A white version of the upcoming Galaxy Alpha smartphone has been photographed online, ahead of an official announcement from Samsung. The handset, which is expected to be the company's first Galaxy device to be made from metal rather than entirely from plastic, had already leaked out in black, but now we've got our first glimpse at a potential white model ahead of launch.

The images, which were posted to Chinese blogging site Sina Weibo , appear to show the unannounced handset from all angles, revealing the metal frame as well as a design inspired by the Galaxy S5 flagship. A metal frame seems to hold two pieces of polycarbonate plastic together, suggesting the handset won't be entirely made from metal, but will retain plenty of design elements from older, plastic Galaxy phones. The solitary image of the phone powered on appears to show Android 4.4 KitKat (as evidenced by the transparent notification bar at the top of the screen) and Samsung's Touchwiz custom user interface in place of the stock Android launcher.

So far little is known about what will power the Galaxy Alpha, or indeed if that is the name Samsung will launch the handset with. The latest rumours suggest it will be a fairly mid-range device inside, but still powerful enough to challenge Apple's iPhone 6 when it arrives later this year. The display is expected to be a 4.8in model, with a meagre 720p resolution, but we aren't sure what processor, storage or camera hardware will make an appearance. Whatever it arrives as, a metal Galaxy will almost certainly give Samsung a welcome boost against competition like Apple's iPhone and the all-metal HTC One (m8), which have used premium materials for some time.

The Galaxy Alpha was originally rumoured to be officially unveilled by Samsung on the 4th of August, but seeing as we've yet to hear anything official this morning we would be surprised if the company made any announcement this afternoon. Instead, we're still holding out for a reveal at IFA in Berlin next month, unless we hear otherwise.