The next version of world’s most popular Android device could be set to make an appearance earlier than expected. According to a recent interview with the executive vice president of Samsung, the Korean giant’s next flagship phone could arrive as early as April of this year.
Galaxy S5 coming in April according to executive
The report first came from Bloomberg after Samsung’s executive vice president of mobile business, Lee Young Hee, gave an eye opening interview from the CES showroom floor. “We’ve been announcing our first flagship model in the first half of each year, around March and April, and we are still targeting for release around that time. When we release our S5 device, you can also expect a Gear successor with more advanced functions, and the bulky design will also be improved.”
Samsung is believed to show off the new Galaxy S5 either at or after the Mobile World Congress event at the end of February. The “Next Big Thing” is said to feature two very big updates. First of the S5 will see a complete redesign to distinguish itself from the Gs III and GS4. Samsung is also rumored to add an Iris scanning security feature to the next Galaxy phone. Similar to Apple’s TouchID, Samsung will use biometrcis to unlock the device. The front-facing camera will be used to scan your eye and unlock the device.
New looks and more power coming to the Galaxy S5
The company is apparently very aware of the lack of consumer interest on the part of the Galaxy S4 compared to the GS III from 2012. Lee also to Bloomberg; “When we moved to S4 from S3, it’s partly true that consumers couldn’t really feel much difference between the two products from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn’t as big. For the S5, we will go back to the basics. Mostly, it’s about the display and the feel of the cover.”
Besides the iris scanner and new design, the new S5 will feature a boost in performance and in the display. The Galaxy S5 is rumored to feature a 2K display at a massive 2560 x 1440 pixels. It will also ship with 3GB of RAM and possibly the next generation of Exynos or Snapdragon Qualcomm processors. Samsung will look to improve the camera as well with a new 16MP camera with enhanced imaging technology. A bigger 4,000 mAh battery should also be present while the device is set to be running Android 4.4 KitKat with a cleaned up version of TouchWiz.
Looks matter: Consumers want premium materials
Being an owner of both the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4, I think the Galaxy line is in desperate need of a refresh and the S5 could do just that. When you compare the GS4 to devices like the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z or Nexus 5, the GS4 lacks in both looks and feel. Although HTC has been struggling of late, the release of “The One” let the industry discover that consumers love having a device with a premium look and feel. I anticipate the Galaxy S5 will try to incorporate either a metal design like the HTC One, a leather feel from the Note II, or perhaps even both.
What features and materials would you like to see on the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S5 come this Spring?
Via: Bloomberg
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