Samsung Galaxy S5 v. Samsung Galaxy Alpha – Find Out Which Is The Better Handset

The Samsung Galaxy S5 was released in April, whereas the iPhone 6 rival Samsung Galaxy Alpha was released in September. Readers who are interested in purchasing the 2014 flagship Galaxy S5 or the wafer-thin Galaxy Alpha should check out this comparison.

Display, Design And Size

The Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display and 1,080 x 1,920 pixels resolution. The Galaxy Alpha, on the other hand, comes with a relatively smaller 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display and 720 x 1,280 pixels resolution. The pixel densities of Alpha and S5 handsets are 312 ppi and 432 ppi, respectively.

When it comes to design, the Galaxy Alpha trumps other Samsung handsets, including the Galaxy S5. The S5 sports a perforated/dotted back panel synonymous to high-end Samsung devices. However, the body of the device features a matte material instead of a shiny exterior like those in other Samsung smartphones, according to CNet.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha, meanwhile, has deserted the perennial plastic look for a refined metallic frame encircling the handset as well as bevelled edges. Despite this, the back panel of the handset is covered by the same faux-leather material seen in the Galaxy S5. Nonetheless, the perforated design from the 2014 flagship is replaced with a cross-stitch design, writes Phone Arena.

In terms of size, the thickness and the weight of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Alpha are 0.32-inch and 145 g and 0.26-inch and 115 g, respectively. The Galaxy Alpha is extremely thin and unbelievably light when compared with the Galaxy S5.

Hardware, Software And Memory

The Galaxy S5 is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 801) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz. Meanwhile, the Alpha is powered by an octa-core (Exynos 5) processor with four 1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 and four 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 cores. In addition, both handsets come with 2 GB of RAM.

Moving on to the software powering the devices, the Galaxy Alpha runs on Android v4.4.4 KitKat OS, whereas the Galaxy S5 runs on Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS. Both handsets feature Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top of Android OS. In terms of memory, the Galaxy S5 comes with 16 GB and 32 GB of in-built storage, whereas the Galaxy Alpha offers 32 GB storage. The S5 has a microSD card slot for expansion up to 128 GB, a feature that the Galaxy Alpha lacks.

Camera And Battery

The Galaxy Alpha houses a 12 MP rear-facing camera unit with LED flash, while the Galaxy S5 sports a much-better 16 MP primary unit with LED flash. Despite the difference, both smartphones can record 4K videos. In addition, a 2.1 MP and 2 MP secondary units can be seen in the front of the Alpha and the S5, respectively.

Furthermore, the Galaxy Alpha is backed by a Li-Ion 1860 mAh battery unit, while the Galaxy S5 is packed with a solid Li-Ion 2800 mAh unit. As Phone Arena points out, the smaller battery unit in the Galaxy Alpha is comparatively more long-lasting than the larger unit in Galaxy S5. The Alpha can offer up to 7 hours and 50 minutes of charge in the custom benchmark testing, while the Galaxy S5 retains 7 hours and 38 minutes of battery life.

Additional Features

1. Both handsets feature the useful fingerprint scanner for unlocking the smartphone and for making mobile payments. The S5 also has a water- and dust-resistant exterior (IP67 certified) unlike the Galaxy Alpha.

2. Both handsets support 4G LTE and NFC; however, the Galaxy S5 is one step ahead as it also has an Infrared port. The Galaxy Alpha also uses nano-SIM while the Galaxy S5 supports micro-SIM.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha (32 GB) can be purchased for AU$849.95. The Samsung Galaxy S5 (16 GB), on the other hand, is priced at AU$589.95. Readers should note that the Galaxy S5 was more expensive when the device was released back in April. In the U.S., both handsets can be availed for US$200 from AT&T with a two-year contract.

Verdict

With the same price (contract), even though the Galaxy Alpha is metal-clad and wafer-thin, the S5 trumps the Alpha when it comes to features. Therefore, those interested in pure aesthetics with good specs can opt for the Galaxy Alpha, while those who want the total package should purchase the Galaxy S5, opines Phone Arena.

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