Galaxy Alpha review: Samsung's first metal-framed phone — the design pivot.
Samsung's metal turning point.
Galaxy Alpha introduced the metal frame that would define the Galaxy S6 and every flagship since — a response to criticism of Samsung's plasticky designs. Compact and premium-feeling, though hamstrung by a tiny battery and HD screen.
01Display
78/100At 78/100 this is one of the strongest display showings among flagship phones of 2014 — 9 points above the cohort average.
02Camera
68/100At 68/100 this is one of the strongest camera showings among flagship phones of 2014 — 15 points above the cohort average.
03Performance
72/100At 72/100 this is one of the strongest performance showings among flagship phones of 2014 — 33 points above the cohort average.
04Battery
56/10056/100 puts it above the 51-point average for flagship phones of 2014.
05Build
78/100At 78/100 this is one of the strongest build showings among flagship phones of 2014 — 14 points above the cohort average.
- First Samsung metal frame — previewed the Galaxy S6
- Compact 4.7" / 115 g
- Premium feel for its era
- Tiny 1860 mAh battery
- 720p resolution
- Premium price for mid specs
How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 8-phone cohort of flagship devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .