There’s nothing like a good rumor to get the week started and this time it’s a big one, as it concerns the follow-up to the current darling of the Android world, the Samsung Galaxy S3.
According to a report in the Korea Times, Samsung is readying the Galaxy S4 for launch during Mobile World Congress next year, before going on sale in March.
The quote comes from an unnamed Samsung official, who adds that the next Galaxy flagship will have a similar design to the S3 — keeping its “popular rectangular shape with rounded corners,” but potentially increasing the screen size again, this time to 5-inches.
A quad-core Exynos processor will power the device, Android will be the operating system, and it will support 4G LTE networks all over the world. The article makes particular mention of Europe here, where 4G is beginning to become more widespread, plus the UK will hold its 4G spectrum auction early next year too.
The report continues to say that Samsung is still considering using its flexible screen technology for the S4, but hasn’t made a final decision, although talk of production problems make it sound unlikely.
To counter Apple and the release of the iPhone 5, Samsung has already struck out with set of provocative newspaper adverts, and the timing of this leak couldn’t be better either.
Is it true?
Samsung is almost certainly working on a follow-up to the Galaxy S3, and it could well be named the Galaxy S4, but what about the rest of the report’s speculation? It’s equally as likely to use another Exynos processor in the S4, but whether this will be another quad-core chip, or the Exynos 5 Dual with its high resolution screen support, isn’t quite so clear cut.
Android and 4G LTE are also obvious features, while a push to a 5-inch screen isn’t that unlikely either. Remember, the S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 aren’t that much larger than their predecessors, despite the respective increase in screen size.
What doesn’t sound right is the Mobile World Congress unveiling. Samsung made a very big deal out of the S3’s launch in May, deliberately moving the release from February’s Mobile World Congress to a separate event later in the year. It worked really well and anticipation quickly built to fever pitch, while the glitzy event captured plenty of headlines, so we doubt Samsung would decide against doing the same thing again next year.
A March 2013 release would also see the S4 go on sale less than a year into the S3’s life, which seems very early for such a capable device.
But then, accuracy isn’t the point of this leak, it’s about letting everybody know that Samsung is hard at work on the next big thing, and not to be distracted by shiny offerings from the competition.
*Update*
Samsung has tweeted about this rumor from its Korean @SamsungElectronics account, which when fed through Google Translate says it simply isn’t true, adding “why spread these rumors” at the end. Why indeed, Samsung? We just can’t imagine.
WoW , nice , very good , let me hav 1 , please , please !!
just won’t happen
Cool, I’ll be looking for cheap GSIIIs
Any rumors about a real “Galaxy S3 mini”, i.e., smaller but otherwise with full S3 specs. Or do I finally need to buy and iPhone 5, even if I don’t like it?
Piss Apple off! Use flex screen tech
Samsung’s innovation is an ever larger screen but in this case they’ve been forced to copy their own product the galaxy note. Idea bag empty there Sammy?
iFag? go play with your gay wobbly icons. Apples bag has been empty for years, they take from everyone’s bag and claim it as there own. At least Sammy does “truly” Innovate.
3rd one just came out, yall need to chill the fuck out!
3rd one just came out, yall need to chill the fuck out!
So big and many people will not buy it
Cool, I’ll be looking for cheap GSIIIs
This bigger screen is better thing is getting ridiculous! I was messing a friends S3 recently, and don’t really have much bad to say about it, except for the damn size. Fun toy, but not something I want to tote around all the time! So much crap given to Apple for making the phone taller, but it’s dimensions are still smaller than the S3, and surely the S4, of they increase the screen to tablet proportions.
what already?
They pop updated products like crazy!!.. Can’t keep track anymore!!..
So big and many people will not buy it
That’s not a phone, it’s a tablet!
WoW , nice , very good , let me hav 1 , please , please !!
I personally think they should make a slight hardware update and bump up the features on the S3 like a much needed S-Voice patch. But not a new phone. C’mon Samsung you guys really need to use some good marketing strategy here. My suggestion is to make the next iteration of the Galaxy line with 3D capabilities. now that would be something.
5″ screens on phones are not phones anymore these are micro-tablets! When did we regress to the days of holding bricks to our heads? I don’t like carrying around 4″ phones let alone a 5″ phone. I want to go back to the days that smaller is better! If I want to carry around a tablet I’ll buy a dang tablet. Give me my smaller phones back!
5″ screens on phones are no longer phones, these are micro-tablets!! When did we regress to the old days of holding bricks to our heads to talk on?? I don’t want to carrier a 4″ phone let alone a 5″ one! I want to go back to the days of smaller is better. If I want a tablet I’ll buy a damn tablet.