Samsung Galaxy Alpha vs Apple iPhone 6
**Just weeks before the iPhone 6 was launched, Samsung swept in offering its very own iPhone-killer flagship. **
The battle has always raged on between Samsung vs Apple- both in the courts and on the high street- but will the Galaxy Alpha become the thorn in the iPhone 6’s side that Samsung is hoping for? Here we take a closer look at both newly released smartphones…
Design: beauty and functionality?
For months-years even- Samsung fans have been calling out for a metal-clad flagship, with disappointment reaching a peak at the recent Galaxy S5 launch. However, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha embodies everything that its predecessors didn’t, including a beautifully crafted aluminium frame and a soft touch back. But is its metal frame enough to rival the 100% aluminium-built iPhone 6?
Every iPhone released since 2007 has featured an impeccable metal body, making the iPhone one of the most sought after handsets on the market. With shatter proof glass featuring on the latest Apple flagship alongside a waterproof coating, it could make the iPhone 6 difficult for the Alpha to beat.
It also looks like the dimensions of the two handsets will make this a tough battle to win. With the Galaxy Alpha measuring it at 4.7-inches and weighing a miniscule 115g, there’s hardly anything between it and the iPhone 6’s 5-inch display and 129g weight.
For the colourful
It looks like smartphone manufacturers are moving away from the typical black and white handset tradition, adding a touch of colour to their upcoming ranges. Apple did exactly that with its iPhone 5s, which is available in gold, silver and space grey. And while this is also the case with the iPhone 6, can its colour variation rival the Samsung Galaxy Alpha’s rainbow of Scuba Blue, Frosted Gold, Dazzling White and Charcoal Black?
Specs: Samsung vs Apple
Samsung has always managed to wow with its smartphones’ specs, with the Galaxy Note 4 being one of the fastest and most powerful smartphones around. It looks like the Galaxy Alpha is on the same tracks as all of its predecessors, boasting a quad-core 1.8GHz processor and an Exynos 5 Octa 5430 chipset on top of a 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal memory.
At the other end of the scale the iPhone 6 also dazzles when it comes to its features under the hood. Although the device only promises a dual-core processor, teamed with Apple’s own A8 chip, this is set to make the iPhone 6 one of the best performing iPhones yet. With an 1GB of RAM on the iPhone 6, it looks like both smartphones will be far better at multitasking than even the most capable of owners.
Camera: the megapixel myth?
When it comes to a smartphone, the camera is always at the top of any user’s wish list. That’s why the Galaxy Alpha is set to hit the shelves with a 12 megapixel rear facing camera. Strangely, this actually comes up at 4MP short of the current S5’s 16MP lens- a questionable decision by Samsung. But if the iPhone is a testament to anything, it’s that megapixels don’t mean a thing.
The iPhone 6, just like its predecessor, offers an 8MP lens- another 4 megapixels less than the Galaxy Alpha. That said, the iPhone is currently the most used camera phone on the planet, demonstrating that when it comes to megapixels, size doesn’t necessarily matter.
The iPhone 6’s camera has been enhanced with a number of additional editing features, including the new time-lapse mode released with iOS 8. This feature acts in the exact opposite manner to last year’s slow-mo feature, and actually speeds up selective frames in your video, allowing you to get a bit more creative when editing your footage.
But Samsung hasn’t ignored its users’ needs on the camera features front, offering up its usual array of modes such as HDR, Beauty, Dual Camera (as first seen on the Galaxy S4) and Panorama to name just a few. Plus, with 4K video on board, the Galaxy Alpha is a real contender for amateur videographers.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha vs iPhone 6 Features
The iPhone 6 is the first Apple flagship to offer the brand new iOS 8 which was announced back in June. With this updated version of Apple’s famous operating system brings a whole host of new features including Health Kit, Home Kit and the QuickType keyboard.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha offers a similar set of features as you would expect from any Samsung smartphone. These include an Ultra-Power Saving mode, any smartphone addict’s dream, S Health and connectivity to Samsung’s range of wearable devices.
What makes this battle an either tighter one is that both the Galaxy Alpha and iPhone 6 sports a fingerprint scanner. Apple kicked off the trend on the iPhone 5s, but it looks as though the iPhone 6’s version of Touch ID will be better than ever, allowing third party apps to use the technology. Samsung first released its own fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5, and the company has decided that the feature will stick around for the Alpha too. That means that whichever side of the Samsung Vs Apple camp you sit on, you won’t be missing out on any Bond-type finger scanning action.
Price tag
The iPhone 6 will set you back a whopping £539 SIM free, which could prove the deciding factor between itself and the Galaxy Alpha, which comes in at around the £497 mark.
However, a monthly contract for both devices could come in at a similar level, making the void between the two handsets ever narrower…
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