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Samsung Announces Galaxy Alpha Featuring Metal Frame and Rounded Corners

mrspoonsi (2955715) writes with word that Samsung is hopping on the metal case and rounded corners design bandwagon. From the article: Samsung says a metal frame and curved corners give the Galaxy Alpha a "sophisticated" look. The South Korean company describes the Galaxy Alpha as representing a "new design approach". The firm has previously been criticised for the plastic feel of its handsets at a time when other firms have opted to use materials marketed as having a "premium" feel. Samsung Electronics saw a 20% year-on-year drop in its last quarter's profit. The phone features 2G of RAM, a 4.7" AMOLED display, and either an 8-core Exynos 5 or 4-core Snapdragon 801.

220 comments

  1. still the same galaxy. dont worry. by nimbius · · Score: 5, Funny

    For those wondering if the dimensions will change with the rounded edges, dont worry. the Galaxy Alpha will still continue to ship with mounting equipment for roadside billboard, stadium jumbotron, and IMAX auditorium. It will also still include the ever popular 130 decibel klaxon for informing you of Amber alerts at 5 AM on a saturday.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  2. Wow by halivar · · Score: 2

    My Apple-phobic Samsung-fan friends are going to have an aneurysm over this.

    1. Re:Wow by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Why don't they make up a design of their own for a change. :D

    2. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Queue Apple patent lawsuit over rounded corners!

    3. Re:Wow by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm thinking a phone made out of apricot preserves shaped like a ceiling fan.

      There are so many possibilities!

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Cue the people that can't tell queue from cue, and choose the more complex word!

    5. Re:Wow by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      My Apple-phobic Samsung-fan friends are going to have an aneurysm over this.

      There's an app for that!

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    6. Re:Wow by mspohr · · Score: 1

      Yeah... why not something without "rounded corners" and a screen?
      Perhaps they could make it like a pill you swallow and then press on your stomach to make calls?

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
  3. I don't get it by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's the obsession with metal frames? Message boards are filled with hipsters ranting about how cheap a plastic frame looks.

    Whenever I get a new phone, the first thing I do is wrap it in a plastic protector to protect the body.

    1. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't need a protector if you're not an abusive user and if your phone is built right
       
      I've owned phones from several producers and on various platforms and I've never had an issue. I've dropped the Motorola Droid, iPhone 4 and 5 plus a couple Blackberries. Not a single issue with any of them. The iPhone I currently have has been dropped from 6 feet onto concrete and it has a slight scuff in the outer frame that looks more like the paint wore off than an impact mark.

    2. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, it appears to be impossible to get solid information about the things that actually matters about the phone.

      I'm currently looking for a good phone for an EEng. Typically I won't use the smarthpone capabilities in the work much since I sit in front of a computer anyway but that doesn't mean that I get a useless blob of bloat when I buy an expensive phone.

      Sadly everything the reviewers rant about appears to things that only matters to hipsters.

    3. Re:I don't get it by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Whenever I get a new phone, the first thing I do is wrap it in a plastic protector to protect the body.

      And then coat it in shiny metal!

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:I don't get it by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 1

      Accidents happen, dude. Who among us has not dropped our phone while trying to turn off the alarm in the morning? And if you want to ever sell it, you need the case to absorb normal wear-and-tear.

      --
      "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    5. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you're certainly not an abusive user, but you are a clumsy one.

      Butterfingers.

    6. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... [various accounts of dropping phones] ...

      It's good to know you're not an "abusive user."

    7. Re:I don't get it by Russ1642 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I never understood this. Teams of engineers cram the electronics into the smallest, lightest case they can, and then the end users goes and shoves it in a 1/4" thick rubber sleeve.

    8. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, it appears to be impossible to get solid information about the things that actually matters about the phone.

      I'm currently looking for a good phone for an EEng. Typically I won't use the smarthpone capabilities in the work much since I sit in front of a computer anyway but that doesn't mean that I get a useless blob of bloat when I buy an expensive phone.

      Sadly everything the reviewers rant about appears to things that only matters to hipsters.

      That's what I tell people whenever they comment on my old flip-phone, I spend at least 12 hours a day near a computer so the my "need" for internet on my phone is very small.

      That and I HATE touchscreens.

    9. Re:I don't get it by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I would be happier if you could easily and cheaply replace broken parts.
      It isn't uncommon for these cases cost over $30.00. Now if I could say replace the glass pain, that is most likely to break for $40.00 it may still be a good deal as you don't always break your phone.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    10. Re:I don't get it by rossdee · · Score: 1

      Do you believe that once the Republicans take control of the senate they will repeal the law of gravity?

    11. Re:I don't get it by Minwee · · Score: 1

      ... [various accounts of dropping phones] ...

      It's good to know you're not an "abusive user."

      He only drops the phone when it makes him angry. It's the phone's fault, really.

    12. Re:I don't get it by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Who among us has not dropped our phone while trying to turn off the alarm in the morning?

      Except for me? Probably quite a few other people.
      I never had a protector for any of my phones. My HTC Desire S got its paint scratched on a corner because I kept it in my pocket at all times, wear-and-tear, but I don't sell my old phones, I just keep them stored somewhere.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    13. Re:I don't get it by Lumpy · · Score: 0

      Sane people put the phone in a case so when you drop it it is protected. It's the trendy hipsters that refuse to use a case so that everyone can enjoy the glorious art that their phone is.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    14. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation: I don't understand why people want metal frames because I don't care. Thank you for the insight.

    15. Re:I don't get it by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      "It isn't uncommon for these cases cost over $30.00."
      only the trendy crap sold at best buy. I bought an otterbox commuter for $19 online. you can get china cases for as little as $4.00 with free shipping.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    16. Re:I don't get it by timeOday · · Score: 1

      Is it any stranger than designer t-shirts? Or needlessly large homes? The point is to show everybody you have money.

    17. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alarm? From a phone? Sorry, my phone stays downstairs on the Qi wireless charger at night. I don't want some silly alert or email waking me up. I have this invention called an alarm clock next to my bed. It actually only goes off once every other month or so since I normally wake up before it goes off anyway as I have sleep apnea and toss and turn all night. If I was so silly as to use my phone for an alarm and dropped it - it would bounce nicely on the carpet with no damage. I treat my $15 alarm clock like a $15 alarm clock and my $350 smart phone like a $350 smart phone. Guess which one I don't mind dropping?

    18. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Accidents happen, dude. Who among us has not dropped our phone while trying to turn off the alarm in the morning? And if you want to ever sell it, you need the case to absorb normal wear-and-tear.

      I don't think you typically need to worry about a phone falling from bedside table height unless you have a stone floor, or a really fragile phone. So far I've only ever managed to drop my phone once (it was on concrete), but luckily the phone back was made out of plastic and it only got a hardly perceptible dent. I imagine a metal frame would've caused the display to crack instead of absorbing the impact.

    19. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That does sound like a pain.

    20. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, because when the iphone antenna thing came up didnt Apple gave away free protective covers.
      http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4389

      "...to request a free black iPhone 4 Bumper"

      Using your logic, that would that imply the phone was not built right?

      Your comment about dropping your iphone 6 feet is laughable considering how many broken iphone screens i see on my daily commute.

    21. Re:I don't get it by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      hipsters

      Who are these magical hipsters the tech community seems to be obsessed with?

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    22. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Otterboxes are made in China as well, although I was surprised to learn that some of them are made in the US. "Trendy crap" is likely from China too. Just slap on a different label and multiply the price by 10 :-)

    23. Re:I don't get it by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      That is why I preference my statement with "It isn't uncommon"

      Yes you can get cheaper ones. But your $23.00 case isn't that much cheaper than $30.00. Espectially if like me you keep the same case for years.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    24. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or ones with features like S View and QI Wireless charging tend to cost a bit simply because it's not a cheap piece of plastic and some vinyl.

    25. Re: I don't get it by jd2112 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Gravity doesn't exist. It is just a theory. "intelligent falling" is what keeps everything from floating away.

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
    26. Re:I don't get it by MozeeToby · · Score: 1

      I'm clumsy, you could argue downright abusive with my phones. I have a toddler who loves to play games and watch movies with it. I used to go through phones every 12 months, minimum, due to damage and destruction.

      My 14 month old Note 3 has a single nick on the metal outer frame. It's been dropped at least a couple dozen times including at least a few onto ceramic tile and a few more onto cement. Basically the same thing (both in drops and damage) on the Galaxy Nexus I had before this phone (over 30 months of use). Modern phones are extremely durable. And that's with what was basically the largest glass available for both (at time of purchase anyway).

    27. Re:I don't get it by Talderas · · Score: 1

      Ooo Ooo! The $15 smart phone!

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
    28. Re:I don't get it by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      I never understood this. Teams of engineers cram the electronics into the smallest, lightest case they can, and then the end users goes and shoves it in a 1/4" thick rubber sleeve.

      That's because users don't actually want the smallest, thinnest lightest case that's possible to make. They want a phone that's small enough, thin enough, light enough and offers adequate protection so the screen doesn't shatter really easily.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    29. Re: I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gravity isn't a theory. Gravity has a theory associated with it. Gravity is a phenomenon. If you want to be all "Science! HERP!" at least learn the nomenclature.

    30. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pretty sure Android (and Apple) has a "do not disturb" feature that can be scheduled or manually turned on for overnight peace and quiet.

    31. Re:I don't get it by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      Whenever I get a new phone, the first thing I do is wrap it in a plastic protector to protect the body.

      To point out the obvious, with the statement I just quoted, you've effectively self-identified yourself as someone for whom the distinction wouldn't make a bit of difference, so it's not surprising that you don't understand why it matters to most people. In many ways, I envy you, since it means that your purchasing decisions are likely much more straightforward.

      The reason why metal matters is because of how things look and feel in one's hand when not using those plastic protectors. As the summary said, metal is considered a "premium" material, and with good reason, since its various properties make it more interesting to hold. Plastic, in a word, is bland. At its best, it's rounded, smooth, and boring to touch. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing inherently pleasurable about it either. In contrast, metals can be cool to the touch or hold onto heat so that they are warmer than their surroundings, immediately making them more interesting to come in contact with. When chamfering is done right, your fingers naturally gravitates towards those lines and run along them (it's uncanny how everyone who doesn't use a case seems to do it without thinking, in fact). Likewise, bead-blasted surfaces retain the smoothness of plastic, while at the same time ditching the tackiness that your fingers have with plastic. Plus, metal can be manufactured to much tighter tolerances, creating a sturdier feel, and when it's done right, the wear and tear that metal takes can add character (to be fair, we don't see this sort of design happening in the smartphone industry), whereas I have yet to see the plastic for which that is true.

      TL;DR: As the summary said, metal is a premium material. Some of us are suckers for that stuff.

    32. Re:I don't get it by mspohr · · Score: 1

      Most people put a plastic protector on their iPhones because metal gets permanent dents and the glass front and backs of iPhones break easily. The result is just like the plastic phones from everyone else.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    33. Re:I don't get it by Sockatume · · Score: 2

      I think you'll find that the hipsters are using old Nokias.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    34. Re:I don't get it by T.E.D. · · Score: 1

      This is roughly the same logic I used to hear about seat belts back in the 70's.

    35. Re:I don't get it by Sockatume · · Score: 1

      It's not plastic that's the issue; it's metal-effect plastic. The mutton-dressed-as-lamb factor of pleather, wood veneer, chromed plastic, and the like is tacky in itself, but a bit of an affront in a gizmo that costs a good part of a month's wages. In a market where all your similarly-specced competitors are using actual metal, being the guy who sends out fake metal sends a message to your customers along the lines of "you'll pay the same, but you'll get less".

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    36. Re:I don't get it by Sockatume · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would think that going without a case on a £600 phone is a better signal of "I've got money to burn".

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    37. Re:I don't get it by jeffmeden · · Score: 2

      Modern phones are extremely durable.

      I used to think so, and then I started paying attention to the screens of those around me while traveling (airports should be renamed for the most common activity there... "stareatyourphonefor90minutesports") and it's appalling. Among those aged 16-24 (guessing) I counted 2/3 of them have phones with shattered screens. Not just a hairline crack or two, I mean a huge bulls-eye shatter covering most of the face, observable from a good 20 feet away. And they text and twitter and snapchat like it's not even there. Modern phones are indeed durable, if only for their ability to keep all those glass pieces together and somehow not cut up the fingers of the operator. Amazing, really.

    38. Re:I don't get it by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      Tasker

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    39. Re:I don't get it by Dishevel · · Score: 1
      Here you go.

      Hipster

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    40. Re:I don't get it by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      Yup. I would be ok if my phone were twice as thick as it is. Give me some extra cooling and more RAM and more protection. Sounds like a wonderful trade off.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    41. Re:I don't get it by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      They will just repeal the law of anthropogenic gravity. We're stuck with gravity. It's not our fault, though, and we can tear down our economy, but it's not going away.

    42. Re:I don't get it by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      only the trendy crap sold at best buy. I bought an otterbox commuter for $19 online. you can get china cases for as little as $4.00 with free shipping.

      Got my daughter one of those China cases for her Moto G because it had to be neon green and had to have a kickstand, and the options were limited. But it's actually quite good.

      I've got an Incipio Dual Pro on my S4 and it's definitely better. But only somewhat better, not dramatically. The Incipio is "really good" while the China Special is "quite good".

      My phone is also way more expensive and the margin is worth it, but I would not steer people away from the no-name cases if they have good reviews.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    43. Re:I don't get it by rainer_d · · Score: 2
      I've got a car that cost much more than that and I didn't weld a steel-cage around it or equip it with a giant bull bar.

      Just don't drop it.

      --
      Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
    44. Re:I don't get it by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I've got a plastic frame on my HTC One-X, and it looked great new. However the plastic has now cracked at a couple of the corners, and I have never dropped it or otherwise cause any force that would do this. It is likely the results of heating and cooling over time. A metal case would not have this problem. The phone still looks good now, no one can see the cracks unless looking closely, but fashion conscious people might have felt compelled to get a new version.

    45. Re: I don't get it by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Every year more and more people are unable to operate in society due to Humor Impaired Syndrome. Either you or a loved one may have HIS and not even know it until an embarrassing public incident. Won't you help today to alleviate the heartbreak of HIS by donating to the American HIS Foundation? We will send you a free tote bag as a token of our gratitude.

    46. Re:I don't get it by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      So it's a synonym for blind people who dress themselves?

    47. Re: I don't get it by aristotle-dude · · Score: 1

      Gravity isn't a theory. Gravity has a theory associated with it. Gravity is a phenomenon. If you want to be all "Science! HERP!" at least learn the nomenclature.

      He is trolling. It is a troll on evolution versus intelligent design.

      --
      Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    48. Re: I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its a type of male undergarment apparently. I prefer briefs or boxers.

    49. Re:I don't get it by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      Yes. But the blind person who dresses himself must also be 100% full of their own awesomeness.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    50. Re:I don't get it by Threni · · Score: 1

      That's more a factor of their cost than their durability.

    51. Re:I don't get it by chihowa · · Score: 1

      Nuts to that stuff. Make it twice as thick and double or triple the battery size.

      --
      If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
    52. Re:I don't get it by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      No. I want more battery, better cooling and more RAM.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    53. Re:I don't get it by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      I just set my sleeping times on my phone so it's automatically switched to silent, unless someone in my phone book calls twice. Alarm still works to wake me up too.

    54. Re:I don't get it by chihowa · · Score: 1

      I can accept that compromise! So it's decided.

      --
      If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
    55. Re: I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He sucks as a troll in that case. If you want to be all "Science!" you better fucking be able to walk the walk. I've run into far too many of these bitches who act like they've got a PhD because they watched all of Cosmos or whatever shit the Discovery Channel is spewing this week. It's like the intellectual version of beer muscles... They drone on and on about ID and religion and how evil conservatives are for cutting education funding because "Everyone needs to science!" but just sit down with one of these dimwitted fuckers and try to talk about actual science instead... you'll find out pretty damn fast that they don't know their ass from their elbow if it isn't in a Facebook meme.
       
      I'm just so fucking sick of it.
       
      It's just like those bitches who squeal with delight anytime anyone mentions Tesla but these fucks don't know who Faraday or Maxwell is. W.... T... F... ?!?!?

    56. Re: I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't you just take another dick in the ass? We know you want to, faggot. You're probably just another douche who doesn't know shit about science.

    57. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I had a nickel for every time hearing that old story.

      Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You could design THE most perfect thing in the world and after selling it to Joe you find that he's been using it as a coaster.

    58. Re:I don't get it by Sockatume · · Score: 1

      Customisation. Pre-2010 there was a lot of aesthetic variety in devices' shape, size, materials, colour, etc. However phones are basically big rectangles these days, while logistics and manufacturing approaches in consumer electronics favour doing fewer models in bigger numbers. There's a desire to be able to reshape these devices to something that suits its owner a bit more.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    59. Re:I don't get it by phorm · · Score: 1

      The bumper is cheap and replaceable. A smaller phone means a smaller overall size, even with the bumper. However, I'd say that phone are actually getting *bigger* these days. Thinner yes, but the overall length/height of popular smartphones are much bigger than phones a few generations back.

    60. Re:I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't understand how you don't understand this. It is quite obvious. If, somehow, the phone gets dropped, slid across a rough surface, or mishandled in some way, a replaceable protector is what gets damaged or scratched and not the phone. I can easily go out and buy another $20-$40 shell for my phone, but I can't so easily restore my phone's pristine look. It's the same reason I use a screen protector even though my phone has "gorilla glass". If somehow it becomes scratched, I can just peel it off and put a new one on. I can't so easily do the same with the phone's glass. It is good that engineers are putting the electronics into small, light cases, because that means my phone will need that much smaller a shell and be that much lighter with a shell on it.

  4. Re:Another nail in Apple's coffin. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yeah, because people buy iPhone over Galaxy n strictly because of a metal case and rounded corners.

    Idiot.

  5. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So Samsung goes out of their way to slag Apple about their stylistic approach to phones only to copy them? Wow. Just wow. Now you should understand why most iPhone fanboys laugh an Samesung.

    1. Re:So... by macs4all · · Score: 1

      So Samsung goes out of their way to slag Apple about their stylistic approach to phones only to copy them? Wow. Just wow. Now you should understand why most iPhone fanboys laugh an Samesung.

      Personally, I think that this announcement is suspiciously timed, coming RIGHT after Apple and Samsung agree to bury the lawsuit-hatchet (at least outside of the U.S.)

    2. Re:So... by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      and right before Apple are tipped to announce the largest iPhone ever, with the same size screen as the Samsung Alpha.

  6. New Design Approach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Samsung says a metal frame and curved corners give the Galaxy Alpha a "sophisticated" look. The South Korean company describes the Galaxy Alpha as representing a "new design approach". ..

    A metal frame with curved corners? A new design approach? Yeah. A new design approach, assuming you've never seen an iPhone from the past several years...

    I know, it's wacky to accuse Samsung of copying Apple. That would never happen.

    1. Re:New Design Approach by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      you think apple is the only smartphone out there with a metal frame and rounded corners?? how cute

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    2. Re:New Design Approach by Minwee · · Score: 2

      It's true. Every phone that wasn't Designed By Apple In California looks just like this.

    3. Re:New Design Approach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, he thinks the iPhone is the only phone that looks just like an iPhone, up until this moment at least.

    4. Re:New Design Approach by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      The BlackBerry Z10 looks much more like an iPhone than anything Samsung has ever made, but I don't hear Apple (or anyone, really) saying a thing about it. Why is that? In fact, the BlackBerry Z30 looks an awful lot like the HTC One M7 (from the front, at least) which, itself, looks a lot like an iPhone (again, from the front).

      Not a word about BlackBerry copying Apple, or copying HTC, who copied Apple, or, hell, even HTC copying Apple. In an ironic twist, the upcoming iPhone 6 looks a lot like the HTC One M8 that came out in March, but, again, not a word of that from anyone.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    5. Re:New Design Approach by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

      you think apple is the only smartphone out there with a metal frame and rounded corners?? how cute

      Fact is, Samsung did build a phone that looked very, very similar to the iPhone 3GS. Fact is also that after that, they built phones that didn't look at all like iPhones (neither old nor new ones), except I have no idea whether anything they build looks like an iPhone 5c, which itself doesn't look like an iPhone to me :-)

      What I saw in the link looks exactly like an iPhone 5s to me, so I'd think there is trouble ahead.

    6. Re: New Design Approach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple and HTC have a cross licence deal

      http://www.androidauthority.com/apple-htc-patent-licensing-deal-130326/

      The Blackberry was criticised at the time, but they're largely irrelevent

    7. Re:New Design Approach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry. You're right. Lots of companies are copying Apple's design in an attempt to tap into the iPhone sales success. I was silly to only imply that Samsung is doing it.

      Mind you, this article is about Samsung coming out with a new and sophisticated design approach (LOL!) so I figured focusing my comment on Samsung was relevant. Silly me. /sarcasm

    8. Re:New Design Approach by macs4all · · Score: 1

      No, he thinks the iPhone is the only phone that looks just like an iPhone, up until this moment at least.

      No. Not hardly.

      That's what a few of the Apple lawsuits against Samsung were about.

    9. Re:New Design Approach by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      The corners on those Dynatacs look awfully rounded to me.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    10. Re:New Design Approach by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      How exactly does the Z10 look like an iPhone again?

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    11. Re:New Design Approach by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      How, exactly does anything Samsung makes look like an iPhone? I didn't say it looked like an iPhone, I said it looks more like an iPhone than anything Samsung has ever made. You have not disproven this.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    12. Re:New Design Approach by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      Apple always chooses a 'worthy' opponent to pose against. Samsung is a market leader, so Apple can posture in such a way that their customers are an elite minority, bucking the market leader's product that all the common people use. Similarly in the past, Apple posed consistently against 'IBM' with their computers, even long after IBM wasn't the leading Personal Computer vendor. There was even a little transition period before Apple united with IBM for PowerPC, when Apple was putting IBM OEM hard drives in Powerbooks and Apple customers' heads went asploding when they discovered it.

      When you're running a cult, you need a proper Emmanual Goldstein type figure for your customers to shout about at product introductory events.

    13. Re:New Design Approach by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      Bravo! Excellent explanation! It also highlights the fanboi mentality (theirs, not yours) fairly well, as well.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    14. Re:New Design Approach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Their previous design approach was an all-plastic one, this is a new approach for them. Just like Apple's designs are a new approach for Apple even though those designs have been done before in various other products.

  7. Alpha? by H0p313ss · · Score: 1

    I'll wait for the Beta, or perhaps a release candidate.

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    1. Re:Alpha? by marcello_dl · · Score: 1

      Heresy! Alpha 64 is the bestest ever.

      --
      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
    2. Re:Alpha? by Eosi · · Score: 1

      If I get the Alpha now, and the Beta later, can I combine them for a massive missile platform like in Robotech?

  8. Wrong website. by Seumas · · Score: 1

    Granted, I don't come here much anymore, but . . . seeing the top post on the front page being about an updated cell phone style change makes one wonder if they've accidentally stumbled upon gdgt.com, engadget, gizmodo, twit.tv, or cnet, instead of slashdot.

    1. Re:Wrong website. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      You don't think Samsung's announcement that their new phone will be made of liquid metal from the Terminator 2 movie is news for nerds?

      Well, that's how I read it.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Wrong website. by Seumas · · Score: 1

      Nope. Not in the least.

    3. Re:Wrong website. by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      As long as it doesn't form knives or stabbing weapons while it's in my pocket.

  9. My take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Samsung went from the status of "rising son..y" to that of the "declining sony" without getting the "zenith of sony" status, which means: producing sturdy and advanced stuff and selling it a bit higher than the competition.

    I can't blame them, this is not the consumer electronic market of the 80/90s. That market would have stomped hipster headphones under their feet, together with all mp3 gear.

    I suggest the samsung corporation to compete exclusively in price in their samsung stuff, letting it die if so happens, and buy a couple serious brands and produce serious stuff with it. Everybody owns some samsung, and nobody says with pride "it's a samsung".

    On the other hand I know next to nothing about managing stuff :D

  10. Hey, that looks like a ... by BitZtream · · Score: 1

    No, I'm not joking, with minor differences, they are seriously trying to look the same as the fruit. This is a bit ridiculous. Yes, its different, but there is no doubt its trying to look the same.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
  11. I quit buying Samsung by stoolpigeon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I bought a Galaxy S and then the Galaxy S3 - and after seeing how poor the support was on the Samsung side in terms of updating and Android I have decided not to purchase any more of their phones. I had no problems with the hardware. The software decisions that Samsung makes and the fact that they seem no longer interested once the product is out the door was why I left.

    In the middle of all that I bought one of their ultrabooks and ran into the same issue.

    I don't have any plans to buy anything they've made unless I learn they've somehow turned this behavior around.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    1. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah....but name manufacturer that is better then them?

      They all suck.

      With galaxy line (because of the number of units they sell) - you at least know you are covered with cyanogen (or some other) mod.

    2. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Actually, Motorola does a good job with pushing out updates (at least with Moto X, G, E).

    3. Re:I quit buying Samsung by stoolpigeon · · Score: 2

      Nexus and Moto G phones are what I've bought since for my family. I'm still using the S3 running cyanogen but personally I prefer the stock Android experience to cyanogen as well. But that is a good point that there are options still there.

      My tablet is an original Nexus 7 and my son has one of the new ones. My experience with those and motorola phones has me thinking that's the direction I'll look first as long as the current situation persists.

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    4. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 1

      I don't know about those but my Razr MAXX is still 4.1.2...and it is not exactly an "old phone"

      And let us not forget that Motorola was owned by Google...and they still didn't manage to update it in that time

    5. Re:I quit buying Samsung by clonehappy · · Score: 1

      Yeah....but name manufacturer that is better then them?

      Better than Samsung? Motorola, Apple, LG, and HTC for starters. I've never understood the hype around Samsung's Android phones, they are cheap plastic, have the ugliest skin (TouchWiz) out of all the manufacturers and have always had sub-par RF performance on every one I've ever owned.

      Stick with the high-end models from any of the big names and you'll have a better experience than on a Samsung Galaxy. And I've owned a bunch of high-end Android phones over the years and have not yet had one that didn't have at least decent Cyanogen support. Say what you will about Apple, as well, I'm not a big fan of the walled garden, but the hardware and build quality is top notch. Also, the LG G2/G3, HTC One Series, and almost all recent Motorolas (Droid MAXX, HD, X, G) have a very premium look and feel to them, lightyears ahead of Samsung and generally a bit cheaper.

      I suppose marketing hype really is everything, as I've never been "wowed" by any of Samsung's products.

    6. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about Apple... They address every single one of GP's complaints.

    7. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Galaxy S3 started from 4.0 to to 4.3 over the course of 2-3 years which is 3-4 major updates. This includes *ALL* features of each version of the OS, not having some major flagship feature removed like other OSes just so they can claim everyone's on the latest version.

      The 4.3 update even backported some of the new features from the Galaxy S4.

      There's only so much you can do with older hardware before it becomes unreasonable to support it due to RAM or CPU constraints. Just do a quick google of " update made my phone slow" and watch the complaints pour in.

    8. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      Actually, Motorola does a good job with pushing out updates (at least with Moto X, G, E).

      Maybe... but they actively & intentionally FUCKED everyone unfortunate enough to buy one of their phones before then. As if it wasn't bad enough that they decided to break their promise (advertised, in writing) to eventually ship ICS for the Photon & Atrix2, they ALSO rolled out a trojan update (2.3.4) whose sole purpose was to permalock the bootloader and make sure end users couldn't upgrade the Photon/Atrix2 to ICS on their own, either.

      It's widely believed among former Photon/Atrix2 owners that Moto deployed the new permalocking-bootloader with protections to prevent future updates, then discovered (too late) that the new bootloader had a bug that rendered it unable to safely repartition the flash to accommodate the larger /system partition needed by ICS.

      I really hope there's an extra-toasty spot in hell where Motorola's execs can burn forever as punishment for what they did to us.

      #motofail #neveragain

    9. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 1

      I was referring to the android updates. When it comes to those all manufacturers suck.

      On the other hand, I don't think you are really fair to Samsung. I will not defend their build quality (I really can't), or their software support; but credit when credit due - they have been pushing other manufacturers to up their game; Galaxy 1 was good, galaxy 2 was revolutionary, Note 1,2,3 have been general success. And now, even though I agree this 5 doesn't really justify its price tag, it is still pushing other phones to be waterproof (which is the trend I would really like to continue)

      What I would like to see:

      - huge battery; I am talking about 4000mAh+
      - sd card slot
      - good build quality; Plastic can be used, but it has to be well made
      - software support

      optional:

      - removable battery would be nice, but I can leave without this
      - waterproof

      what I am willing to sacrifice:

      - Screen resolutions over 1080p (which seems to be the trend now); for smaller screens probably even 720p is enough. In fact if it can increase my battery life I would preffer it
      - thinness; to manufacturers - don't be afraid to make beefier phone if you are going to cram a bigger battery inside
      - Super-mega-ultra! camera with 123142 jigga pixels; just decent camera is enough, I will make better pictures anyway with 100$ camera without crappy phone optics
      - fancy sensors for pulse, blood pressure, movement or measuring size and frequency of my farts. It really will not be the "killer feature" that makes me buy
      - latest and greatest CPU that squeezes the last drop of performance in benchmark tests...which I don't really need in everyday use. Don't get me wrong, I would like snappy phone as much as the next guy, but not for the downside of battery usage and extra premium price
      - fancy speakers; If I am in quietness of my home I will hear it with crappy ones also; And people who use it in public should be shot anyway

      I agree with you with Apple, they are assholes, but they make good hardware. New one from HTC is really, really good. Sony is back in the game. LG has some nice phones. Motorola is also really nice (Razr MAXX is serving me nicely), but we shall see how they continue under new management;

      Samsung lives on reputation, but not for long. If they continue this trend with sub-par premium offers, they will have to persuade customers in some other way to buy their phones (hint: Tizen).

      You may end up liking them

    10. Re:I quit buying Samsung by NoImNotNineVolt · · Score: 1

      My Galaxy S2 is still not able to run CyanogenMod. Eventually I discovered a "Calkulin's mod" that didn't do much more than unlock tethering. Woohoo.

      --
      Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
    11. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 1

      Apple has much better control of the manufactured hardware since they are making it; so it is pretty easy for them to support with newer versions of the OS; hardware is good but it comes with "apple tax"

      What I believe is that it comes down to if you are willing to dive in the Apple ecosystem with all its advantages and disadvantages.

      Which is up to you. I just know that I don't want to.

    12. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which S2? It works just find on the Skyrocket (LTE model) from Rogers/ATT.

    13. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know a phone maker that will test and release several major number OS updates over the life of the phone, and will continue to publish updates for at least a year after they stop selling it. Said updates are available for user initiated over the air update or user initiated PC-teathered update. On all devices. On the day of OS release.

      This phone maker is Apple.

    14. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Absolutely agree. Samsung's software support is horrible. Had a Galaxy S4 that could not figure out my Bluetooth for voice input and contained numerous other functions that did not work but I tolerated it. Then Kit Krap (4.4.2) came out and turned the phone into a complete piece of junk. Months later Google had released two new versions of their software to deal with the bugs and Samsung was still pushing 4.4.2 to their overseas phones and had no release date for updates. They did this even with the numerous numerous numerous complaints on the web. They are so busy building the latest thing that they do not have time to support their current products, even ones that are less than a year old. This is why I did not buy a Samsung TV.

        I don't really care who makes the phone but it needs to work and have my essential apps. I do not chase the latest thing.

      P.S. While not a huge fan of Microsoft, Google pissed me off with Kit Krap. I switched to a Nokia phone with Windows and was easily (5 mins and no rooting) able to unhook the updates from the manufacture and phone company and the phone now runs the latest version of Microsoft software and receives updates as soon as they roll out from Microsoft. Also, the phone figured out my Bluetooth without input from me (besides linking) and surprised me when it told me out of the blue that I had a text and asked if it should read it through my Bluetooth system in my car. This was a function I had in the phones I owned before the Samsung S4 (Motorola and HTC).

    15. Re:I quit buying Samsung by NoImNotNineVolt · · Score: 1

      Sprint's CDMA "Epic 4G Touch" S2. This is no fault of Samsung's; it seems like Sprint phones of any make are forgotten even before they go on sale.

      --
      Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
    16. Re:I quit buying Samsung by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

      I've moved to Mac on the PC side - but I really don't care for iOS so I'm using Android for my mobile devices.

      And honestly having a Mac presents its own issues - but you are right, for what I've mentioned they are pretty good. Just wish the quality of their software was higher or open. I put up with Linux warts because it is open. Apple on the other hand, it's just choosing a lesser set of issues.

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    17. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I love my Lumia, just got 8.1 and Cyan. Fantastic OS IMO. Fixed the things I didn't like in WP8.0

    18. Re:I quit buying Samsung by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      If you want a 4000mah battery, buy a tablet or wait for new battery technology.

    19. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't been bothered much by Samsung's lack of ongoing support. Not because Samsung has made it easy, but since they have such a large market-share, a large community of modders have done excellent work porting the latest Android releases to the older Samsung phones.

      But I am frustrated recently by heatsinking issues that affect performance. I also am increasingly bothered by what would seem a trivial complaint: The side buttons and capacitive Back and Menu buttons on the bottom-front conspire to create a lot of restrictions on how to hold the phone. That's a problem when I hand the phone to anyone else, especially iphone users.

    20. Re:I quit buying Samsung by steveg · · Score: 1

      Personally, I've never understood all the rancor directed at Motorola (or anyone else) because they didn't roll out the latest version of Android immediately. My OG Droid got updated (eventually) past its hardware's ability to handle it, as did my Bionic. Some of the early Droid updates really did address some serious problems, but most of the updates were more along the lines of "Ooh, shiny!" and weren't substantively better. I was very sorry to get ICS on my Bionic -- it became painfully slow, almost unusable. Gingerbread worked very nicely.

      My daily ritual for the last 6 or 7 months has been to deny Motorola's request to upgrade my Droid Maxx to KitKat. The Maxx under Jelly Bean has been by far the best phone I've ever owned. All reports about KitKat indicate that it is a step down. Less battery life, removal of features like OTG USB mounts, a less useful interface, etc.

      Motorola has been pretty quick to get those updates out, and I wish they hadn't.

      --
      Ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.
    21. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 1

      Razr MAXX had 3300mah with case holding 4.3'''screen; most of the premium phones today have 5''+ displays with much bigger cases

      There is space, but for some reason they don't want to make beefier phone

    22. Re:I quit buying Samsung by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      But 5"+ is a tablet

    23. Re:I quit buying Samsung by balaband · · Score: 1

      galaxy s5, htc one M8, LG G3 ?

    24. Re:I quit buying Samsung by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      Motorola didn't take "too long" to roll out the "latest version of Android" for the Photon and Atrix2... Motorola promised POINT BLANK circa October 2011 that the Photon and Atrix2 would both get ICS eventually. Then ~8 months later, said, "Ok, we lied. But we'll give you $50 off the purchase of another Motorola phone."

      I, for one, can't WAIT for the class-action lawsuit. Motorola's decision to cancel ICS for the Photon sucked, but the way they recklessly locked the bootloader to try and make sure nobody ELSE could do it EITHER was despicable.

    25. Re:I quit buying Samsung by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      My point exactly. All more tablet than phone.

    26. Re:I quit buying Samsung by steveg · · Score: 1

      I think they did you a favor. My point is that ICS on hardware that can't support it is pretty unpleasant to live with. I really wish they had *not* decided to upgrade the Bionic to ICS. Evidently they considered the Bionic to be powerful enough to justify the upgrade.

      They were wrong.

      I agree about locking the bootloader -- at one point they promised "no more locked bootloaders." I think their arguments later were in the category of, "Oh no, *we* didn't lock the bootloader, it was the carrier."

      --
      Ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.
  12. So, Samsung has decided to make the switch. by NemoinSpace · · Score: 1

    From being a manufacturer of throw away drug dealer phones to a manufacturer of phones that drug dealers want to steal. Still, they are going to have a hard time competing against the upcoming Windows 12 units with dual core I7's, especially if they throw in the cooling tower/battery backpack.
    Go ahead and mod this as a troll if you want. Anyone who writes an article portraying Samsung or Apple as relevant tech companies is just asking for it anyway.
    Linux phones still have a chance to make the best contribution to convergence, but they will just piss it away like they did in every other area under the guise of freedom. That leaves us with some indian guy at Microsoft force feeding you the next generation of shit that even Intel doesn't want to make anymore

    1. Re:So, Samsung has decided to make the switch. by NemoinSpace · · Score: 1

      Dammit i meant dual pocessor i7's. Actually, I'm not sure what I meant, except to portray the fact that I'm pretty disgusted by living in a world where fuckheads still make a big deal out of some cheap stunt Edison pulled off 100 years ago. Retards.

  13. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1

    It looks more like the HTC One. In fact its almost identical, especially with the metal case.

    --
    Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
  14. "Sophisticated" look by nine-times · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Samsung says a metal frame and curved corners give the Galaxy Alpha a "sophisticated" look. The South Korean company describes the Galaxy Alpha as representing a "new design approach".

    I like how the "new design approach" and "sophisticated look" boil down to "making it look more like an iPhone 4."

    1. Re:"Sophisticated" look by LordLucless · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's a mobile. It's basically a rectangular screeen. There's not really much space for design innovation.

      Besides, since when have mobiles not had rounded corners?

      --
      Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
    2. Re:"Sophisticated" look by Selur · · Score: 1

      to me all smart-phones basically look the same :)

    3. Re:"Sophisticated" look by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.dailytech.com/Samsung+Apples+iPhone+Started+as+Sony+Ripoff/article25277.htm

    4. Re:"Sophisticated" look by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

      It's a mobile. It's basically a rectangular screeen. There's not really much space for design innovation.

      In Raymond Loewy's biography, he mentioned being hired by a company whose design was ripped off (in their opinion), and the copycat claimed exactly what you said. So a week later he appeared in court as a witness, with three totally different designs that looked nothing at all like the design that was claimed to be impossible to change.

    5. Re:"Sophisticated" look by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Besides, since when have mobiles not had rounded corners?

      Even the Razr was too blunt (i.e. rounded) to cut stuff.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re:"Sophisticated" look by Sockatume · · Score: 1

      iPhone in front, Pleather in the back. This is the mullet of cellphones.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    7. Re:"Sophisticated" look by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >>"It's basically a rectangular screeen. There's not really much space for design innovation"

      Unless it's a Blackberry Passport with a (gasp) SQUARE screen. Oh My.

    8. Re:"Sophisticated" look by Solandri · · Score: 1

      I like how the "new design approach" and "sophisticated look" boil down to "making it look more like an iPhone 4."

      And the leaked iPhone 6 pics look like the HTC One.

      Can we get off the "Company X is copying company Y" fanboy bandwagon? There are only so many ways you can design a housing for a flat rectangular screen which needs to fit comfortably in your pocket. The "metal band around the edges" look for example originates not with Apple, but with the early Sony Clies (though it was a plastic band made to look like it was metal).

      The problem isn't companies copying. The problem is fanboys trying to claim their favorite company "owns" simple design elements like rounded corners, metal bands, and lines. You don't see car racing enthusiasts trying to claim a certain manufacturer or driver owns the concept of racing stripes painted on a car.

    9. Re:"Sophisticated" look by nine-times · · Score: 1

      A) You're saying the iPhone 6 looks like the HTC one, from the back, if you ignore all the details and focus purely on the rough shape of the device, which is roughly the same as the iPhone 4.
      B) Apple didn't just put out those pictures touting their "new design approach" and "sophisticated look".
      C) I don't have a problem with companies copying each other. I think it's generally a good strategy to copy the best thing out there, and then improve on it. It's just kind of silly to copy and then brag about how your copied product is revolutionary.
      D) The Sony Clies didn't have as strong a similarity, so you're not getting any points there.
      E) People who complain about fanboys are usually just fanboys for the competitor.

    10. Re: "Sophisticated" look by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ford clearly owns racing stripes.

  15. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by Krojack · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know you're just trying to be funny and with the size part you are. I got a Note 2 and sometimes feel that way however I still love the phone. As for the alerts, App Drawer > Emergency Alerts > Menu > Settings > Alert types. You can turn off all alerts except for these so called Presidential alerts. I don't want people thinking it really can't be turned off.

    Also I think some devices it's under Settings > Sounds > Emergency tone. You can only set it to vibrate, sound or silent.

  16. The Galaxy Alpha? Excellent! by Minwee · · Score: 3, Funny

    I am very happy to hear that Samsung is releasing a new phone that can run Windows NT, OpenVMS and Digital UNIX equally well.

  17. Who cares? by rebelwarlock · · Score: 2

    "We made our phone look a little different" isn't news for nerds, or anyone, really.

    1. Re:Who cares? by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 1

      Actually, the actual news is, "we made our phone not look at all different...from other phones".

      Seriously, Samsung needs to stop spending so much on advertising and buy a design team. Sony and HTC have their own (very nice) looks, I think. I'm an iPhone user, and this new Samsung looks like a bigger version of my iPhone 4.

    2. Re:Who cares? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      soft textured plastic. Like the dashboard of a mass produced car.

      Why don't they make phones out of the same material as phone cases?!?!

  18. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    But does it come with the buckets of SUCK that HTC piles into the OS? HTC Sense and blinkfeed utterly ruin the Android experience.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  19. Re:Another nail in Apple's coffin. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, OK, but by your logic all of the car manufacturers should sue each other because their compact cars look almost alike. In fact, heck - most refrigerators look alike too. Let's sue over those. They are all retarded copies!

  20. Stuff that matters? by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

    I suppose this qualifies as News for Nerds, but really, don't we have better things to talk about than the "premium feel" of a gadget? I don't see much in the way of fun so far in the comments, and it's not like this latest bit of shiny is going to have any significant impact on anyone beyond Samsung's shareholders.

    TFA seems more like a Slashvertisement than a news piece to me.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  21. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by gunner_von_diamond · · Score: 1

    It will also still include the ever popular 130 decibel klaxon for informing you of Amber alerts at 5 AM on a saturday.

    There's nothing worse than the 130 decibel Amber alerts or "severe weather" alerts during a quiet meeting, and everyone's phone goes off at different times letting everyone know it's raining!

  22. Tail Fins by Sloppy · · Score: 1

    What's the obsession with...[computer enclosure flavor of the month]?

    There was a cartoon in some [Amiga-oriented, I think?] magazine about a quarter century ago. It was a guy showing off a computer in an unusual case, saying "We figured out what users want isn't more power or increased applications, but rather, really cool tail fins."

    --
    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    1. Re:Tail Fins by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      Are you sure that wasn't a recent case-modder magazine?

  23. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1

    My point was on the external phone designs themselves. As for the blinkfeed and Sense software, luckily, you can disable it.

    --
    Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
  24. Unlike copyrights, patents expire by tepples · · Score: 1

    by your logic all of the car manufacturers should sue each other because their compact cars look almost alike.

    There's a difference: Unlike copyrights, patents on industrial designs expire. What elements in common among different makes of small family car aren't at least 15 years old?

    1. Re:Unlike copyrights, patents expire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      by your logic all of the car manufacturers should sue each other because their compact cars look almost alike.

      There's a difference: Unlike copyrights, patents on industrial designs expire. What elements in common among different makes of small family car aren't at least 15 years old?

      How about those stupid fucking fake plastic side vents? Also, for your absurd observation to be relevant there would need to have been patents on some of those elements 15 years ago, but there weren't... Car companies, for as archaic and monolithic as they are, are nimble and innovative compared to the assholes at Apple trying to cling to the one successful design of theirs (the look of the original iPhone) for as long as they can keep making money off it by throwing the word "reinvented" at their hordes of idiot customers again and again.

      And to make sure you know you're completely wrong, the difference between copyrights and patents is not how they are obtained (both are too easy) or how fast they expire (both can be dragged on for way too long) but how vigorously they need to be defended (let copyright violations slide and you lose the copyright, there is no such caveat with patents).

    2. Re:Unlike copyrights, patents expire by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      uhm, let copyright violations slide, and you've got up to 120 years to accumulate damages before you file your lawsuit.

  25. Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by tepples · · Score: 1

    The rule is simple: "cue" if there's one, "queue" if there are more than one. But to tell the difference, I first need to know which electronics makers other than Apple have sued Samsung over chassis design patents.

    1. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by tysonedwards · · Score: 1

      cue = signal.
      queue = line.

      --
      Thirty four characters live here.
    2. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The rule is simple: "cue" if there's one, "queue" if there are more than one.

      That rule may be simple, but it's also incorrect.

    3. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Let me explain my logic further: If there is one, a signal is enough. If there are more than one, they need a line.

    4. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by tysonedwards · · Score: 1

      One signal can spawn a queue to form, and a queue need not contain multiple parties, simply a party queueing.

      Example 1: A cop beats up an unarmed black man on a street corner in Harlem mid-day because he "looked at him wrong", one act leads to a larger action from multiple parties. (Signal -> Queue of Multiple Parties)
      Example 2: Said cop comes back to the station, gets a warning and is told "don't do it again or you'll be suspended." (A queue of a single element relying on a conditional signal.)

      --
      Thirty four characters live here.
    5. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by nedlohs · · Score: 1

      My pool cue resents being called a signal.

    6. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by O-Deka-K · · Score: 2

      ITT: QQ on cue/queue

    7. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The rule is simple: "cue" if there's one, "queue" if there are more than one.

      That isn't a rule, in fact it isn't even correct. The plural of "cue" is "cues" and in this instance "cue" is referring to it's definition as a "hint" of which you can have multiple. Your association with a word that is pronounced the same but spelled differently just shows you don't understand the meaning of one or the other.

      And in reference to your follow up post:
      "Let me explain my logic further: If there is one, a signal is enough. If there are more than one, they need a line." #47663019

      No that is clearly wrong, things can happen in parallel, you do not need a line moreover you can have many signals and not process them all. But that is neither here nor there since the use of "cue" in this instance is not referring to "signal" and even if it were then multiple "design signals" do not "need a line", in fact that concept itself doesn't even make any sense.

    8. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me explain my logic further: If there is one, a signal is enough. If there are more than one, they need a line.

      If there is one what?

    9. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by tepples · · Score: 1

      A pool cue is an instrument that conducts the signal to move a cue ball.

    10. Re:Cue or queue: What other design patent holders? by nedlohs · · Score: 2

      Sure if you want to view it that way. It isn't why it is called a cue though.

      In fact, it's the exact opposite. The name comes from the word "queue" - French for tail. Since it derived from people using the tail end of a mallet to hit the ball instead of the head (think croquet).

  26. RoundRects for everyone! by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 1

    For those that jibe at the Steve Jobs design aesthetic, so we have a non-Apple company shouting "look at us, we have a metal slab that's a RoundRect too!" Not sure if this makes it more or less silly.

    Hmm, a MetalBody RoundRect with 4.7" screen - released right before the iPhone 6 release party.... What are the odds?

    (RoundRect was what the Rounded-corner Rectangle was called in old Apple developer docs, either when drawing a button, or using that shape directly in QuickDraw).

    1. Re:RoundRects for everyone! by Minwee · · Score: 1

      (RoundRect was what the Rounded-corner Rectangle was called in old Apple developer docs, either when drawing a button, or using that shape directly in QuickDraw).

      At the time, it wasn't easy drawing rounded corners.

      Steve [Jobs] suddenly got more intense. "Rectangles with rounded corners are everywhere! Just look around this room!". And sure enough, there were lots of them, like the whiteboard and some of the desks and tables. Then he pointed out the window. "And look outside, there's even more, practically everywhere you look!". He even persuaded Bill [Atkinson] to take a quick walk around the block with him, pointing out every rectangle with rounded corners that he could find.

      When Steve and Bill passed a no-parking sign with rounded corners, it did the trick. "OK, I give up", Bill pleaded. "I'll see if it's as hard as I thought." He went back home to work on it.

      Fast-forward to the next century where rectangles with rounded corners are still everywhere, but only Steve's company is allowed to use them.

    2. Re:RoundRects for everyone! by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

      Note that the Quickdraw "RoundRect" function wouldn't be able to draw the shape of a current Samsung Galaxy phones. The corners are rounded, but they are not circular and RoundRect does only circular corners. You need Quartz and Bezier splines to handle them.

      And as you see by the Galaxy phones, Samsung was absolutely allowed to create phones with a shape that is a rectangle with rounded corners. Samsung even has a design patent for rectangles with rounded corners!

  27. Large homes by tepples · · Score: 1, Insightful

    A home that appears "needlessly large" to some may in fact be "needfully large" to the occupants. For example, they may have more kids or regular house guests than you're aware of, or they may have rooms dedicated to a home office or studio.

    1. Re:Large homes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A home that appears "needlessly large" to some may in fact be "needfully large" to the occupants. For example, they may have more kids or regular house guests than you're aware of, or they may have rooms dedicated to a home office or studio.

      Yup, some people cannot understand that others have different personal space requirements and use their home for more than just a place to sleep.

    2. Re:Large homes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Meaningless when you can fit all of that easily in less than 400square feet easily.
      Yes, tried and tested. 9 people easily, including one that was on night-shift.

      And that was only across 4 rooms. (including bathroom)
      Soon that whole flat will be updated with a new layout that will be even better for that purpose. (it is a holiday apartment for the family)

    3. Re:Large homes by stu72 · · Score: 1

      Of course this is true.

      However there is significant strain of, "more is better" in much of North America, and it leads people to mistake wants with needs. People have lived perfectly happy lives and raised great kids in far less space than many suburban North Americans believe is a bare minimum. It doesn't mean you have to accept this for yourself, just be aware that when your local politician/developer/journalist starts talking about "needs" they might really be talking about "wants"

    4. Re:Large homes by tepples · · Score: 1

      Any good links to resources about how to pull that off?

  28. Real super by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    2 Gig
    Same processor, maybe small speed bump
    4.7 Super amoled, scarcely larger than my 3 year old phone
    Concern about superficialities like plastic vs. metal case

    May be time to move on from Samsung.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    1. Re:Real super by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Move on to.... more of the same from another company?

  29. Re:Another nail in Apple's coffin. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its essentially just a retarded looking iPhone copy.

    Which is essentially just an LG Prada phone copy which is essentially just a reworking of the Bang and Olufsen's electronics designs which is in the end influenced by 1950s and 1960's architecture (Bauhaus etc. I guess) which is derived from earlier modernist art which is it's self anticipated by hundreds of years old chinese art.

    To be a "copy" in any resonable sense, something has to be much closer than any Samsung phone has ever been. To be "original" you need more than metal and rounded corners.

  30. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by slimshady76 · · Score: 1

    It will surely come with Samsung's proprietary buckets of SUCK, namely TouchWiz. They need multi-core processors because TW likes to rest its fat ass on top of two or three of them at one time doing nothing but spending precious clock cycles and thus your battery.

  31. 4 and 8 cores? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not trying to be rude, but do people really need smartphones with 8 cores? Who is this smartphone for? Can existing applications use 4 or 8 cores? Are people trying to render 3D graphics using Maya or Luxrender? Does the phone have Intel multithreading? (just kidding)

    But really, who would buy this smartphone? Just asking. In case you are wondering, I have an old Boost Mobile candy-bar phone that works just fine.

    1. Re:4 and 8 cores? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not trying to be rude, but do people really need smartphones with 8 cores? Who is this smartphone for? Can existing applications use 4 or 8 cores?

      If you look at the specs of the competition, for some reason Android phones don't get the same performance out of higher specs as their competitors. Android phones have to have these specs because they are less efficient for some reason. That and they still lag and are not as smooth (unless stock is different) as their competitors with less hardware specs. So don't base your phone choice on hardware specs.

    2. Re:4 and 8 cores? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      The 8 core CPU only has 4 active at any one time.
      It's an ARM big.LITTLE, with 4 low power A7's and 4 high power A15's.

  32. Plastic Metal by MaWeiTao · · Score: 1

    I don't get the obsessive appeal of phones with metal shells. Every iPhone I've ever seen that's led a life case-free really shows it's age, with all kinds of scuffs and obvious wear. The wear on plastic phones is far less apparent because the scratches don't show nearly as much.

    I suppose excessive wear plus for the device maker as a motivator to get consumers to upgrade on a regular basis. It certainly helps that your average stupid consumer equates cold metal with luxury.

  33. There was a day... by HotNeedleOfInquiry · · Score: 1

    When geeks knew why 1 megabyte didn't exactly equal 1,000,000 and weren't interested in fashion accessories. I miss the olden times...

    --
    "Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
    1. Re:There was a day... by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      If you ask a storage manufacturer, 1 megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes.
      It means they get to cheat you out of 92GiB when you buy a 1TB hard drive.

  34. Copyright != trademark by tepples · · Score: 1

    let copyright violations slide and you lose the copyright, there is no such caveat with patents

    You must be confusing copyright with the "genericide" that affects trademarks. As far as I can tell, the case law relating to equitable defenses such as laches is fairly similar between copyright and patent and not nearly as easy to prove as with a trademark. But if laches is really easier to prove for a copyright than for a patent, I'm willing to learn. Which cases should I study first to contrast the approaches used by federal courts in copyright cases from those used in patent cases?

  35. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by mspohr · · Score: 2

    If you're not totally clueless, you can turn these off. My phone even offers an easy way to turn them off with every alert.
    Severe weather is not "rain". Severe weather is something like this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?... where you might want to have an alert if you value your life.

    --
    I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
  36. Rounded Corners, Metal! I am Apple, Will Sue by dontgetshocked · · Score: 0

    Oh No, Rounded corners, Metal, We will sue you into oblivion.

  37. Re: Another nail in Apple's coffin. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    by "nail" you mean "leaf", "in" should be read as "out of" and with "coffib" you're meaning "book", right ?

    nobody's buying an iphone because it got metal edges and round edges - and nobody is going to buy a samsung because they arbitrarily copy features of apple phones.

    sure, it worked for them before - now that they'vretried their own designs and failed miserably, they obviously want to go back to former copycat-glory. but the market has changed, now they are cornered from both sides (on the upper end from apple, htc,...) and on the lower end from motorola or xiomi - the usual samsung strategy will probably be to cut their losses, scale back the phone business and offer low- and mid-end phones over the long run.

  38. A Few Questions for You by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We made our phone look a little different" isn't news for nerds, or anyone, really.

    Then why was the story posted here?
    If noboby cares, why are there more than 100 comments on the story in less than 3 hours?
    And most importantly, why is one of those comments yours?

  39. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    no you cant. HTC ONE M8, no way to make it a stock android phone short of unlocking the bootloader, hack to set S-OFF and then install GPE rom or Cyanogenmod Dailies.

    something that is WAY out of reach for 90% of android users.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  40. Who cares? by eyegone · · Score: 1

    Until they start making phones that can survive in the real world without a case, a phone's material is pretty much irrelevant, since it's always hidden.

    --
    "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
  41. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by Dishevel · · Score: 1
    I got a severe weather alert once in Orange County Ca. It was hot.

    Turned off all that shit.

    --
    Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
  42. Alpha? by L4m3rthanyou · · Score: 1

    They should have called it the "Galaxy Fruit", as a simultaneous jab at Apple and the dimwits who'd refused to buy a previous Samsung phone because it was "too plastic".

    --
    One of these days, I'm going to cut you into little pieces.
  43. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    The HTC One M7 (not sure about others) could be easily rooted using the tools freely provided by HTC...

  44. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    The HTC One M7 (not sure about others) could be easily rooted using tools freely provided by HTC...

  45. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1

    Turning HTC BlinkFeed on or off:

    http://www.htc.com/us/support/...

    --
    Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
  46. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My phone even offers an easy way to turn them off with every alert.

    You must be very lucky, because I've never seen a phone that lets you turn of presidential alerts.

  47. Metal...no thanks by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    Ignoring the scratch-magnet that the iPhone is (yes, I have one. yes, I hate it compared to the previous glass version), plastic is the way to go. Make it a durable plastic, give it a good tactile feel, make it cheap to replace. Please don't give me a unibody phone that requires an hour, full disassembly, and a $150 part if I should accidentally scratch or dent it. Of the reasons I ditched the iPhone, this was near the top of the list.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  48. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    still does not turn it off 100% the HTC raping of Android is all still there.
    Lumpy is right, you have to flash the rom.

  49. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    You can turn off all alerts except for these so called Presidential alerts.

    This is what I've done. Not because I don't like the idea, in theory. But I was getting "emergency" alerts for an approaching thunderstorm. Guess what? It's summer. Thunderstorms are normal, not an emergency.

    The trouble with the system, as deployed, is there's a monopoly on discrimination. And the retards placed in charge of that monopoly have ruined its potential and left me without a competitive choice in intellect. The only two options are "on" and "off", and "on" was removed from consideration.

    Let this be a learning opportunity for the next kid who wants to design a safety system.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  50. Updates. by drolli · · Score: 1

    Instead of working on their design they should work on gettign updates out quickly, easily, and not ship the phone loaded with crapware.

  51. Still using a 32 bit processor? How 80's... by seoras · · Score: 1

    Still no 64bit ARM processor?
    Perhaps the metal casing is a new feature allowing you to throw it at the nearest wall in frustration. ;)

  52. Re:Another nail in Apple's coffin. by hemebond · · Score: 1

    I wish my Samsung Galaxy S5 was a copy of an iPhone 5. Never again, Samsung, never again.

  53. Who cares? by tauntalum · · Score: 1

    Let me know when it is available to buy with stock android from Google. I don't care about the glittery bits.

  54. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes they have a metal band around the edge, so what? It's a different size, different aspect ratio, different location of sensors, different shape of button, SAMSUNG branding on the front and that's before you even look at the sides or the back. Honestly with an almost all-screen product design what else are you going to do aside from start making silly and un-ergonomic design choices? Are you going to crow about how Apple is copying others when they release their 4.7" iPhone?

    You certainly wouldnt confuse it for an Apple iPhone any more than you would confuse an Apple iPhone for an LG Prada. The problem is that some people have such an Apple-centric view of the world that everything looks like an iPhone, you can write SAMSUNG on the front in capital bold letters and these Apple-centric people will still tell you it looks like an iPhone.

  55. Three Stars indeed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Samsung" is Korean for "Three Stars"
    Their self-assessment is spot on.

  56. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My phone even offers an easy way to turn them off with every alert.

    You must be very lucky, because I've never seen a phone that lets you turn of presidential alerts.

    OK, what the hell is a presidential alert? That's hilarious.

  57. Re:Hey, that looks like a ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Weird. To me it looks exactly like the Galaxy S2

  58. Parallelism in court by tepples · · Score: 0

    The plural of "cue" is "cues"

    As a noun, this is correct. But these are used as verbs. In English, present indicative verbs morphologically agree with their subjects in number. But here we have a non-agreeing mood (imperative) and apparent agreement with an object, which indicates that the question is more one of semantics than of grammar. (My use of the word "plural" was hyperbole of a sort.) If you cue several things, they'll all happen at once, and parallelism in some situations causes disorder. But if you queue them, they will happen in order. Thus saying "queue the..." insinuates that several subjects will be lining up to verb a particular object. For example, the clerk of a court needs to handle lawsuits filed by several design patent holders one at a time. The court may end up combining the cases for parallelism later, but they are still filed one at a time.

    1. Re:Parallelism in court by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But these are used as verbs.

      Nope, they aren't, the use of "cue" in the form of a "design cue" is not a verb, it is a noun which is why you are wrong.

      Thus saying "queue the..." insinuates that several subjects will be lining up to verb a particular object.

      The fact that you cannot finish the sentence "queue the..." should give you all the information you need to understand why you are wrong. Queue the what? Use it in this context.

    2. Re:Parallelism in court by tepples · · Score: 1

      Queue the what? Use it in this context.

      Queue the patent infringement lawsuit filings from design patent holders.

  59. Motorola by phorm · · Score: 1

    I would guess this has improved since Google acquired them (but didn't Lenovo buy them subsequently). I had one of the early Droid phones. Motorola was the absolute *worst* company for supplying updates. It's actually one of the reasons I moved to Samsung.

  60. Putting this into perspective... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, my Galaxy SIII already has rounded corners. So the issue here is that future models will have a different type of roundness, a curvature more like that of an iPhone? Really?? So sad. What kind of person gives a shit about such things?

    Another reason why Slashdot does not allow users to delete accounts.

  61. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by eanbowman · · Score: 1

    I get thunderstorm alerts but since I never leave the ringtone on, I never hear anything. Just a quick vibration and a notification in the notification area.

    Do you... leave your ringtone on while you sleep?

    I'm too used to getting texts from friends at 3AM, or FB notifications or something. Silent pretty much all the time unless I need to be doing something where I won't notice the vibration.

    By leaving the ringtone on, you're pretty much telling your phone, "Yes make a loud noise. I don't care if I'm sleeping."

  62. Samsung Announces Galaxy Alpha Featuring Metal Fra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thanks for sharing this news with us.

  63. Re:Samsung Announces Galaxy Alpha Featuring Metal by ervindiesel1 · · Score: 1

    I like this post. keep posting like this.

  64. I don't get the gist of this re-design by terrywirth5 · · Score: 1

    My Note 3 has a beautiful metal wrap-around frame and the rear cover can be replaced with just about anything including one with wireless Qi charging capability. Plus, you can change the dad-burned battery already! Quit your whining because Samsung is not Apple, who IMO is way overrated. Samsung should ignore the idiotic pressure to make their phones more like the iPhone and let it rip.

  65. Re:still the same galaxy. dont worry. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Awesome!
    https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQF0pHHKFPEtCR0SbbT7TuWuO15ouGtMMIyt2VasgUHSlV3dQ_aAw