While Apple is busy readying larger versions of its iPhone, Samsung is hard at work prepping a new, premium smartphone of its own — the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. At least, that’s what we’ve been led to believe by rumors and reports over the course of 2014.
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A pair of images attached to the unannounced phone recently surfaced online, providing our best look yet. Known also as the Galaxy S5 Prime and Galaxy F, the Galaxy Alpha is alleged to be a high-end version of the Galaxy S5 that’s dressed up in a metal chassis. Gone will be the polycarbonate and cheaper plastic materials in favor of aluminum or other premium components.
The new photos obtained by Vietnamese tech blog Tinhte show a design that immediately calls to mind the Galaxy S5
. This model is slated to fill the gap between the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4 we expect to see in September. The design language is consistent with recent Samsung efforts and match up with other leaked images.
The suggested specs are predictably high-end, including a 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution display, a 16-megapixel camera, and 3GB RAM. Keeping pace with other top-tier devices, the Galaxy Alpha could boast the latest version of Android and Qualcomm’s most cutting-edge processor, the quad-core Snapdragon 805.
Looking at this image, the rear of the handset shows the logo for LTE-Advanced, the ultrafast 4G connectivity found in South Korea. It’s unclear whether this means the device will be offered exclusively on Samsung’s home turf. Another possibility to consider is that the Galaxy Alpha could be sold as a limited-edition device.
The Galaxy Alpha is rumored to launch in August, but we could also see it at Samsung’s next Unpacked event at IFA in early September, along with the Galaxy Note
4 and a virtual-reality headset.