Samsung could finally be prepping a metal smartphone for launch next month. South Korean site ETnews is reporting that Samsung has a metal smartphone dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Alpha that could be coming soon. While specs and details of the phone aren’t known, the Galaxy Alpha will reportedly be a premium offering that will stray from Samsung’s typical plastic design and instead feature a metal outfit.

We suggest taking this with a grain of salt, as rumors of a metal Samsung phone have been around for years and we never end up seeing such a device materialize. The time frame also doesn’t line up with Samsung, which usually launches a flagship in spring and in fall. If Samsung did launch the phone, it would likely be a niche device — like the Galaxy Round — that would only be sold in certain markets like South Korea.

If it does become reality, will you be interested in a metal Samsung smartphone?

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I’ve been a happy Pebble user for over a year. I wore it everywhere. If by some crazy mistake I forgot to bring it with me on an outing, I felt naked. I’m quick to admit that I’m a huge nerd, but I really enjoyed the functionality that the Pebble gave me to always be connected. No matter where my phone was; in my pocket, on the charger, on the car mount, or under the couch cushion, I could be notified of emails, texts, and phone calls. I think Pebble did a few things really well by keeping it simple. I’m not sure Android Wear is keeping it simple, but it offers so much more.

I’ve had my hands on the LG G Watch for almost a week now. Here are my first impressions of Android Wear via the LG G Watch:

What I love:

• I can talk to my watch. This is a miracle feature when driving and while my phone is charging. It’s a little uncomfortable to use in other places, however, like the office or the grocery store.
• I love having a color touchscreen display. The e-paper display on the Pebble saves battery, but I’m over it. And the Pebble’s four hardware buttons feel like very dated equipment now.
• Dismissing notifications on the watch dismisses the notifications on the phone. Awesome.
• Also, you can see more of your emails or text messages than you were able to with Pebble, which is far more functional.
• Games. There aren’t many of them yet, but the potential to have some awesome games is there. Am I the only one enjoying Flopsy Droid?
• It’s running Android. Developers are already coming up with some awesome solutions to not so perfect operating software. I know Google will improve it. I know developers can make it awesome.

What I hope improves:

• Bringing the watch out of its non-listening dimmed state is not  as reactive as I would have hoped. I feel like I have to twist my wrist in an unnatural position to get the watch to wake up.
• On that note, Android Wear is a little too easy to activate by touch. I often find myself almost changing my watchface with my underarm when folding my arms during a conversation. I know an app has already been developed to combat this, Baby Time, but I’d enjoy a prettier, more mature solution. Baby Time is definitely on the right track, though.
• Voice recognition is nowhere near as good as on a phone. I feel like I have to yell at the watch and it correctly gets what I’m saying about 50% of the time. It makes me feel like I never want to use the voice commands in public.
• Not having a light sensor is a mistake. I think the LCD display could do better in the light than it does, but brightness needs to be adjusted manually and the brightness settings are buried in the menus. Fortunately, Mini Wear Launcher just got an update this morning with a quick brightness slider. I haven’t gotten the update yet, but color me stoked.
• Accessing apps is fairly ridiculous. You either need to launch it with voice controls, which may or may not work, or access them by once again going through a maze of menus. I just found Mini Wear Launcher a couple of nights ago and it’s a great solution so far.
• Watch faces! Where are the custom ones!? I WANT MOAR OPTIONS! The stock options are pretty lame. I’m sure our beloved themers out there will come up with some amazing stuff. Roman Nurik is already making a Muzei watch face that will be on the way as soon as Google releases a public API for custom watch faces. Hopefully other devs are following suit and working on some. I’m left asking, what are you waiting for Google?
• I wish I could adjust the timeout time. You have to act fast with Android Wear. Frustratingly, it also goes back to the clock home screen if it times out instead of picking up where you left off.

So, I’ve obviously listed quite a few things I’d like to see improved with Android Wear. I think a lot of them can probably be improved on this first generation Android Wear hardware. I’ve loved the simplicity and battery life of the Pebble, but I honestly can’t see myself going back to it. The possibilities of what can be done on Android Wear are so much greater. I’m excited to see the platform develop and grow.

Let us know your thoughts and questions regarding the Android Wear platform by commenting below. We’d love to hear from you and answer your questions!

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