Welcome to my review of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. This will be a 2 Part review,  with a separate post covering the camera samples.  I’ve also wanted to review the Samsung Galaxy Alpha.  It’s compact frame and smart looks always have impressed me. It also was Samsung’s first design language change that offered a light-weight compact body with a metal frame. Picking up the Galaxy Alpha is great as its size means it offers good in-hand grip and control. There is something to be said for easy one-handed use, and the Alpha delivers on this point.

Let’s take a look at the specifications –

– Network -LTE Cat.6 (300/50Mbps)
– Display -4.7” HD Super AMOLED (1280 x 720)
– Processor – Octa Core (Quad 1.8GHz + Quad 1.3GHz)
– OS Android 4.4.4 (KitKat)
– Camera 12MP (rear) + 2.1MP (front)
– Camera Features -Beauty Face, Dual Camera, HDR (High Dynamic Range),Panorama, Selective Focus, Shot & More, Virtual Tour
– Video – UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @30fps ,Video Codec : H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8,
– Video Format : MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV,MKV, WEBM
– Audio-Audio Codec : MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+,WMA, Vorbis, FLAC
– Audio Format : MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA,AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF,IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA
– Additional Features- Ultra Power Saving Mode,Download Booster,Quick Connect,Private Mode
– Connectivity WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2×2)
– Bluetooth®: 4.0 BLE / ANT+
– USB: USB 2.0
– NFC
– Sensors – Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor ,Gesture Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor
– Memory -RAM : 2GB,Internal Memory : 32GB -No micro SD Slot
– Dimension – 132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7 mm, 114g
– Battery – 1,860 mAh

Key aspects standout from the specifications. It has a powerful Octa Core Exynos processor. This is backed up by the AnTuTu score I obtained of 50,794. The Geekbench 3 single core score was 937 and 3231 for the multi-core score. The AnTuTu score is higher than my Note 4 and in real life the Alpha is snappier and faster.

The screen despite being only 720p is really lovely. The 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED screen really helps makes this phone standout. Other notable features are the S Health software along with the built in heart rate monitor, fingerprint sensor and along with a private mode and Ultra Power Saving Mode. In many ways the Alpha is a powerhouse of specifications. The Alpha uses a nano sim and comes with fixed storage of 32gb (about 25gb free). There is no micro sd card slot. The back is removable so you can change the battery if required.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha features Samsung’s Touchwiz launcher as shown below. On the Alpha’s 4.7 inch screen I really felt it suited the phone’s compact look.

So what about the camera and audio. The builtin loudspeaker is average and unlikely to set the world alight. However, the audio quality via the headphone jack is nothing but outstanding. This is partly due to the Wolfson DAC and also due to the actual headphone amplifier being better than expected. A lot better than expected. I tried a number of headphones, full size and in ears and the Alpha rocked them in style. USB Audio worked a treat too. I used USB Audio Player Pro app and this had no issue with the Alpha, and also connected my HiFiMeDIY Sabre USB Android DAC directly into the phone, and again everything just worked.

Camera. With live HDR and 4K video recording the Alpha can deliver some superb shots in good lighting. In low lighting it was a good as most other phones. Noise was apparent in photos in low light but as I said it was no worse than most other phones. Camera modes included are auto, beauty face, shot & more, panorama, virtual tour and dual camera. You can also download additional camera modes – surround shot, sports shot, animated photo and sound and shot. I personally use surround shot and sports shot modes so downloaded these. As mentioned above the rear camera is 12mp. In the settings you can control ISO from 100-800, activate picture stabilisation (night mode), adjust the metering, tap to take pics, selective focus is available too, slow motion for video and more. With any camera the proof is in the pudding. So head over to my other post today with all the camera samples. There is also a link to the Flickr album set where you will find even more camera samples. My verdict on the camera is that it can take some spectacular shots and overall is a competent shooter. It is also quick to fire up from the shortcut on the lockscreen.

Samsung released the Galaxy Alpha about 6 months ago. In that time it price has dropped. In fact, Amazon UK is now selling the Alpha in black for £294 sim free. Other colour finishes are just over £300 whereas gold is at a premium price of £429.

So in conclusion, I really like the Alpha. It is a smart looking, compact metal framed phone, decent specs, high quality audio via headphones, decent camera, S Health, Heart Rate monitor, Ultra Power saving modes and a powerful processor. And at its current available price even more attractive.