The metal-framed Samsung Galaxy Alpha is one step closer to release. The smartphone has just passed through the FCC for certification ahead of its rumored Aug. 13 unveiling.

Samsung is in the midst of launching two new smartphones to counter Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 with the Galaxy Alpha and next-generation Galaxy Note 4 phablet. Apple is expected to hold a press event on Sept. 9 where it will unveil two iPhone 6 models. The two new smartphones are a departure from previous iPhones and both feature larger displays that will put them on a more even playing field with current Android rivals. One model will sport a 4.7-inch display and the other will be Apple's first phablet and boast a large 5.5-inch screen.

As Apple is moving into the phablet arena that Samsung created with its Galaxy Note phablets, Samsung is also taking a page out of Apple's current playbook by using premium metal parts with one of its upcoming smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha has already leaked multiple times and we've seen it pose alongside the Galaxy S5. Another leak provided a closer look at its design and its iPhone 5/5s-inspired design, complete with polished chamfered metal edges around the handset's frame.

Many reports claim Samsung will officially announce the Galaxy Alpha on Aug. 13 and as that date approaches, the smartphone has just passed through the FCC for certification. The documentation lists the Galaxy Alpha by its model number of SM-G850F and shows its dimensions to be 133 x 67 mm. The FCC certification also shows that the smartphone will ship with a 4G LTE radio, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE (low energy), NFC, and GPS.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha will feature a 4.8-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 320 pixels per inch (ppi). It will be powered by a Samsung Exynos octa-core processor with a Mali-T628 GPU (graphics processing unit), and 2GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Alpha's camera capabilities will include a 12-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. It will run Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box and have 32GB of internal storage. The smartphone will also feature a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button and built-in heart rate sensor like the Galaxy S5.

We'll be sure to keep you updated on any new Samsung Galaxy Alpha news as it becomes available.