Samsung Launches Its Metallic Smartphone Galaxy Alpha

BANGALORE: Samsung seems to have shed its traditional plastic shell for a metal frame on the Galaxy Alpha, its latest smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha runs the latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box  featuring a 4.7-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display. The handset sports a sleek profile with dimensions 132.4x65.5x6.7mm and weighs 115 grams.

The new Galaxy Alpha is a shinier, ultrathin version of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5 and will go on sale early next month, just in time to duel with the iPhone 6. 

Many of the features on the Galaxy Alpha are similar to what is expected for Apple's next smartphone. Remarkably, the Galaxy Alpha features a 4.7-inch screen, the same size rumored for the iPhone 6, and a metal frame, which has always been a defining characteristic of Apple's phones. The Galaxy Alpha is also just 0.26 inches thick, thinner than the current iPhone 5s.

Samsung is hoping that the Galaxy Alpha can help its sales once Apple announces its next device. The South Korean giant has had a tough time keeping up with Apple in 2014, with sales of the nearly year-old iPhone 5s continuing to eclipse those of the newer Galaxy S5.