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, 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 storage and either an Exynos 5 Octa or a Snapdragon 800 for a processor, good enough, but not great.
Recently, reports have surfaced that Samsung is working on a newer line of flagship devices, with the first phone in the series to be called Galaxy Alpha and have a body made at least partially out of metal. Well, thanks to one of our sources, we have managed to grab hold of live images of the device. The images confirm earlier reports that the Galaxy Alpha will sport a 4.7-inch screen and a metallic construction, though Samsung has opted to use aluminium on the sides while keeping the faux leather back that we’ve seen on the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 3. which should help in offering both a solid grip and a premium feel. According to our source, the Galaxy Alpha will be a somewhat high-end device. It has the same display as the Galaxy S III’s (we’re unsure if that only extends to the display resolution or to screen type as well), a nano SIM slot, fingerprint scanner, and 32GB of internal storage but no external storage – this is quite a good indication that reports of the phone being meant as an iPhone killer are partially true. The Galaxy Alpha will be a step above the Galaxy S5 mini and will actually be sold as another watered-down variant of the Galaxy S5. There will also be an LTE-A variant, which is affirmed by an image leaked on a Vietnamese tech blogshowing the device in the powered on state, and we’re guessing the LTE-A variant could be powered by Samsung’s recently announced Exynos ModAP processor, which brings support for 150 Mbps LTE-A speeds.
