14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung has become infamous for its inability to improve on its flagship smartphones’ design. Since Galaxy S II was launched on the market back in 2011, there were no major changes concerning the Galaxy S series.
Sales of the last two flagship handsets, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5 have been much lower than expected and one of the reasons is design. Even if the South Korean company changed the plastic covering the battery, the Galaxy S phones basically look the same, even if they have different sizes.
One of the reasons the HTC One M7 and One M8 have been awarded world best looking smartphones in the years they have been released was the sophisticated design and the metal used for manufacture.
Samsung never used metal for any of its high-end smartphones, even if customers have been asking for that for a few years. There have been lots of rumors months before the Galaxy S5 was introduced, which pointed out that Samsung is ready to launch a premium version of the flagship smartphone that will be feature a metal-clad chassis.
To anyone’s surprise, that didn’t happen and Samsung Galaxy S5’s sales were even lower than those of the Galaxy S4. Well, that didn’t seem to convince Samsung that its Galaxy S series needs a different design.
All Samsung S flagship handsets look strikingly similar
Instead, the handset maker decided to launch a completely new smartphone family that would fill a gap in its offering. The Galaxy Alpha series has been recently announced as Samsung’s answer to those customers who are looking for a premium smartphone.
All Galaxy Alpha smartphones will use metal to some degree, so customers who wanted such a handset would now be able to get it, for the right price.
I have nothing against Samsung launching premium smartphones, but the Galaxy Alpha does look like a PR stunt rather than a solid device.
As many of you probably know, the Galaxy Alpha has a metal frame that keeps all the components together. This is all the metal the phone uses, and even if it’s finished with a polished diamond I still find the smartphone unimpressive for the price you pay.
Obviously, you don’t need to use metal to make your flagship smartphone stand out, but it helps. As it sends, Samsung won’t feel compelled to introduce this material in the next Galaxy S handset, as customers who want premium smartphones can choose one of the upcoming Galaxy Alpha devices.
I would have hoped Samsung to take all the negative feedback it received after the release of the Galaxy S5 and use it to make a better flagship smartphone, but it seems to me that the company only wants to cash in on customers’ need for premium handsets.
Perhaps we should all switch from Galaxy S to Galaxy Alpha
The Galaxy Alpha is available on the market for around $600 (€495), but depending on the market the upfront price may be slightly higher. Considering the phone’s specs are lower than those of the Galaxy S5, I believe it will only be bought by those who favor design over specs.
But that’s probably exactly what Samsung intended anyway. Ask people what they want from the next flagship smartphone, and if possible, make a device that partially answers their needs but don’t give them everything they want in a single device.
Keep more stuff for your next flagship smartphone, which is likely to be announced at MWC 2015 in February. I sincerely doubt that Samsung will use metal in Galaxy S6, but I hope it will at least try to improve it design-wise.
Or maybe we should all buy Galaxy Alpha smartphones and drop the Galaxy S series entirely. Feel free to share your opinions with me in the comments section.