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Samsung’s next Alpha phone will be full metal - report
Samsung is finally embracing metal. After the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha and Note 4, Samsung is working on a phone that features a full metal body, according to a report from SamMobile.
The device, codenamed SM-A500, is part of the A series that first leaked ahead of IFA. The three phones in this upcoming series are reportedly going to feature metallic designs and mid-range specifications, and Samsung is planning to launch them by the end of September.
The new report suggests the SM-A500 will be a radical departure from Samsung’s typical designs. This device is said to feature a complete metallic body, without a removable back cover. Samsung will be sacrificing the convenience of a removable battery, but at least it will retain the ability to use microSD cards, with the phone set to feature a hybrid port that can accept both a memory card and a nano-SIM card.
Premium design, mid-range specs. How about the price?
The alleged specs of the SM-A500 are decidedly mid-range: there’s a Snapdragon 400 processor, a 5-inch 720p display, 8MP/5MP cameras, 16GB of storage, and a 2,330 mAh. The bells and whistles of the Galaxy S5 have been cut down, so don’t expect a fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, or water resistance.
Looking at the specs, I can’t help feeling that Samsung is building a competitor to the new Moto G. However, the metal body will very likely bring the SM-A500’s bill of materials higher, so it will be interesting to see how this device is positioned. It’s safe to say though that Samsung is going for the quality mid-range market, possibly as an answer to the onslaught of value-focused competition from firms like Motorola, Xiaomi, or OnePlus.
The SM-A500 seems to be the middle child in the new series; we know that the SM-A300 will come with a qHD (960×540) display, while the SM-A700 will still be 720p, but probably in a larger size. Again, these devices are reportedly due before the end of this month, which makes sense considering that Samsung probably wants to have them in stores in time for the year-end shopping frenzy.