Samsung Galaxy Alpha Gets a Possible August Release Date as New Patents Surface for Smartwatches

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom vs. Nokia Lumia 1020 Specs and Price Comparison in Australia — A woman takes pictures with Nokia's new smartphone, the Lumia 1020 with a 41-megapixel camera, after its unveiling in New York in this July 11, 2013 file photo. Finnish telecoms gear maker Nokia has good prospects for sales in Europe and North America in the coming quarters, its chief executive said on July 24, 2014, after the company posted better-than-expected quarterly results. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Files Reuters

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is fast becoming the most anticipated smartphone for the South Korean company. This may be due to the strongly circulating rumours of its metal body, a first for a Samsung smartphone.

For those who can't wait for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, you need to only wait for mere days instead of weeks. Previously, there had been leaks pointing to a mid-August release date for the device.

However, SamMobile has received exclusive confirmation that the Samsung Galaxy Alpha will be officially announced on August 4.

According to the report, a good reason for the early announcement would be to give a breathing space between the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, another Samsung device that's expected to turn heads in September, supposedly at the IFA in Berlin.

So far, there haven't been any new live images leaked of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, but the mid-range hardware features have not been disconfirmed this far in the game. What may be expected of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha includes a 4.8-inch 720p display, fingerprint scanner, 32 GB of memory and a non-removable back cover, the last feature assumed because of the supposed non-expandable internal storage due to the metal back cover.

New Samsung Patents Found Showing Round-Faced Device

Samsung may be preparing ot release round-faced smartwatches that go against eh rectangular design of the Samsung Gear Live, if new patents are to be believed.

According to Phone Arena, the patents by USPTO were filed back in 2013 and they feature the much-debated round-faced smartwatches. On the surface, having a round face makes it look more like a conventional wristwatch, but there are many faults to this theory, not limied to the fact that there is less space onscreen.

It does not help the fact that Samsung seems to want to pack quite a lot of features on the patented smartwatch design, such as a camera on the bracelets and charger on the clasp of the watch.

What's more interesting is that the round-faced smartwatches seem to be pointing to possible gesture-based commands. In the patent, there is a section that talks about a step-by-step process. Here you start off with your first detected by some sort of screen. Moving the fist away and opening your fingertips will enable the screen to detect the gesture, though what the command is for and what the detecting device will be is not expounded on.

The filed patent does not mean that Samsung is pushing this idea, but it's interesting to see where Samsung will decide to take this design.