"Samsung Alfa": the characteristics of the smartphone and reviews. Samsung Galaxy Alpha

A perfect combination of a small case and a high level of smartphone performance is the Samsung Alpha. The characteristics of this device on the software and hardware level allow for today to solve problems of any complexity. And this situation will continue for the next 2-3 years. This phone will be considered in detail in the material.

Prehistory of the appearance of a smartphone

Until recently, Apple released high-performance smartphones with a small display diagonal. But the South Korean giant produced flagships only with a large diagonal. But with the release of the iPhone 6, the situation has changed radically. Immediately two devices were presented on the same hardware and software platform. The difference between them is the screen diagonal, which in the first case is 4.7 inches (more modest device) and 5.5 inches (iPhone 6 Plus). As a result, the South Korean company had to rebuild, and in addition to S5, a gadget such as Samsung Alpha appeared on sale. Characteristics (reviews confirm this) they have almost identical. The difference between these devices is the display diagonal and the cost of the device. So it turns out that this smart phone owes its appearance to the bold experiments of Apple.

Equipment

A very good bundle from Samsung Galaxy Alfa. The technical specifications given below in the text make it possible to attribute this smartphone to high-performance solutions. Accordingly, and his equipment is above average. It includes, apart from the device itself, such components and accessories:

• External battery.
• Charger.
• Stereo headset with improved sound quality.
• Additional pneumatic suckers for stereo headset.
• Interface cord.
• User's manual with a warranty card at the end.
• Advertising booklet with the recommended list of accessories.

Design solution

The company "Samsung" has long worked on the design of its smart phones and now its devices to recognize the appearance is not difficult. So something unusual can not be expected from the Samsung Alpha. Technical characteristics allow you to classify this gadget as a premium class, but you can not immediately tell by its appearance. As expected, most of the front panel is occupied by a display, the diagonal of which is 4.7 inches. Above it are located a conversational speaker, a peephole of the front camera and light and proximity sensors. At the bottom is a typical smartphone control panel, which consists of a proprietary mechanical button (it also has a fingerprint reader) and two touch buttons. All the sides of the device are made of metal and you certainly can not argue with such a design solution: the strength of the case rises several times. On the right side the shutdown button is displayed, and on the left side there is a swing to adjust the volume level of the gadget. On the bottom edge of a smart phone, except for the microUSB port, a loud microphone and a talk microphone hole are also displayed. On top is an audio port and a microphone for suppressing external noises and noise. On the back cover of the gadget there are only two holes: under the camera and under the LED lighting.

Processor and its capabilities

A very productive processor solution is used in Samsung Alpha. The characteristics of the Exynos 5 Octa 5430 are as follows: 8 cores based on the "A7" architecture divided into 2 compute clusters. The first of them operates at a frequency of 1.3 GHz and is used in those cases when there is no need to use the maximum computing resources of the smartphone. Also in this case, the maximum level of battery saving is provided. The second cluster is included when you run demanding applications (as an example, you can get "Asphalt 8") and it works at a frequency of 1.8 GHz. The computational capabilities of this chip are enough to solve a wide range of tasks.

Display and video accelerator

As expected, the type of screen matrix - "Super AMOLED" in the "Samsung Alpha". The characteristics of the display is very, very good. Its resolution is 720x1280, that is, the picture on it is displayed in HD format. Of course, some smartphone owners are outraged that it is not in FullHD format. But, on the other hand, this allows you to increase the battery life of the gadget with a small battery capacity. The air layer, as it should be for a premium smartphone, does not exist between the sensor and the display, and the image quality does not cause any complaints at any viewing angles. Also in the device there is a graphic adapter Mali-T628 MP6, which without any problems pulls any application at the moment.

Device Cameras

Quality cameras are used in the Samsung Alpha. Characteristics (photos and videos, obtained with their help, it just confirm) they have impressive. The main one is based on the sensitive element in 12 Mp. Programmatically it implements the function of autofocus, there is also LED lighting. Its key feature is the ability to record video in the format of 2160 r, while the update speed will be 30 frames per second. There are also more "modest" modes for the rollers: 1080p with a frequency of 60 frames per second or 720p with 120 frames per second. Although a more modest sensing element in the front camera - 2.1 MP, but in terms of the parameters it is not so much inferior to the main one. With its help, you can record video in 1080p format and a refresh rate of 30 frames per second. This allows you to make video calls with a very high-quality picture. Yes, and "Selfie", obtained with its help, also do not cause any complaints.

Memory

The memory subsystem in the Samsung Galaxy Alpha is well implemented. The characteristics of it are as follows:

• The amount of RAM is 2 GB. Somewhere around 1 GB of them is occupied by the system processes (operating system) and the software shell "TouchViz". The rest is allocated for solving user tasks, and this is quite enough even for launching such resource-intensive applications as "Asphalt 8".
• The capacity of the built-in drive is 32 GB. And this is more than enough to install new applications and store personal data.

But there is no slot for installing an external flash card. Therefore, if there is a lack of integrated 32 GB, you will have to use cloud services. But this approach is justified - if a device breaks down, the most important information will be preserved and it will not be difficult to restore it.

Battery

One of the most controversial points is the battery capacity in the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Her characteristics are really modest. Capacity in 1860 mAh at best will allow for one charge to the owner of this device at an average load to stretch 1-2 days. Theoretically, this value can be increased to 3 days, but at the same time the smartphone will turn into an ordinary "dialer". Well, if you play on this machine in the same "Asphalt 8" or a similar toy, then the battery will last for 8-12 hours altogether.

But, on the other hand, the developers wanted to get a device with a small thickness and light weight. As a result, they succeeded, and the autonomy remained at an acceptable level.

Interfaces

An impressive communication set of interfaces implemented in the "Samsung Galaxy Alfa." Technical specifications indicate the following list:

• The device can work in all types of mobile networks, including LTE.
• Built-in transmitter "Wai Fay", which is also able to share information with any wireless router at the moment.
• There is also "Blutuz" version 4.0.
• For navigation, the device is equipped with one FMS transmitter, which, in addition to the standard FMS network, can also determine the location and with the help of GLONASS satellites.
• The main wireless interface is microUSB, the version of which in this device is 3.0.
• Another wired port is a 3.5-mm audio port intended for output and input of audio information.

Software

As the system software used "Android" with the current version of 4.4, but this is not the limit on which you can count on the owners of such a device as a smartphone "Samsung Alpha". The characteristics of its hardware components allow you to install on it later versions of this operating system. So we expect software updates from the manufacturer. The rest of the set of preinstalled programs is typical: mini-applications of social networks, utilities from Google and built-in software.

User opinion

The work of Korean developers in the Samsung Galaxy Alfa is very good. Characteristics, testimonials this only confirm, he has a real impressive. The only two points to which you can find fault are the resolution of the display and the small capacity of the battery. In the first case, instead of HD, developers could equip the gadget with a Full HD matrix. As a result, the quality of the image would be greatly improved. But even so the quality of the image does not cause any complaints. But the small battery capacity leads to the fact that the autonomy of the device allows for a maximum of 2 days to be spent on its charging. On a larger basis, it is rather difficult to calculate. But, on the other hand, it allowed to reduce the weight and thickness of the device. As a result, the developers chose the golden middle: both the autonomy is acceptable, and the thickness with weight does not scare potential buyers.

Results

450 dollars is the average cost for the current time of the smartphone Samsung Alpha. His characteristics are above average and such a high cost is justified. Moreover, in terms of hardware and software resources, this smartphone will be able to solve any problems within 2-3 years. This is the ideal solution for those who need a phone with a small diagonal and excellent stuffing.