The history of Alpha Galaxy is very interesting. When Samsung launched the range Note, nobody believed. Finally the company has won a wager: to create the segment phablettes on which it reigns supreme (it remains to be seen what impact the launch of the iPhone 6 More on sales of Note 4). This success led Samsung to a certain arrogance.
When users were demanding smartphones premium chassis, the Korean manufacturer, become a world leader, proposed the Galaxy S4, all plastic. But sales were at the rendezvous. And when users repeated their claims, Samsung unveiled the Note 3, then the S5 still plastic. And when consumers started buying Chinese products, Korean suddenly changed his tune with Alpha Galaxy, which was destined to answer word for word to the iPhone 6.
A smartphone trompe l’oeil
Beware of false pretenses. Alpha is because the Galaxy smartphone trompe l’oeil. Yes it has style. Yes it is light and thin. Yes metal dresses … partially. Yes, Samsung keeps his love for polycarbonate. As Canada Dry that mimicked the effects of alcohol without holding a single drop, the Galaxy Alpha does not offer drunkenness promised by the marketing discourse. Although, admittedly, this is a very good smartphone here are the details of the data sheet.
- Super AMOLED 720p screen of 4.7 inches with a resolution of 312 pixels per inch
- Chipset Exynos 5 Octa octo-core composed of 4 core Cortex A-15 clocked at 1.8 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 clocked at 1.3 GHz
- ARM Mali T628 graphics processor clocked 600 MHz MP6
- 2GB of RAM
- 32 GB of internal storage expandable non
- Battery 1860 mAh
- 12 megapixel image sensor supports 4K recording, slow motion 120 fps in 720p
- Webcam 2.1 megapixel
- Compatible LTE Category 6 ac dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, ANT +
- Fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor
- Android KitKat 4.4.4 with TouchWiz overlay
- Thickness: 6.7 mm
- Weight: 115 grams
fashion
The Galaxy Alpha has the Heart of the Galaxy S5
Four quick points on this sheet attractive. First, we find here an internal storage that is not expandable, which is far from practical to use. If you have a memory card from another device, you can store it carefully. Then the camera sensor is capable of shooting 4K, which is not only not helpful, but not quite in line with the storage space available. Then the power of the battery, less than 2000 mAh, seems a bit low. Finally, the resolution of the screen is standard. The first HTC One was better with the same screen size.
A design more elegant bling
Let us round the property. Visually, the Galaxy Alpha is very elegant, though, front, the smartphone looks great but really any other Samsung smartphone. The “home” button at the center of a touchpad below the screen hides part of the fingerprint reader. The various sensors (proximity, brightness, webcam) are always around a speaker highlighted by the brand of the Korean giant. Behind the protective slab, we find a strobe pattern very bling in its gold release. The silver version should be a little less razzle-l’oeil.
In the back, same story. A sensor with square photo to his left, the flash and the heart rate monitor. The usefulness of the latter remains to be demonstrated on a daily basis … The smartphone is dressed in a removable polycarbonate shell with a pattern reminiscent of the small crosses dotted the Galaxy S5. By removing the shell with a snap, you can see the battery and location nano-SIM. You will notice that the main mono speaker is not in its usual place. And because it has been moved.
aluminum outline just gorgeous
It is now on the low end of the smartphone, right port microUSB. To the left of it was positioned the main microphone. In contrast, are the microphone for active noise reduction, and the door 3.5mm. On the left side the volume keys. On the right side, the lock button. The edges of the mobile is very simple, really contrast with the ostentatious side of the grounds to the front and back
Yet this contour aluminum, attached to the inner frame also made of aluminum, is certainly the element the most qualitative of this smartphone. Round and polished corners. The bevelled edges of the size of hardware buttons. This outline is really
superb.
It weighs practically nothing in hand
And this feels totally at the handling of this smartphone. The outline is very comfortable to hold, but is diametrically opposed to the impression of fragility of the smartphone, due to the fineness and weight of the mobile. We would rather have it weighs ten grams more. The buttons are well placed and easy to reach with one hand. You will notice that today virtually no smartphone integrates a button on the top edge, a legacy of phablettes.
La aluminum bracket comes protect the touchscreen
The screen is as stunning as disappointing. Good point, AMOLED technology is still very nice to look at, with its wide angles, its marked contrast and colorimetry still abundant. But the definition of the tile, especially on fixed screens as a photo, a text or a web page is clearly below the requirements for a premium product.
There is a year and a half out HTC One with a 4.7-inch Full HD resolution is 469 pixels per inch screen. Today, Alpha Galaxy, with 312 pixels per inch is the same level as Lumia 730, a first generation Moto X or Wiko Wax. It is clear that at this price, we expect better
The protective glass slides perfectly under the fingers. The system is also fluid throughout navigation. And this is as much due to the quality of the touch screen as the technical platform that supports Android Kitkat here dressed in TouchWiz, but we will return to the Exynos in a few lines. Let’s talk first of TouchWiz is not without surprise.
Touchwiz version of “premium”
For the Alpha Galaxy, Samsung has developed a slightly different version of its interface as found it a few days ago on the Galaxy Mini S5. The weather widget, which hosts the user on the first screen is the proof: it is completely transparent and not covered by a rectangular solids. It’s very elegant. As with the Nexus Launcher Google or HTC Sense, this version of Touchwiz UX Magazine offers (already met on the shelves Galaxy Tab Pro) on the far left (instead of Google Now or BlinkFeed) office. This is an aggregator of thematic sections based on the technology of Flipboard. It is quite convenient.
Home screen and screen UX Magazine
You will also notice that the mobile, in the initial configuration step asks for your Dropbox account. This is to sync your pictures from Gallery, not by installing the dedicated application. It’s convenient. You will find small alterations in other corners of Touchwiz as S Voice for example. However, the iconography is the same. It was not until Android L for larger changes in the graphic.
of useful features and innovative
For the rest, we are on familiar ground. Touchwiz is one of the heaviest sourcouches, but also the most complete. Each test of a mobile Samsung, we rediscover some innovative features. Alpha on the Galaxy, we have chosen to make you (re) discover multiple Windows, Toolbox and Air View. The first proposes to share the screen to open two applications at the same time. The second is still available over the applications (and games) widget to access a panel of five customizable shortcuts
Toolbox, and multiple Windows on Air View Gallery app
The last offers preview intelligently elements without having to open them. It works with photos in Gallery appointments in S Planner, the contacts in the phone app or scroll to the video player. It does not work in applications that were not developed by Samsung, of course.
A fluid interface and a high-end platform
Always comprehensive, the Touchwiz interface, however, seems less present than in the Galaxy S5. There are always three widgets that invite you to activate S Health and Geo News and download “necessary Galaxy” for you by the hand to bring Samsung Apps. But fortunately, this is less heavy. Similarly, the application menu is reduced. There are now systems Touchwiz applications on the front page and the Google applications as a result. It is no coincidence …
Menu applications: first screen and second screen left to right
Lighter, more responsive, the good impression is also due to the good basis technical platform that drives smartphone. We saw it as an Exynos 5430 chipset, first octo-core 20 nm etched Samsung. The Galaxy Alpha is the first to benefit. The Meizy MX4 Pro should be the second. And they are both monsters power. Here, the Exynos comes with 2GB of memory, which brings oxygen to this demanding chipset. As proof, on AnTuTu, he reached the whopping score of 47 779 points (no, there is not a 7 too!), Well ahead of S5 and 42,437 points.
A treat for 3D games and movies Full HD
Such power, it shows immediately in gaming. We have not even attempted to launch Dead Trigger 2 with the graphics by default. We are directly passed to the optimal graphics. And we were not disappointed as the game runs perfectly, without a shadow of a slowdown. Too easy, of course. We also tried with Modern Combat 5 and the result is the same.
A note about the placement of the speaker: the back of the device, it is usually hidden by a finger when the phone is held horizontally. Here it is not the case: the current placement is much better, although we prefer the stereo speakers from Sony or HTC
In video, same result.. If he is able to decode the Ultra HD, Full HD is almost too easy for him. Too bad the screen is not too full HD to take advantage of all the little details of high-definition movies. Especially since the chipset is more than capable. As with the S5 Galaxy Mini, the video player is one of the best in decoding and display subtitle. Air View is also present, and it is very convenient. It still lacks some video codecs to be perfect.
Air View is also available on the video player
A camera convincing
photo, we’ve been surprised last week by the sensor 8 megapixel S5 Mini. Nice balance on the balance of white balance. Contrast. Sharpness. And colorimetry almost entirely respected. In short, the coprocessor image made wonders. So we have not been surprised to find the same qualities in this 12 megapixels, although the Parisian gray sky did not offer the same brightness as last week. We find however that it offers a bit more noise in the darker parts, the scene is less bathed in light
Taken with the Galaxy Alpha
Application is strictly the same as the Galaxy S5 and S5 Galaxy Mini, with automatic modes that can be enriched with downloadable modules, access to some advanced settings via a customizable panel, etc. So we do not return it in detail. The editing tools are also identical.
A competitor for the iPhone 6 that is not given the means to be
In conclusion, the Galaxy Alpha is clearly a good smartphone. It is even technically much better than the Galaxy S5 and certainly closer to the Galaxy Note 4, although this must be verified at the next exit phablette. With this phone, Samsung has clearly made a real effort in the product design.
But despite the glitz (golden shell, Touchwiz revamped outline aluminum), the Galaxy Alpha does not reach the rank “premium” as the manufacturer describes himself in his commercials. A removable plastic shell for a product to more than 600 euros: it is neither positioning HTC, nor Sony nor Apple. Nor buyers who put that price in a mobile.
A competitor, even in the most innocuous defects
Yet, it is Apple that inspires it smartphone. Same screen size, same starting price (for a few dollars almost) same color (gold, silver), even premium positioning, Alpha Galaxy is obviously a direct competitor to the iPhone 6 The difference is it does not reach the same standards. A little below the level of the screen resolution. A little below the level of the design (including the materials of the shell and the decorative bling). Worse, he even adopted some of these through, as undersized battery, a webcam and a featureless limited amount of internal storage given the price of the entry ticket.
The Galaxy Alpha account naturally on all assets of Samsung, as the abundance of applications, widgets and sensors. Strengths that will appeal to followers. But his ostentatious attitude, even as-tu-vu, more reminiscent of the costume jewelery that the piece of jewelry.
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