[Berry me a G]

Usually my contract period is a point of pain where I get to breathe deep and focus on being patient. Although this time around I found I had an easy time sitting back smirking thinking of how I was going to out wait the S5 (which is a good phone) and get sammys premium high end spec phone in the fall.
Unfortunately this will not be the case as Samsung has traded a premium build (whetever that means..personally I have no problem with plastic phones and even find them to be more durable than rigid metal but thats just me..) for mid tier specs. Why go to all this trouble only to put in lower end components?

Yup, finally a metal build from samsung but now with a smaller battery, lower pixal screen, processor and camera...and then no expandable memory? ...good luck with this

Luckily for me most other companies are still moving their phones forward..not backwards

[codyoehl]

Usually my contract period is a point of pain where I get to breathe deep and focus on being patient. Although this time around I found I had an easy time sitting back smirking thinking of how I was going to out wait the S5 (which is a good phone) and get sammys premium high end spec phone in the fall.
Unfortunately this will not be the case as Samsung has traded a premium build (whetever that means..personally I have no problem with plastic phones and even find them to be more durable than rigid metal but thats just me..) for mid tier specs. Why go to all this trouble only to put in lower end components?

Yup, finally a metal build from samsung but now with a smaller battery, lower pixal screen, processor and camera...and then no expandable memory? ...good luck with this

Luckily for me most other companies are still moving their phones forward..not backwards

It's for a different group of people

Posted via Android Central App with my Samsung Galaxy S5

[shanghaichica]

Why not just get the S5 then? If I were upgrading now I'd get the S5. I have no interest in the Alpha, but there are still premium phones in Samsung's range the appeal to me (S5, Note 3/4).

Posted from my S5

[Berry me a G]

I agree, the S5 is a damn good phone and after the Sept launch announcements I still might get the S5. As a verizon customer I was really hoping for a 32 gb version but unfortunately that doesn't exist.
Basically I feeling picky but 3gb of RAM and 32gb of storage would have sold me at the get go and unfortunately I put way too much hope on the Alpha rumors!

[srkmagnus]

I think have an option such as the Alpha is a good thing. A smaller form factor with a premium finish is something a lot of people will want to have. And yes, when compared to plastic, metal is considered premium. Many may not see the difference, and plastic can be made to look just as good, the differences are more noticeable when held.

With regards to specs, the "mid" tier specs the Alpha packs are more than enough to do most everything a "high" tier spec'd phone can do. If there are any issues it would be related to Touchwiz, not necessarily the spec's on the device.

[Climb14er]

Am currently off contract with Vz running S4 that's never been updated. Was waiting for Alpha but will pass. S5 appears to be better phone. Will keep the S4 running as long as I can and wait for 'better' Alpha models to be released or an S6. Btw... not updating S4 via the daily reminders... is proving to be a good decision... at least for the moment.

[Social Distortion1968]

I was interested until I saw no expandable memory.

[srkmagnus]

I was interested until I saw no expandable memory.

There are many cloud based storages that are very affordable if you have a need to exceed the free limits. Don't let that limit your device choices.

[NickDomi]

Why the compromise though, the only thing "premium" seems to be the metal ring. I'm sorry, but compromising specs for better build quality is not premium. In my mind premium is uncompromising.

Posted via Android Central App

[srkmagnus]

I agree. But remember, they already have a large portfolio of devices currently in the market and Samsung doesn't want to compete with itself. This is directed at a different consumer. The future premium devices should hopefully feel and look premium all around. This is a new front for Samsung, so they need to start somewhere and this is where they choose to begin.

[Phillip Pugh]

Well its a good looking phone but a little small for my taste I'm in love with my note 3 now the note 4 is tempting but they look so similar that I'll hold on to my note 3 a little longer mid next year I'll be able to pick one up on Craigslist

Posted via Android Central App

[Statastic]

Its a decent phone but way overpriced for the lackluster specs.

Posted via Android Central App

[rendart]

Usually my contract period is a point of pain where I get to breathe deep and focus on being patient. Although this time around I found I had an easy time sitting back smirking thinking of how I was going to out wait the S5 (which is a good phone) and get sammys premium high end spec phone in the fall.
Unfortunately this will not be the case as Samsung has traded a premium build (whetever that means..personally I have no problem with plastic phones and even find them to be more durable than rigid metal but thats just me..) for mid tier specs. Why go to all this trouble only to put in lower end components?

Yup, finally a metal build from samsung but now with a smaller battery, lower pixal screen, processor and camera...and then no expandable memory? ...good luck with this

Luckily for me most other companies are still moving their phones forward..not backwards

You're funny. you remind me of all the people that don't "feel" like getting something and try to justify it to themselves and others.

Ofcourse you have the right to your opinion about loving plastic phones and dont like metallic "premium phones". But it seems to be a winning formula for all apple sheep that love iphones and the allure of it.

You would be surprised about how many people out there don't have a need or really care for specs as long as the phone makes a call, scrolls the net fast, plays a game smoothly and can last one full day, As most people put their phones to charge at night whether the battery is full or half empty cause they want to wake up and have a full charge for the day. (people that travel and have a need for a battery are in the minority, everyone else just wants it for convenience sake)

As well as phone memory, majority of the people have no use for anything more than 32gb other than photos and a few games, I agree we are in 2014 and all decent size movies, and games are 1gb each, but lets be honest majority of people barely use 50% of their phones memory. I remember reading a survey done about phone memory and only a minority used even close to their full memory and those were probably people who insist on keeping things on their phones memory that were not really "needed"

[Closingracer]

Its a decent phone but way overpriced for the lackluster specs.

Posted via Android Central App

Lackluster Specs? Other then the 720p screen what is different between it and the S5? S5 and Alpha both have 2GB of RAM, and Snapdragon 801 CPU. The other difference is memory but Alpha has 32GB internal with no expanded memory vs the S5 with 16GB but with expanded memory ....

[dbdynsty25]

Lackluster Specs? Other then the 720p screen what is different between it and the S5? S5 and Alpha both have 2GB of RAM, and Snapdragon 801 CPU. The other difference is memory but Alpha has 32GB internal with no expanded memory vs the S5 with 16GB but with expanded memory ....

Yup. I mean, sure those specs are top of the line six months ago, but nothing has really come out yet that has trumped it. Outside of the slightly degraded screen and camera, this easily competes with my LG G3 as far as performance goes...and it's half the size (or so it seems).

[67srbell]

Just saw it at AT&T: nothing special.

Seems just like a smaller S5 with a worse screen, no ip67 or removable storage.

Furthermore, it is approximately the same price as the S5.

Samsung won't sell a lot of these...

[Closingracer]

Yup. I mean, sure those specs are top of the line six months ago, but nothing has really come out yet that has trumped it. Outside of the slightly degraded screen and camera, this easily competes with my LG G3 as far as performance goes...and it's half the size (or so it seems).

Note 4 is better even excluding the screen res but the alpha is a good phone.... Might consider it if I didn't want the note and had AT&T

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[Closingracer]

Just saw it at AT&T: nothing special.

Seems just like a smaller S5 with a worse screen, no ip67 or removable storage.

Furthermore, it is approximately the same price as the S5.

Samsung won't sell a lot of these...

It'd to compete with the iPhone 6..... Same screen size, 32gb internal memory, same res screen and 6 month old cpu

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[QBert]

I would have considered this for my wife but the exclusive to AT&T makes it a no go as we're on VZW. I guess she'll get the S5 then, or maybe the new Moto X.

Posted via Android Central App

[mayconvert]

I don't understand Samsungs logic with this phone. Samsung most likely considers the iPhone a mid range device because of specs.
They don't seem to understand that the iPhone handles iOS with the same speed and agility as Samsungs Flagship devices.
The Alpha would have been an Amazing phone if it had 1080p and 3GB Ram. I went into AT&T today and played with this device.
As usual, touchwiz lagged and choked in certain areas.
Why does samsung not get what people want? Take the alpha and put flagship parts in it.
I want the 16MP like the Note 4.
I want the 1080p screen.
I want 3GB Ram to smooth out touch-wiz poor coding and extra bloat.

Wake up samsung. geez How can a company this big be this clueless.
The executive that woke up one morning and said "hey, lets make a near exact copy of the iPhone with a 4.7 display, that is absolutely gorgeous and appears to be the most high end device we've ever made" but lets just throw some low end parts in it and see what happens".... -needs to be fired.

WTF samsung.

[Dreamliner330]

I don't understand Samsungs logic with this phone.

People are stupid. They buy what gets advertised to them. Samsung and Apple are marketing kings and dominate market share. Coincidence? No.

[Mac58]

Why the compromise though, the only thing "premium" seems to be the metal ring. I'm sorry, but compromising specs for better build quality is not premium. In my mind premium is uncompromising.

Posted via Android Central App

Enter the Galaxy Note 4 :-)

[Mac58]

I don't understand Samsungs logic with this phone. Samsung most likely considers the iPhone a mid range device because of specs.
They don't seem to understand that the iPhone handles iOS with the same speed and agility as Samsungs Flagship devices.
The Alpha would have been an Amazing phone if it had 1080p and 3GB Ram. I went into AT&T today and played with this device.
As usual, touchwiz lagged and choked in certain areas.
Why does samsung not get what people want? Take the alpha and put flagship parts in it.
I want the 16MP like the Note 4.
I want the 1080p screen.
I want 3GB Ram to smooth out touch-wiz poor coding and extra bloat.

Wake up samsung. geez How can a company this big be this clueless.
The executive that woke up one morning and said "hey, lets make a near exact copy of the iPhone with a 4.7 display, that is absolutely gorgeous and appears to be the most high end device we've ever made" but lets just throw some low end parts in it and see what happens".... -needs to be fired.

WTF samsung.

IMO if they had released a 4.7 phone with almost same specs as Note 4 (except screen), the cost would have been extremely high. I dont hink people would really want to pay that premium. The on contract price would probably have been at the 250 range, not to mention they might have been tip toeing along biting into the sales of the Note 4. But Im just a guy guessing. Personally I like the option of the alpha. My wife loves samsung products and this might be her next phone simply because of what she sees. Not whats under the hood and listed on paper but what she physically sees, which is a beautiful display (to her) smaller phone, great build quality and awesome camera. Thats all she needs.

[randun]

Just saw it at AT&T: nothing special.

Seems just like a smaller S5 with a worse screen, no ip67 or removable storage.

Furthermore, it is approximately the same price as the S5.

Samsung won't sell a lot of these...

Just curious. Do you mean that you saw a Galaxy Alpha in a U.S. store?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 (SGH-I337) using Tapatalk Pro

[67srbell]

Just curious. Do you mean that you saw a Galaxy Alpha in a U.S. store?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 (SGH-I337) using Tapatalk Pro

Yes, it is in all Att stores