New Galaxy Alpha Leaks Show iPhone-Inspired Design

The Samsung Galaxy line has been a smartphone stalwart for years. But unanticipated commercial and design criticism of its latest flagship, the Galaxy S5, has forced the company to go in a different creative direction-down a road that apparently leads straight to Cupertino, Calif.

New leaks from Weibo show off a purportedly reimagined Galaxy smartphone. If these leaks are accurate, Samsung has replaced the chrome-plastic ridges on the S5 with chamfered metal band that runs around the rim of the device. This rim also tapers on the edges most likely to comfortably fit your fingers and palm. The corners are still rounded but at a slightly sharper angle, more akin to current model iPhones than the S5, and Samsung also keeps its button front and center on the lower bezel but retains its familiar oval shape.

This radical revision isn't a complete surprise. Samsung replaced the head of its mobile division in May due, in part, to the S5's underwhelming performance, and just last week the company promised on an earnings call that there would an upcoming device using "new materials," according to The Wall Street Journal. I guess people weren't loving that plastic band-aid backing.

At first glance, this thing looks like a frankenstein monster stitched together from old iPhone 5 and Galaxy S5 parts, and thanks to another leak from a UK retailer, we may know a little bit about what will be power it. Unlike the S5, Samsung will reportedly be ditching Qualcomm for the Octa-core Exynos 5 processor, a 4.7-inch display (also similar to a rumored iPhone 6 size) delivering 320 pixels per inch, 32GB of storage, and a 12 mega-pixel camera. It's also rumored that the Alpha may have 6.7-inch phablet version as well, which would most likely skew some of these leaked specs-especially the screen. Let's hope through all this redesign, Samsung at least holds on to its removable battery.

These specs and designs are all tentative and are a pretty big leap from other Alpha leaks we've seen. Luckily, we won't have to wait long for the official release since Samsung will supposedly announced the device on Aug. 13. [Weibo via Sammobile]