Samsung Metal Phone ‘Galaxy Alpha’ May Sacrifice Display Quality

Samsung Electronics Co. (KRX:005930) is expected to introduce metal into its smartphone lineup with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, but the device may sacrifice some quality features to accommodate its aluminum casing.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha will likely have a 720p resolution display, which may have been confirmed by Samsung’s own developer console, a platform that allows developers to publish and distribute their applications directly to Samsung devices, tech website SamMobile reported Monday.

A screenshot taken of the developer console reveals an HD (1280-by-720p) resolution for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Reports have previously indicated Samsung would likely implement a Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Alpha.

With its primary attribute likely to be its metal exterior, Samsung has likely opted for a lower-resolution display to keep production costs of the Galaxy Alpha low. Currently, Samsung implements full HD (1920x1080p) displays onto many of its high-end devices, and is now introducing QHD (2560 x 1440p) resolution displays. Such high-quality displays are typically the most expensive components of a Samsung device.

The smartphone is expected to feature a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa or Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset and LTE-A mobile connectivity, which are considered high-quality features. Its rumored metal exterior is also considered high quality, though a recent leak reveals the Galaxy Alpha may only have metal along its outer lining. Very-high-quality displays are a staple of Samsung’s flagship devices, making it unlikely the Galaxy Alpha would be considered a flagship.

Many sources say Samsung may simply be testing the waters with a new material like aluminum for its exterior design. The device is rumored to be a limited edition model that may only be available in South Korea.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is expected to launch in August. Seeing that Samsung’s premium Galaxy Note 4 is expected to launch in September, it's even more likely that the Galaxy Alpha may only be available to specific markets.