Samsung has announced a new smartphone with a metal frame that is smaller and thinner than its flagship model.
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.
It blamed “slow global sales of smartphones”.
The company recently lost its status as China’s bestselling smartphone-maker to Xiaomi, a local rival, according to the research group Canalys.
‘Missed opportunity’ The new handset has a 4.7in (11.9cm) screen, making it slightly smaller than the Galaxy S5.
Its camera also has a lower specification of 12 megapixels, but it benefits from being nearly a fifth slimmer, measuring 6.7mm (0.26in) deep, and is also lighter, weighing in at 114g (4oz).
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