In a blog post Wednesday, Samsung walked through its design choices for the Alpha, which has a metal frame -- like the iPhone -- with curved corners -- like the iPhone. The phone hits the market next month, starting in the UK.
You may think a metal design seems to be something new from Samsung, which has produced a series of smartphones with plastic frames and backs. Samsung would like you to know that you are wrong. It took pains to list its history of metal in its phone and wearable designs and added that the Alpha's look derives from the Samsung Card Phone from 2006 (which, incidentally, came out a year before the iPhone).
The Galaxy Alpha is Samsung's attempt to quell the complaints that its line of high-end smartphones have a cheaper plastic feel than the iPhone 5S or even the metallic-framed HTC One M8. The Alpha is expected to be the first among a series of smartphones from Samsung to incorporate a metal design.
Still, Samsung needs to be mindful of avoiding any designs too close to Apple's. The two companies have been in court for the past few years over patent issues, with both companies accusing each other of copying designs and functions. Amid the continuing disputes, Apple on Wednesday again failed to win a sales ban on some older models of Samsung phones found to infringe on Apple patents, Bloomberg reported.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha shows off metal frame (pictures) See full gallery
