Samsung Galaxy Alpha – Connect

The Alpha Galaxy is finally available. With a design that rivals the best phones on the market, he also competes in its performance?

Design and grip

The quality of the finish of the Galaxy range of phones has often been criticized, but also the quality of materials used. Plastic uninspiring previous phones is finally gone. The new Galaxy Alpha now has an aluminum finish and a more inspiring design quality, which gives it a more upscale look approaching competition. Moreover, Samsung seems to have begun a shift towards phones with the design and better materials, as in the case of the Galaxy Note 4

Galaxy Alpha is available in 4 colors. Blue white, metallic gold and gray. In terms of dimensions, you will notice they are very similar to the iPhone 5s. The design remains similar to the Galaxy S5, among others, with the back of the phone remains plastic. This is not a bad thing, because the phone fits comfortably in the hand.

Specifications

Having a better finish, c is good, but the Galaxy Alpha has a little problem with his screen: The phone sports a Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 720p

• System Snapdragon chip. 801 2.5 GHz
• Adreno 330 graphics processor
• Super AMOLED screen of 4.7 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
• Operating System: Android 4.4
• Main Camera: 12 megapixel photo mode, 4K video mode
• Front Camera: 2.1 megapixel camera mode, 1080p video mode
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage Capacity: 32GB
• Connection: An input-output USB 2.0
• Also: GPS, A-GPS
• Weight: 115 g

Hardware

Having a better finish is good, but the Galaxy Alpha has a small problem with its screen. Indeed, the phone sports a Super AMOLED 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 720p. Some will definitely see a problem and with good reason. Besides the loyalty of its colors is also a big problem.

When compared with the Galaxy Note S5 or 4, it is clear that we do not get the same result, although according to Samsung, these three devices have the same technology under the hood. It’s a shame, because I think the screen of a phone is very important. Perhaps you will say that if you do not compare it to other phones, you do not mind. Yes, it’s true, but I am sure that many people will be disappointed. For cons, the viewing angles are very good, one of a kind AMOLED screen forces.

For their part the cameras Galaxy Alpha offers 12-megapixel rear camera and 2.1 megapixel front. If the primary camera can take beautiful photos in an environment where there is lots of light, this is not the case in dark situations. You will be forced to use the flash, giving you photos with distorted colors. If you drop the flash, the pictures will be blurry half the time. You can record video in 4K, add slow-motion effects, the timelapse, and of course apply filters to your creations. Samsung has simplified access to most of the 12 photographic features included and it’s perfect.

Autonomy and performance

For my part, I used the Galaxy Alpha intensively and I could enjoy it all without a problem full day. Of course, power users will have to recharge every night, but at least they will not have to do it in late afternoon or early evening.

Small phone rhyme with small battery, and Alpha Galaxy is no exception with its 1860 mAh battery. By cons, it still offers an acceptable battery life. The phone also supports most demanding applications, such as video games, thanks to its 801 Snapdragon SoC clocked at 2.5 GHz (note that in Europe, the Galaxy Alpha is powered by an Exynos 5 Octa 5430) . I thought it was going to affect the performance of the battery, but instead, you can use your phone for a good time. For my part, I used the Galaxy Alpha intensively and I have no problem enjoying a very full day. Of course, power users will have to recharge every night, but at least they will not have to do it in late afternoon or early evening.

The Galaxy comes with Alpha Android 4.4 KitKat and will soon be updated to Lollipop.

In the end, the performance of Alpha Galaxy are significant and are comparable to its big brother, the Galaxy S5, including the LTE version with which it shares the same system on a chip.

Embedded Software

Like other Samsung phones currently on the market, the Galaxy Alpha offers several options and menus that can sometimes be mélangeants, but I think Samsung is beginning to understand that there too many unnecessary applications on its phones and really trying to minimize its number.

All is not perfect. There are still many places where we feel we lose by seeking a function, and some applications make the rather unpleasant experience. The big problem here is that the screen of the Galaxy Alpha is smaller than that of Galaxy S5 and Note 4; menus are much more difficult to read.

Conclusion

In sum, the Galaxy Alpha appeal to many people. It is very easy to use one-handed, it is lightweight, it is powerful for its size, it has a beautiful design and the battery life is not dédaignable. For cons, the definition of the screen and menus that seem to take up too much space could dampen the enthusiasm of some.

There are alternatives on the market like the iPhone 6, but the Xperia Z3 Compact, a phone that offers much more while sharing the same size as the Galaxy Alpha. Anyway, Samsung is on track to deliver the complete package of design and performance.