For long Samsung has stuck with plastic as the go-to material for its smartphones and tablets but recently we have seen a shift in the company’s strategy. A couple of weeks back the Samsung Galaxy Alpha was unveiled which touts a metal frame. Rumor has it that Samsung is going to follow up the Alpha’s launch with three similar devices and one of them is claimed to be the SM-A500, a mid-range device fashioned purely out of metal.
If this is true then the Samsung SM-A500 would certainly feel more “premium” than the Galaxy Alpha which retains its plastic back cover. This new mid-range device is reportedly going to have an all metal build for which it is going to sacrifice the removable back cover.
SamMobile has posted purported specifications of the SM-A500. Apparently its going to have a 5-inch 1,280×730 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display with a quadcore Snapdragon 400 processor, 16GB onboard storage, 8 megapixel rear and 5 megapixel front camera as well as a 2,330mAh battery.
The heart rate sensor and fingerprint sensor found in Samsung’s flagship devices will reportedly skip the SM-A500, but apparently it will have a hybrid slot which can accommodate both a nano SIM card and a microSD card.
Bringing premium feel to mid-range Android smartphones might help Samsung counter the barrage of smartphones from rivals in this particular segment. The company hasn’t confirmed any details about this device so its official moniker, pricing or availability information is not public as of now.