a sleek 4.7-inch number with the kind of premium build quality Samsung reserves for only its top handsets. It even gives the flagship Galaxy S5 something to worry about, with a slim profile, aluminium frame and some of the more notable specs including a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and 12MP camera. If the compact and classy device is something you've been keeping an eye out for, then you'll be pleased to hear it launches in the UK today (on iPhone preorder day, no less), and we've got the skinny on where you can snag one.
Samsung teases the US by bringing the Galaxy Alpha to Canada
Samsung is being a bit cruel to Americans jonesing for the Galaxy Alpha. The company has announced that its upscale Android smartphone will launch just north of the border (that is, Canada) on September 26th through Bell and Virgin Mobile. There's no mention of Virgin's pricing, but Bell is already taking orders at either $150 CAD on a two-year contract or a pricey $700 if you go contract-free. This isn't an exclusive, though, so you should expect the Alpha to make its way to other Canuck providers in the "coming months." As for the US? Sorry, there's still no official word on that yet -- barring success with an importer, you'll just have to sit tight.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is smaller, lighter and more elegant than the GS5
Aluminum sides, chamfered edges, slim profile, solidly built back -- this is what Samsung's chosen as its brand-new design language, and it's why the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge (which was introduced this week) have a premium look and feel. But the new Note isn't the only device with the same type of setup: It has a smaller sibling called the Galaxy Alpha that was announced just three weeks prior. The Alpha, which should be making its way into select markets (such as the UK) this month, is a compromise for those who want a good-looking phone, but don't want one that's so large.
Samsung's leaked Galaxy Alpha looks like a smaller, prettier S5
Many have assumed that Samsung's fabled metal smartphone would be a very high-end device, but some new leaks hint that it could be considerably more modest. Both SamMobile and Tinhte have posted photos of the Galaxy Alpha (shown on the right), a mid-range Android handset that reportedly touts a 4.7-inch screen and that long-rumored, slightly more fashionable metal trim. It's not certain exactly what's under the hood beyond LTE-Advanced data, although SamMobile suggests that the internals would slot in neatly between the Galaxy S5 and its smaller, slower mini counterpart. Alongside a previously rumored 720p screen, the Alpha would supposedly pack 32GB of (sadly non-removable) storage and either an Exynos 5 Octa or a Snapdragon 800 for a processor -- good enough, but not great.
