Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review

The Alpha surprises with its commonplace 4.7in, 1280x720 display. Samsung has struck a balance between size and resolution as the AMOLED panel has 320 pixels in each inch. Contributing to the Alpha’s ripe resolution is Samsung’s hallmark wide viewing angles and exceptional colours.

Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review

Content looks great on the Alpha’s screen, especially that captured with the smartphone’s rear camera. Photos are snapped at 12 megapixels, while videos are recorded in the nascent Ultra high definition standard (UHD). The quality is comparable to Apple’s iPhone 6, although those captured by the Alpha benefit from more detail.

Beating inside the Alpha is an 8-core processor from Samsung. The Exynos 5 bundles two quad-core processors, one efficient at 1.3GHz and another potent at 1.8GHz, and it will switch between the two depending on the intensity of the task. There’s also 2GB of RAM, a 4G modem and 32GB of internal storage.

This hardware chugs through Android 4.4 KitKat, though it’s hampered by Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay. The software on the Alpha will appeal to people who enjoy tailoring minute settings to their liking. People who just want a smartphone to be, or are used to the simplicity of Apple devices, will find the software cluttered. There’s also the matter of the overlay being one of the least attractive on the market.

Samsung's Galaxy Alpha Back Cover

Samsung's Galaxy Alpha Battery

Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review