Review: Samsung GALAXY Alpha

Tested

Review: Samsung GALAXY Alpha

Its the first of its kind!

Byline: Andrew Yew

A common design trait shared by almost all Samsung smart devices is its plastic build, which undoubtedly worked well in the past. However, it is raising consumer eyebrows lately with the advent of smartphones built with metal frames. As is, the market has been clamouring for a metal Samsung device for some time now and, thankfully, the Korean brand listened as it has released the Samsung GALAXY Alpha. This device is the first to bear a durable frame without compromising on what makes Samsung devices so desirable. Might I just say, after using it, this is by far my favourite Samsung device.

It’s Beautiful
There, I said it. Compared to its flagship siblings, the GALAXY Alpha looks downright gorgeous, with its metal frame, sleek design, and textured back. The GALAXY Alpha is using the same dimpled design for its back started by the GALAXY S5, though it comes in a cross-shaped pattern instead of dots. The dimples are tiny and numerous, resulting in a very comfortable hold. Plus, the metal frame gives the device a very satisfying heft.

Mini Flagship
For its first metal outing, Samsung pulled no stops with the GALAXY Alpha, equipping it with an octa-core Exynos 5430 System-on-Chip (SoC), which can connect to 4G LTE networks, and is paired with 2GB RAM and a generous 32GB of internal storage, Considering the lamentable lack of microSD expansion, 32GB seems like a good compromise. The device runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, with a cleaner version of theTouchWiz.

Some Compromises
Given the smaller size, some concessions had to be made for the GALAXY Alpha. The 4.7in display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which is on par with most similarly-sized devices. Oddly enough, it requires a nanoSIM instead of the microSIM we’ve all come to know and love. The battery is also comparatively smaller – 1860mAh. Seeing as most of its catalogue (even smaller devices) pack microSD expansion, it strikes me as a bit odd as to why the GALAXY Alpha lacks a means of storage expansion. Well, time to embrace cloud storage, I suppose.

Blazing Fast
With potent parts powering the GALAXY Alpha, it comes as no surprise that the device is fast. Going through the interface and benchmarks did not show any slowdown, and the 1830mAh battery is able to last you a full working day. For its first venture into building a smartphone with a metal frame, Samsung is doing it right. Let’s hope future devices with metal will be as good as this one.

Price: RM1899

Dimensions: 132.2 x 65.5 x 6.7mm
Weight: 115,g
Display: 4.7in, 1280 x 720 pixels
Processor: Exynos 5 Octa 5430
Memory: 2GB
Storage: 32GB
Operating system: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Camera: 12MP rear-facing, 2.1MP front-facing
Battery: 1,860mAh

3DMark Ice Storm Extreme: 9948
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 5938
AnTuTu: 50240
GFXBench Manhattan: 913 (14.7fps)
GFXBench Manhattan 1080p Offscreen: 443 (7.1fps)
GFXBench T-Rex: 1752 (31.3fps)
GFXBench T-Rex 1080p Offscreen: 1029 (18.4fps)
Anomaly 2 High Quality: 354886
Basemark OS II Overall: 898
Basemark X Medium: 10827
Basemark X High: 6468
Value: 7/10
Features: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Design: 10/10
Usability: 9/10