14 DAY TRIAL // With a bit more than 24 hours left until iPhone 6’s reveal, we take a look at the upcoming smartphone’s competitors, and judging from its design, Samsung’s Galaxy Alpha might just be one of those.
Obviously, we can’t compare the two devices when it comes to sales, but Samsung thinks the Galaxy Alpha might capitalize on the iPhone 6’s launch by offering a somewhat similar look and feel.
Even though on paper Samsung Galaxy Alpha’s specs sheet should be far behind Apple’s iPhone 6, there are some similarities that few pointed out.
First of all, the Galaxy Alpha is Samsung’s new premium lineup of smartphones and the first device in the series is trying to go back to the roots of the Galaxy S family of flagships.
However, in doing this, Galaxy Alpha inadvertently borrows some design characteristics from Apple’s iPhone 5s. Due to the fact that Apple did not change too much when it comes to its iPhones’ form factor and style, the Galaxy Alpha could have a lot in common with different iPhone models.
Based on all previous rumors, the iPhone 6 will sport a 4.7-inch display and won’t stand out from the last 2-3 models design-wise. Even though no legit picture of the iPhone 6 has been leaked so far, all the rumors point out the fact that Apple does not plan to come up with anything revolutionary in terms of look.
Although there will be some slight changes, especially due to its larger display, the candybar form factor with rounded corners and metallic edges is likely to remain the same.
Taking all this into consideration, Samsung announced the Galaxy Alpha a few weeks ahead of IFA 2014 trade fair. According to the South Korean company, this is the first product of a premium family of smartphones aimed at those who prefer look over performance.
Samsung has already launched the iPhone 6, but it calls it Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Galaxy Alpha and iPhone 6 might have more than design in common, like the 4.7-inch display, for instance. Specs-wise though, the iPhone 6 will be much more powerful given its status of flagship device.
Still, it’s unclear why Samsung chose to come up with this premium lineup of smartphones that borrow so much from iPhone’s design. Not to mention that the South Korean company unveiled the Galaxy Alpha almost a month before Apple’s iPhone 6.
It remains to be seen what other features these two smartphones have in common after Apple’s official announcement. I’m not expecting anything else besides look and display size due to Galaxy Alpha’s rather low specs sheet.
I’m also thinking that Galaxy Alpha will have more fans among Samsung users than among customers who purely want an Android handset in an iPhone chassis.
But that’s just me guessing, as Samsung thinks it could steal some potential Apple users, although I don’t think current iPhone users will even consider the Galaxy Alpha as their main smartphone.
There have been more rumors suggesting that Samsung plans to beat Apple’s iPhone 6 release on the market with its own Galaxy Note 4, but that’s unlikely to happen given the fact that the phablet is scheduled for an October release.
I’m thinking that all those rumors were in fact referring to Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which is expected to arrive on the market sometime in late September.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure how Samsung will be able to grab anything from iPhone 6’s future market share by pricing the Galaxy Alpha so high (£500 / €625 / $805).
What are your thoughts on Samsung Galaxy Alpha and the reason for which it exists? Do you think it has anything or everything to do with Apple’s iPhone 6?