Maybe with me that something is wrong, it’s hard to say, but it is very difficult to perceive the design with a capital “D” in the plastic housing of the gadget. In my opinion, by itself plastic – a material that lacks the internal energy is not enough texture. And all attempts to give him her look fake – you get something like the notorious Chinese Christmas toys that are as real, that’s just no joy from them.
Main specifications:
- Network: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE, LTE-A (in some networks)
- SIM: nanoSIM
- Operating System: Google Android 4.4.4 + TouchWiz
- Processor: Samsung Exynos 5430 eight-core
- Display: 4.7-inch SuperAMOLED 1280×720
- RAM: 2 GB
- Storage memory: 32 GB
- Camera: 12 MP + 2.1 MP
- Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, USB , NFC
- Navigation: GPS (aGPS) + GLONASS
- Battery: 1860 mAh, removable, Li-On
- Other: light sensors, proximity, palpitations, Magnetic field sensor, motion sensor hands heart rate transmitter, compass, fingerprint reader
- Dimensions: 65,5×132,4×6,7 mm, 115 g.
- Price: 24 990 rubles
More surprising was the surprise from Samsung, which unveiled its new flagship smartphone – Samsung Galaxy Alpha. It is made on a metal frame, and it was the first time in the history of the South Korean manufacturer.
Appearance
Of course, not all-metal body of the smartphone, its back cover is made of a flexible already familiar to us “soft touch” plastic, which complemented the fine texture. But still, this is a breakthrough for the company, and a serious breakthrough.
The smartphone has a very compact, as can be seen from the table, the dimensions of his wins only iPhone 5S. But Galaxy Alpha display of 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 5S – 4 inches. As far as the thickness of the body, there is Galaxy Alpha apart from the competition, I remember except that Huawei Ascend P6 with its 6.18 mm.
| Length (mm)
| Width (mm)
| Thickness (mm)
| Weight (mm)
|
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | 132,4
| 65,5
| 6,7
| 114 |
Samsung Galaxy S5
| 142
| 72,5
| 8,1
| 145
|
IPhone 5S
| & gt; 123,8
| 58,6
| 7,6
| 112
|
HTC One M8
| 146,36
| 70,6
| 9,35
| 160
|
On the metal frame is small insertion of plastic – they are necessary for reliable operation wireless module. As for the buttons and connectors, then all got the standard: the screen unlock button on the right side, “rocker” volume control – on the left side. Connector for the USB connection and charging on the bottom, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top.
In addition to the rear surface of the camera and flash and even a sensor that monitors heart rate .
I note that the plastic “soft touch”, which is made from the back cover, slightly rubberized and thus smartphone firmly in the hand and can easily hold even on slippery slope surface.
The fingerprint reader on the right side, at the bottom. Exactly the same place where it is located and Galaxy S5. But from moisture protection decided to refuse. She was in SGS5, and it was good. May have decided not to complicate. Maybe – well-founded fear that will not be able to withstand the specified dimensions. Who knows. This is a loss, but not very big.
If you think long, you can come up with something to complain about. Well, let’s say … These faces look as if they were cut down with an ax. Actually, no. In fact, good design, good materials and good combination. Smartphone perfectly in the hand, looks very reliable, but at the same time not too brutal, so it would be appropriate to look at men, women or even children’s hand.
Display
display with a diagonal of 4.7 inches – it’s the bottom bracket for the flagship smartphone. Last year, HTC One M7 was just such a display size and one smartphone success. It is true there was a Full HD-resolution, providing the highest pixel density equal to 469 V Galaxy Alpha resolution easier – 1280 * 720 pixels.
But it is by no means a diagnosis. The screen is excellent: the colors are bright, high contrast, color rendition natural. Well, if you have a claim to the temperature, the aid “Adaptive Display” – a technology that allows tweaking the image by selecting the most comfortable eye color reproduction.
In the Galaxy S5 Samsung used a very complex system of adjusting the brightness of the image depending on one or more external light sources. In Galaxy Alpha all the easier – use the traditional light sensor. But it works sensibly. If I usually disconnect automatic adjustment mode and manually deduce brightness to maximum, in this case such a need arose.
The viewing angles are very good, colors are not inverted. Very solid screen, which in no way inferior to the screens used in smartphones from other manufacturers, and a number of and superior.
Hardware Platform / Communications
If the flagships of other companies are almost always clear – inside the chip Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung is continuing to use their own development. Galaxy Alpha compiled on the basis of eight-platform Exynos 5430. It’s not quite eight-platform, and already familiar technology big.LITTLE (depending on the tasks are loaded or 4 core Cortex-A15, 1,8 GHz, or 4 core Cortex-A7, 1, 3 GHz), but this in no way affects the performance of the system. She is on a high level.
The smartphone is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory to store the data that is available about 25 GB. But memory cards are not supported, and this is a very serious omission.
An interesting component of the platform – is communication. And it’s not commonplace Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band), Bluetooth 4.0 and USB c NFC – this stuff is more than enough, gentlemen’s set. It was interesting how the smartphone works in cellular networks. And the question was as follows – whether is able to work with the Galaxy Alpha Russian LTE-A, is able to use this mechanism as Carrier Aggregation, bringing together different gang LTE? In Russia, the LTE-A full run only one company – “Megaphone”, and operates within the Garden Ring. Galaxy Alpha equipped with a modem, able to work in the standard LTE Advanced Cat.6, but according to representatives of “Megaphone” in their network in this mode, the smartphone can not work. A little different situation with LTE Carrier Aggregation of “Beeline”, the launch of which the Moscow region, the company said in late July. Here we are talking about merging channels of frequency bands band 7 and band 20 – 800 MHz and 2600 MHz. And now with this network Galaxy Alpha should work, this information has been confirmed as the company – the network operator, and in the Samsung. Unfortunately at the time the test was quite small, so check this information in its entirety did not work.
Autonomy
But as far as battery life, everything is surprisingly good. If you look at the numbers (and the appearance of the battery), the Galaxy Alpha is equipped with a weak battery – capacity removable Li-On battery is 1860 mAh, which quite a bit.
«Well, I could put on in 2000?” – indignantly to inquire of me! 2000 mAh – this is actually the bottom bracket by today’s standards, if you look at the flagships. At HTC One M8 battery capacity of 2600 mAh in Galaxy S5 – 2800, at the LG G3 – 3000, while the Sony Xperia Z2 – 3200 mAh. It is clear that Galaxy Alpha screen smaller, and it plays a role, and a very prominent, but not to the same degree. But in practice, it turned out that the battery lasts for about 1.5 days. This is a good result, it is comparable with the above smartphones. Probably, it is not only smaller and more energy-efficient AMOLED-screen, but in a more balanced system, the use of technology big.LITTLE, plays a role and process technology of 20 nanometers, which is made on the chip. I should also mention a very clever power-saving mode, which is able to help in a situation when 10-15 percent of the battery. After its launch, most disconnected wireless module, the display is translated into monochrome mode and the interface is simplified.
Camera
12-megapixel camera Galaxy Alpha definitely not the same, the camera in Galaxy S5 . It is easier, the most notable difference appears when shooting in low light conditions. Affects the thickness of the shell, which does not allow to place the camera thicker. Menu as well considerably simplified, but it is perhaps even a plus. Well, when it comes to shooting video, the camera is able to shoot video with the quality of 4K, but today it can not be considered chip.
The quality of the pictures you can appreciate yourself.
Operating System
The smartphone runs on Google Android 4.4.4 and proprietary shell TouchWIz. Some notable differences from the Galaxy S5 I failed to notice. Is that in the annex S Health, is responsible for training, added support for sensor heartbeat. The sensor works and works sensibly. Little short explanation on the topic “so much that beats a minute – it’s good, but as much as you do – it is bad».
You can also note a “car” of free and shareware applications and services that are provided complete with a smartphone. Here we have as an application like “Navitel Navigator”, “Kaspersky Anti-Virus”, access to the service “Amediateka” for a period of 14 days and more.
Conclusion
Can not say that with the release of Samsung Galaxy Alpha got something new, breakthrough for the industry. Rather, we face a set of well-known components of us, now packaged in a new shell. In my opinion is more relevant and more affordable. Would I buy the Galaxy Alpha instead Galaxy S5? Probably not. But I do not have Galaxy S5, but the Galaxy Alpha I buy. For their money. Painfully, this shell is good.
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In fact, is not so important whether the passers-by, who participated in the survey , dummy. Even if jubilant at the sight of Galaxy Tab S person did not receive remuneration for their response in terms of money, it is impossible to believe the roller. It is obvious in fact, that if the survey did take place, it is not carried out among a dozen people, “lit up” on the video – were also unsuccessful shots inphotogenic characters stammers people and, most importantly, those who chose the apple tablet. It is natural that a direct competitor Apple in their advertising does not show people who chose not in favor of Samsung , but this raises the so-called videoopros in the category of third-rollers who had become bored during the time of peak popularity of television. 
It is that clear in a short time and did not really do not have time to feel, but we have to admit that the purchase tablet guided solely by” thinner, lighter and brighter “not the best option. 
