The Galaxy S5 Alpha may seem like a mid-range phone from Samsung at first glance, but it is in fact a compact power house that can easily hold its own against the likes of the Galaxy S5 and other heavy weights from LG and HTC.
In addition to its top-notch specs, the premium build quality of the Galaxy Alpha also gives it a key advantage over the Galaxy S5 — which has a very poor in-hand feel and looks very plastic-y.
However, the Galaxy S5 still has certain advantages over the Galaxy Alpha including a higher resolution camera and screen, an IP67 rating and better battery life, which tips the scale in its favor for many users.
So, how exactly does the Galaxy Alpha stack up against the Galaxy S5 in an on-paper specs comparison? Check out our comparison below to find out.
| Basis of Difference | Galaxy S5 | Galaxy S5 Alpha |
| Dimensions | 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm | 132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7mm |
| Weight | 145g | 115g |
| IP Rating | IP67 | – |
| Display | 5.1-inch Full HD (1080p) Super-AMOLED | 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz | Octa-core Exynos processor |
| 4 x Cortex-A15 cores @ 1.8GHz | ||
| 4 x Cortex-A7 cores @ 1.3GHz | ||
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Internal storage | 16GB storage | 32GB internal storage |
| microSD card slot | No microSD card slot | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer | Accelerometer |
| Digital Compass | Digital Compass | |
| Gyro | Gyro | |
| Proximity Sensor | Proximity Sensor | |
| Hall | Hall | |
| Ambient Light | Ambient Light | |
| Fingerprint | Fingerprint | |
| Heart Rate Sensor | Heart Rate Sensor | |
| Camera | Rear: | |
| 16MP ISO-CELL sensor | 12MP rear camera | |
| F/2.2 aperture, LED Flash | UHD Video recording | |
| 4K video recording @ 30FPS, 720p video recording @ 120FPS, 1080p video recording @ 60FPS | 4K video recording @ 30FPS, 720p video recording @ 120FPS, 1080p video recording @ 60FPS | |
| LED flash | LED flash | |
| Front: | ||
| 2.1MP Full HD | 2.1MP | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi g/n/ac | Wi-Fi g/n/ac |
| LTE Category 4 (Up to 150Mbps | LTE Category 6 (Up to 300Mbps) | |
| NFC | NFC | |
| Bluetooth 4.0 LE | Bluetooth 4.0 LE | |
| microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 | |
| GPS with A-GPS | GPS with A-GPS | |
| GLONASS | GLONASS | |
| Android Version | Android 4.4 KitKat | Android 4.4 KitKat |
| Software Features | Ultra Power Saving mode | Ultra Power Saving mode |
| S Health | S Health | |
| Private Mode | Private Mode | |
| Kids Mode | Kids Mode | |
| Battery | 2800mAh | 1860mAh |
