Review
Roderick Scott 0

We can honestly admit that we weren't excited blown away by the Galaxy S5.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great device but not much other than a few bells + whistles added to it.  To my friends looking to upgrade from the GS3, I directed them to the LG G3.  The Samsung design language definitely got old quick.  

Enter the Galaxy Alpha.  While this is no flagship by no means, it sure looks like one.  This is important as this represents a change in the way Samsung designs their devices from here on out.  You might say so what they added a metal band around the phone.  I say it makes a world of a difference.  We'll take more about it design along w/ the rest of the phone to see if Samsung changed the landscape for mid-range devices as well.  

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Galaxy Alpha review

Design/Build

Yes, Samsung added a chamfered aluminum band to this device.  And yes, it makes a difference.  That's what I would say to naysayers.  This is the new standard in design as the Note 4 and we presume the Galaxy S6 will also share this new look.  You feel the difference compared to the chrome-like accents that were on previous Galaxy devices (in case you thought that was real metal).  Not only that but the display panel + real cover damn-near sits flush w/ it to offer a clean look.  This also helps the Alpha to be one of the 1st Galaxy devices to be able to stand on its own - both horizontally + vertically.  That 4.7inch size is still a perfect size for many in my personal preference.  This is definitely a change many have been waiting for and will be pleasantly pleased by it. 

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Display

Moving on to the screen side of things, this is where this and the rest of the internals categorize themselves as mid-range devices.  The Alpha sports a 4.7inch 720p Super AMOLED display+ 312ppi, which offers the atypical saturated colors and a slight lack of clarity that we haven't seen since the Galaxy S3.  After experiencing great Samsung displays on the Galaxy S5 and the Note 4, it's kind of hard to go back to a 720p screen.  The effect isn't as bad as going from a 2K resolution display back to 1080p.  With all of that said, the display is still a good one but we're getting used to high-quality 1080p displays and now 2K ones. Making this a lot harder to compete in that area. 

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Performance/Battery Life

The Alpha powered is a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU coupled w/ 2GB of RAM + 32GB of storage without the joys of microSD expansion.  For the most part it performs like a true champ.  Other than the weight of Samsung's TouchWiz UX which takes up about 6GB of storage, not a lot of struggling or hiccups but still present.  The Alpha performs more like a flagship than anything else. 
With AT&T already my personal carrier, I had no qualms about making calls or having calls drop at all.  I tested the Alpha within several parts of NJ and several areas of NYC as well.  Whenever I didn't have WI-Fi, I had LTE, and when there was no LTE there was HSPA+.  So other than being deep within subway tunnels, AT&T kept me connected.  

Keeping it charged is a 1860 mAh battery in its back.  While it won't last you as long as other Galaxy or other Android flagships, it will do just fine.  On heavy usage, I got about 13 hours w/ moderate use and just over 10 hours w/ heavy usage.  Most of the time was used streaming Google Play Music, YouTube, emailing, Hangouts, Foursquare for food, and GPS via Google Maps.  This is around a just a few hours shy of what we're used to in regards to Android flagships.  

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Camera

The rear-shooter on the Alpha is a 12MP ISOCELL lens that is capable of 1080p HD + 4K video recording.  For those of you who are uninitiated, ISOCELL technology is the next-level backside illuminated sensor as it is supposed improve low-light performance, dynamic range, color reproduction, etc.  It does help in about 2 out of 3 of those aforementioned features.  In daylight, the Alpha's camera does quite well but in darker situations it falls a bit short - just as on the Galaxy S5.  In some low-light situations, it actually turned up the ISO high to where there is a huge amount of noise and grain.  The front-facing shooter, which is a 2.1MP performs as well as you would expect it to.  A long as you a good light source, you won't look like a grainy mess on camera.  

On the other side, the video camera aspect of the Alpha performs quite well.  A lot less complaints when shooting video - whether in HD or 4K.  The software-based stabilization works better when recording in 1080p as it doesn't work so well in 4K.  It also helps out a lot more when taking photos too.  But more so within well-lit situations of course.  Definitely a good enough camera but we're at the point where consumers expect more.  

Software

The Alpha is using the Android 4.4.4 Kit Kat w/ Samsung's very own TouchWiz UX just as on the S5.  There isn't too much different going on.  So you will see the usual suspects like the Multi-WIndow, Air View, Gestures, S services (Voice, Health),Download Booster, and my new favorite: the Toolbox.  Samsung made sure to include their fingerprint scanner + heart-rate monitor seen in the Galaxy S5 and the Note 4.  They work just about the same.  The fingerprint scanner isn't as good as it requires a swipe instead of a long-press or rest like Apple's Touch ID.  The heart-rate sensor works as well as it could.  It was actually a lot better than on the S5 but still have some ways to go.

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Though this should've been the Galaxy S5, this brings plenty of excitement to what next year's model will look like.  

TG 2 Cents

Amazing what a little band of metal can do for look/feel for a device.  Especially for Samsung who were the kings of plastic is looking to switch things up a bit.  At the end of the day, the Alpha is a lot better than I thought it would be.  Upon its release I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical.  I had it pegged as a type mid-range device and I was about half-right due to today's standards of specs.  Think of it more like a Galaxy S5 mini w/ a new premium look to it.  Samsung definitely changed the idea of what a non-flagship should look like.  After handling it, I definitely have a different perspective on it.  It is now the 2nd best designed device from Samsung joining the Note 4. This device marks the change in their future as it looks even bigger and brighter.  I, for one, am actually looking forward to it.  

To Buy Or Not To Buy

The price point is where the downside it for me.  The cost of the Alpha is a bit much along w/ the current slate of smartphones out there on the market.  At $200 on contract, you have to choose between the Alpha, a 16GB iPhone 6, LG G3, HTC One M8, or even the 2nd-gen Moto X which is actually $100 cheaper.  So while the Alpha is a great device, its kind of hard to justify paying for a good enough device when there are better out there.  If this gets a price drop then this will be an entirely different conversation.  
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Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.