Samsung Galaxy Alpha vs Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Price | $2,999 | $65 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 3/10 |
| Battery | 1,860 mAh | 2,100 mAh |
| RAM (max) | 2 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 4.7 in | 4.5 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 8 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 115 g | 120 g |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Jul 2014 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Alpha is ahead on our rating, screen size, main camera, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is ahead on battery, storage (max).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy Alpha is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.7 inches | 4.5 inches |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (region dependent) | — |
| Pixel Density | ~312 ppi | ~326 ppi |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| OS | Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), upgradable to 5.0.2 (Lollipop) | Android 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Chipset | Exynos 5 Octa 5430 (20 nm) - Global; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 - Regional | Exynos 3 Quad 3470 (SM-G800F, M, Y) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (SM-G800A, H, R4) |
| CPU | Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 & 4x1.3 GHz Cortex-A7) | Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A7 |
| GPU | Mali-T628 MP6 | Mali-400MP4 (Exynos) or Adreno 305 (Snapdragon) |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot, up to 64GB) |
| Internal | 32GB 2GB RAM | 16GB |
| RAM | — | 1.5GB |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Modules | 12 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard), AF | — |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Single | — | 8 MP, f/2.4, autofocus |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Modules | 2.1 MP | — |
| Video | 1080p | 1080p@30fps |
| Single | — | 2.1 MP, f/2.4 |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Type | Removable Li-Ion 1860 mAh | Removable Li-Ion 2100 mAh |
| Talk time | Up to 11 h (3G) | Up to 10 h (3G) |
| Music play | Up to 37 h | Up to 47 h |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Dimensions | 132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7 mm | 131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1 mm (5.16 x 2.55 x 0.36 in) |
| Weight | 115 g | 120 g (4.2 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, plastic back | — |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Micro-SIM |
| Protection | — | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE | 4.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market dependent) |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 |
| GPS | — | GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini |
|---|
| Announced | August 13, 2014 | May 2014 |
| Status | Released September 12, 2014 | — |
| Released | — | July 1, 2014 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Alpha or Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini?
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini — 1,860 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus 2,100 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Alpha or Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini?
Samsung Galaxy Alpha — 115 g for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus 120 g for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Alpha or Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini?
Samsung Galaxy Alpha — Sep 2014 for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus Jul 2014 for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Alpha or the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Alpha 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini 3/10.
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