Many of us have seen ads for the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The reviews of a large number of people indicate that from the images of the device it seemed that the Korean company Samsung, launching such a phone, intends to even “copy” Apple in some way in order to compete with it in price. Agree: the model also has a neat metal case, a large screen, fairly good technical specifications. At the same time, of course, Alpha is cheaper than the same iPhone 5S, although it is positioned at about the same level - the "under-flag", which is close to the top model. In the case of Samsung, this is the S6; in the case of the iPhone, it is the 6th generation model.
Today we will talk about how the Samsung Galaxy Alpha (reviews of which will also be given in this article) can please its customers.
Device positioning
So, let's start with the general position of the manufacturer regarding this smartphone. As already noted, the phone visually somewhat resembles an Apple product for the reason that it has similar neat edges of a metal case, is made in a strict rectangular shape and is offered at the price of “top-end” devices.
It should be noted that the Samsung Galaxy Alpha (reviews of sellers of some communication stores confirm this) is not trying to compete with the flagship Galaxy S5 and S6. Accordingly, the developers deliberately “divert” the new product from leadership positions in the market, offering it at a lower cost and placing more emphasis on the flagship (aforementioned) phones in their advertising campaigns. Why is this happening? Let's compare the Alpha and S5 phones (since S6 hasn't come out yet) and figure it out for yourself.
Comparison with the flagship
In fact, there are a lot of parameters by which these phones differ. Although, as reported by Samsung Galaxy Alpha customer reviews, visually ordinary user these phones can easily be confused - the design is so similar. But nothing like this can be said about the "stuffing."
The S5 has a better processor, camera, display, battery, screen sensor and graphics engine (in short). Plus, the flagship has support for USB 3.0, the new OpenVG, the latest Lollipop OS. Meanwhile, Alpha is cheaper and is offered in a metal case.
It turns out that Samsung purposefully relies on the more advanced technological effectiveness of its top model and simply the “beautiful and stylish” image of the Alpha phone. And what to pay and how much - of course, the buyer decides.
Design and housing
But we will not study the Galaxy S5 in such detail - today this device is not the object of our review. We’ll talk about the design of our Samsung Galaxy Alpha; We’ll look for feedback on the build quality of the case and, of course, we will discuss how it lies in the hand and how convenient it is to use.
The design has already been noted that the Alpha is very similar to other Samsung models - this is an indisputable and obvious fact. An unprepared buyer is unlikely to distinguish him from the S5. In addition, the phone has certain features of the fifth generation “apple” phones (in the sixth, they were already smoother).
The body of the device is made of metal; more precisely, it is an aluminum frame around the screen and a plastic cover with dots, which is similar to the S5 cover. True, as experts say, the Alpha feels less pleasant to the touch - it sticks to your hand and gives the impression of discomfort.
The phone itself, as the reviews bought say about the Samsung Galaxy Alpha G850f, leaves the impression that it was assembled at the highest level. There are no backlashes and creaks in the model - the lid is fitted, one might say, perfectly. I also want to note the metal keys that are pleasant to the touch with the sound control, unlock the display and the lack of an input for a memory card. Perhaps this way the manufacturer wants to make the device even more similar to the iPhone.
Galaxy Alpha Display
The screen of the device, of course, is slightly worse than the one used on the top model. According to official specifications, this is a display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. Here, as the developer describes, the technology for transmitting clear and rich HD SuperAMOLED Plus pictures has been introduced. With it, if you believe the reviews written by customers about the Samsung Galaxy Alpha G850f, the screen transmits an image even better than the top version of the iPhone. Due to this, we can say with confidence: Samsung has been leading the race with Apple for several years now - Koreans have technologies that provide better color reproduction even in sunlight.
In addition, Alpha makes it possible to carry out a wide range of settings with which you can choose the display lighting that will be more suitable for the environment.
CPU and device memory
According to the official specification, Alpha runs on a processor of eight cores, 4 of which have a frequency of 1.8; and 4 - 1.3 GHz. It is called the “filling” of the Exynos 5430 smartphone, it was used as an experiment on the model.
If these names and indicators do not tell you anything, we suggest that you study the Samsung g850 Galaxy Alpha's reviews from the owners, who claim that there is no noticeable braking effect on the device. This is confirmed by the fact that the phone has 2 GB of RAM - with it, almost any task will be performed as efficiently as possible, so it will not be possible to reload the new product even with the most top-end applications on Google Play.
The phone, as noted above, does not have a slot for a microSD memory card. But the device is offered with 32 GB of free space, 6 of which are occupied by the operating system. Thus, about 26 GB can be allocated to music, applications, films.
operating system
Unlike the flagship device coming with Android Lollipop 5.1 (Galaxy S5), the Alpha smartphone did not receive operating system updates, so it is offered with an older and more stable KitKat 4.4.4. There are no problems with it, since the OS is fitted almost perfectly to the hardware component; Alpha owners will not have problems that the first users of version 5.0.2 had.
Even if we take into account the reviews of the owners about the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, they all claim that the system functions smoothly, has a lot of options for customization, individualization of the device, and therefore is fully capable of satisfying any customer requirements.
Alpha Battery
In fact, the technical specifications include a battery with a capacity of 1860 mAh. On the Galaxy S5, it is, for example, 2500 mAh. An average customer may suggest that due to a weaker battery, the Alpha smartphone has a shorter battery life. Like, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha phone will not be able to work for the long time necessary to complete all the tasks. Reviews of real users - on the contrary, they deny this statement. In fact, the smartphone can be called quite hardy, and the reason is not in the battery capacity.
In fact, in addition to the amount of mAh that characterize the battery, it is also important to pay attention to charge consumption. And it has Alpha reduced by an order of magnitude due to the use of the updated processor. As a result, the smartphone heats up even less when working with bulky, resource-intensive applications, so the phone’s duration increases by an order of magnitude.
Smartphone camera
Now, after considering the reviews and specifications regarding the appearance and operation of the smartphone, it’s good to mention the device’s camera as well. Again, if you compare it with the Galaxy S5, then Alpha has a resolution of 12 megapixels (versus 16 megapixels in the flagship version).
However, if we take into account the quality of the resulting image, the difference is not so noticeable. At least not far behind the S5 smartphone Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Reviews from ordinary customers indicate that for everyday life and the creation of ordinary photos, the Alpha camera is enough with the head. In addition, this smartphone uses technology that allows you to shoot high-quality 4K video. Whether such an opportunity is needed for any particular user is a moot point. Well, of course, the smartphone has a good flash, which allows you to take pictures even in low light.
Cost Galaxy Alpha
In several of the largest retail chains in the capital, you can find this model for 24,990 rubles. Moreover, some stores offer additional accessories, services or even starting purchases for buying a phone from them.
Does this price correspond to such a device? Hard to say. In general, the model is stylish, quite thin, ergonomic and attractive. However, there are reviews about the Samsung Galaxy Alpha Gold in which people do not recommend buying this phone because of the overpriced and obvious discrepancy with its capabilities.
Well, in this regard, everything is purely individual. Agree: someone may argue that the iPhone is not worth the money, and will be right in some ways. However, this does not prevent Apple from making millions of sales of its devices.
Where to buy a smartphone?
This question is quite simple. Deciding where exactly is best to buy a device can be based on whether you know for sure that you need a Samsung Galaxy Alpha Black. Reviews about the phone of numerous buyers are given in this article, but in real shops you can come and personally feel the texture of the device’s case, hold it in your hands, scroll through the menu. So at least you will know what you are buying.
As for the direct ordering of new items, it can be issued without any problems in the distribution network where you will find a lower price. And numerous price aggregators will help you with this. In the end, the service in most stores is the same, as is the guarantee from the manufacturer everywhere. Just take where it is more convenient to pick up the goods and where they will offer a lower cost - that’s the whole recipe.
findings
The results of this review are mixed. Most likely, in order to form your own opinion about the device, you need to buy it yourself and test it.
In general, we can say this: the experiment of the Korean manufacturer with the Alpha model as a whole was a success. The device came out worthy, it opened a new direction in the Galaxy line, at least due to its metal frame and the status of "under-flag." In addition, such devices can expand the “playing field” for Samsung, increase their market share, and therefore can become another tool to push the main competitor - Apple.
As for comparing the model with other devices from the Samsung lineup, its price is considered overpriced, and the design and positioning as a whole are somewhat losing. Take the absence of a memory card. Users of Android devices appreciate the ability to increase the memory of their device, they need the ability to somehow improve their device, get a kind of workhorse at a more affordable price. Otherwise, any Apple gadget would suit them - just like people who are far from technology (and, of course, not only) do it.
It's just that if Alpha is a “ground test” for the Korean giant, then it can be called a success: in the future, Samsung may abandon such development and improve the smartphone, making it in the spirit of Android-based smartphones. If the Koreans do not learn this lesson and try to enter the sphere of influence of Apple, releasing beautiful and stylish, but impractical gadgets, there they can expect failure.
In general, if you don’t think about how the phone is positioned, what it is and whether it is possible to buy something better for the same money, the device is pretty good. Alpha has a good case design, an excellent screen, a powerful processor that consumes a small amount of battery power and a flexible operating system. What else, in fact, is necessary for the phone to be practical, stylish and convenient to use? Samsung Galaxy Alpha has it all. Therefore, if you like it - do not think for a long time.