Rumored Samsung Galaxy Alpha Seen as Challenger to iPhone 6

By Don Reisinger

According to the latest rumors surrounding the Galaxy Alpha/Galaxy F/Galaxy Prime (whatever it will be called), the smartphone will drop the plastic chassis found in other Samsung products and go all-metal. By doing so, Samsung is putting the device in direct competition with the HTC One M8 and potentially the iPhone 6, which is expected to feature so-called liquid metal components.

It hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s believed that the Galaxy Alpha will go for as much as $880 without a two-year contract when it’s announced. That would make the device far more expensive than most higher-end smartphones on the market and could make carriers offer the device well into the $300 range with a two-year investment.

There is some debate over what kind of display the Galaxy Alpha will come with when it launches. Some say that the device will have Samsung’s Super AMOLED display technology, while others claim it’ll actually be a 5.2-inch QHD display. Either way, it’s expected to feature a 2,560-by-1,440 screen, which should satisfy those looking to watch movies.

The timing of the release means everything to Samsung. The company is reportedly planning to announce the smartphone in August to try to short circuit the usual PR hype leading up to the Apple iPhone 6 introduction. The Samsung handset might even go on sale around the same time as Apple’s smartphone to see once and for all which product will prove most appealing.

Thinness is the name of the game in smartphones these days. According to the news leaks, the Galaxy Alpha will be no exception. Some leaks out of the Korean supply chain show a product that is actually thinner than the 8.1mm-thick Galaxy S5. The Galaxy Alpha would feature a 6mm thickness, according to those reports. Not bad.

The long-awaited Exynos 5 Octa has yet to make its way into smartphones built by Samsung, due largely to the power requirements it has. However, there is some talk that the Galaxy Alpha will come with Samsung’s next-generation chip to separate the device from current competitors, including those using the less-powerful Snapdragon 800 processor. Still, it’s widely believed that the processor won’t actually come to Samsung devices until next year.

There are no worries that the Alpha will cannibalize Galaxy Note sales. The Galaxy Note is a phablet in every sense of the word and includes a digital pen that allows users to tap around the display. The Galaxy Alpha is expected to eschew all of those features, making it a typical smartphone design.

Gold is the new black. Every major company is now offering a wide range of smartphone colors, and can’t help but put gold versions onto store shelves. Recent leaks out of the Samsung supply chain show a gold version making its way through the production process, suggesting that, that color is coming with the typical silver and black models.

Samsung seems to like the rounded corners, big screens and single hard button on the face of its device. The leaks out of the company’s supply chain show that the Galaxy Alpha will, at face value (get it?), look identical to the Galaxy S5. What it’ll have that’s different, however, is more power under the hood and a bigger screen.

According to some news reports out of Korea, the Galaxy Alpha will come with Google’s Android 4.4 (KitKat). That would make sense, considering the latest Android devices are shipping with the operating system and Google’s upcoming Android L launch likely won’t be ready in time. Look for TouchWiz to be running atop KitKat, as well.