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Look no further for Samsung Galaxy S5 news - including everything you need to know about THAT eye scanner
Samsung's Galaxy S4 is barely out the door and already there's a swirl of rumours going round about the successor model. Yep, you guessed it, it's called the Galaxy S5.
The word out of the Asian supply network is that Samsung could be prepping the Galaxy S5 for as early as the first quarter of 2014, around January or February, which would be a pretty rapid turnaround from the previous model.
It's thought we'll see a large, high-resolution display, a new Samsung-made Exynos chip using 64-bit technology, enhanced camera capabilities, waterproofing and, possibly, more premium materials used to construct the device.
Read on to find out all the juicy details about the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Samsung Galaxy S5 “unlikely” to include curved display
January 2014 is right around the corner, that time of year is when we are expecting to hear an announcement for the Galaxy S5. Before then though rumours have suggested Samsung are working on curved display technology, much like that seen in the LG G Flex and Galaxy Round. Although one report has suggested it won’t be here for the Galaxy S5.
The Korea Herald has spoken to a Seoul-based analyst which claims Samsung is not able to produce enough flexible display panels. According to the analyst Samsung can produce 500,000 units a month. Considering how well Samsung’s flagship devices usually sell, that would not be anywhere near enough.
The analyst believes Samsung could up production to 1 million displays a month by the end of 2014 when a special Galaxy variant with a curved display might be released.
Kim Jong-hyun, an analyst at Seoul-based Eugene Investment & Securities, told The Korea Herland, “The current capacity for flexible panels is not high enough for the Galaxy S5, which will be rolled out early next year. Curved ones will be unveiled late next year as a Galaxy variant rather than as a flagship model.”
Could the Samsung G900F be S5?
The guys at AnTuTu have spotted a Samsung device on the benchmarking system which could potentially be the Samsung Galaxy S5. The device in question is codenamed the SM-G900F. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset with 3GB RAM but the chipset is the updated 8974AC. The Krait 400 processor involved is clocked at 2.5GHZ, a boost from the standard 2.3GHz.
There’s no confirmation this is the S5 but it seems powerful, and for Samsung to have a handset in testing which is this powerful without it becoming the next flagship model would be a little odd. The device in question was running on Android 4.4 KitKat. The camera is also rumoured to be a 16MP deal.
It would make sense if this was the Galaxy S5 considering we are hearing rumours of an early January-to-Fenruary announcement. Testing would be appropriate considering January is less than two weeks away.
Samsung Galaxy S5 to keep plastic chassis
We know Samsung have been experimenting with metal-based frames for its upcoming line of next-gen handsets, but new reports claim the company may stick with plastics for its upcoming Galaxy S5.
A report from Digitimes claims a metal chassis for the Galaxy S5 is unlikely as no Taiwanese chassis makers “have started mass production of metal-alloy chassis for Samsung.” Considering the device is rumoured to be launching early next year, likely February, manufacturing would have begun by now.
Digitimes said Samsung will probably “adopt chassis featuring compound materials such as fiberglass/plastic or carbon fiber/plastic for its smartphones instead of a single materials to help save costs,” in the future.
Even though Samsung is experimenting with metal cases, the use of plastics hasn’t hurt its business thus far – it’s now the world’s foremost handset maker. Plus, plastic costs less than the aluminium materials found on competitors devices, so it would be difficult for Samsung to justify the change.
Samsung preparing Iris scanner, iPhone fingerprint killer
Reports claim Samsung is producing an iris scanner which aims to challenge the iPhone fingerprint detector.
With Apple’s iPhone 5s the biggest addition was the fingerprint scanner to access the phone. Samsung is reportedly challenging this with more technology which would be able to scan the users eyes and indentify the user.
Korean site ZDNet quotes industry sources which say an unnamed smartphone, probably the Samsung Galaxy S5, will include the first iris scanner on any phone. The same report claims the flagship will include a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution display which is 4 times clearer than HD. The report also says Samsung will announce the Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress in February.
Samsung Electronics has previously patented iris identification technology. In order for Iris identification to work the camera quality will need to be incredibly high. It’s not like finger print tracking where you place the identifying part on a sensor, this needs to be able to read your eye from a distance. Only a few more months until MWC where hopefully we’ll learn all we need to about the Galaxy S5.
Samsung looks to LDS-type casing for faster Galaxy S5 production
In a bid to reduce the amount of time it takes to re-jig a handset for a specific region, Samsung may adopt LDS-type casing with built in antennas for its upcoming Galaxy S5.
Samsung put this technology to use aboard its Galaxy Note 3 handset, which is one of the reasons why it is 1mm thinner than 2012’s Note 2. With LDS technology, the antenna is placed inside the back of the smartphone, rather than the body of the device, and takes up less room.
According to a report from ET News, some models of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 will use the LDS antenna technology, and the reason is two fold: one, it trims down the smartphone and, two, its implementation prevents delays when tweaking antenna design for specific regions.
ET News spoke with an “industry insider” about the technology, and its potential effect on the production and overall look at feel of Samsung’s next-gen handsets.
“When we were developing the Galaxy S3, it took us more than three weeks to change the antenna frequency design for different countries and regions. As we began to use the LDS-type cases with built-in antennas, we could reduce the development time to 3-4 days," the industry insider added.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S5 in Q1 2014, while the Galaxy Note 4 – a handset we don’t yet know much about – is believed to be launching later in the year (late-Q2, early-Q3).
Samsung may switch AMOLED for LCD aboard Galaxy S5 – new claims
Reports suggest Samsung is looking to cut costs with its upcoming Galaxy S5 and will replace its usual AMOLED display setup with a PLS LCD one instead. The news comes via ET News, which claims such a move would cut production costs by as much as 20%.
Samsung used PLS LCD setups on its Galaxy Note 10.1 and Nexus 10 tablets, but has yet to implement the technology aboard a smartphone. LCD displays have other benefits, too. Colours, when the panel is properly calibrated, appear more natural, and the LCD displays require less power than their AMOLED counterparts.
Samsung would not comment on the rumour, however, so it’s difficult to verify the claims. Also, there’s been a lot of talk about the company’s next-generation of Galaxy devices utilizing Samsung’s flexible OLED panels – you know, the unbreakable ones.
Other rumours point to Samsung adopting 2K resolutions aboard the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4. And while nothing is set in stone regarding an official launch for either device, persistent rumours and leaks continue to suggest Samsung will launch its next-gen Galaxy S5 in Q1 2014 – perhaps even as early as January.
Whether it will use LCD, AMOLED or the company’s new Flexible OLED tech remains to be seen. Either way, if it has a 2K resolution, we can’t see too many people really caring all that much…
Samsung Galaxy S5 to be bundled with Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch
Further reports have emerged out of Korea suggesting Samsung is preparing the Galaxy S5 for a launch in Q1, specifically towards the end of February and the beginning of March.
While both devices will surely be available seperately, it appears Samsung will launch the Galaxy S5 alongside the Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch, which will be around 20% thinner than the original model.
It's thought Samsung will offer the Galaxy S5 in bundle deals paired with the Galaxy Gear 2 just as it did with the Galaxy Note 3 and the first-generation Galaxy Gear.
The sources also re-iterate that Samsung's Galaxy S5 will debut with Android 4.4 KitKat onboard.
Highest ever screen resolution?
A new Samsung handset has appeared online revealing a number of specs which could end up being the Galaxy S5. According to data collected by benchmarking software GFXBench a device called SM-G900S has 2K or 2560x1440p resolution.
The software also revealed a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, Android 4.4 KitKatand an Adreno 330 GPU. Currently the highest screen resolution on any smartphone is 1920x1080. A number of manufacturers including HTC and Chinese manufacturer Vivo are looking to launch the world’s first 2K resolution smartphones which will pip the S5 to the post.
The upload has since been taken down from GFXBench’s website. There’s no guarantee this is the Samsung Galaxy S5 but it’s more than likely considering rumours suggest an early 2014 release date and we are starting to see details to trickle through. We’ll keep you posted here with anymore Galaxy S5 news.
“Suspect” Samsung Galaxy S5 image appears online
It’s early days yet but the Samsung Galaxy S5 leaks are coming in thick and fast, and today we’ve been treated to an alleged shot of the handset’s aluminum backpanel, complete with Samsung logo.
The image comes via Japanese blog RB Men and has since been published on another Japanese site, EMS Online. Multiple sources have claimed Samsung’s upcoming S5 handset will see the introduction of new build materials like aluminum.
Images allegedly showing the structural components of Samsung's next flagship smartphone have already rocked up online. Neither image can be verified as “official”, however, so it is advisable to take both with the usual pinch of salt.
Additional reports suggest Samsung will produce two Galaxy S5 handsets: one premium, featuring a metal chassis and flexible OLED display, and another more affordable version with a normal display and plastic chassis. As we said – don’t forget the salt. It’s early days yet…
Samsung SM-G900S benchmarked - suspected Galaxy S5
A Samsung device has appeared in benchmarks, specifically GFXBench, labelled as the Samsung SM-G900S and showing off an impressive spec line-up which leads us to believe it may be the forthcoming Galaxy S5 flagship.
The benchmarking information shows a 2560x1440 pixel resolution, which sits with earlier leaks and subsequent announcements from Samsung that it would include a 560 pixel-per-inch (ppi) "2K" Super AMOLED screen in some of its devices in 2014.
Also of interest is the 2.5GHz clockspeed and specific mention that the chip is Qualcomm silicon with an Adreno 330 GPU, all of which suggests a Snapdragon 800 quad-core model. Android 4.4 KitKat is also listed as being onboard.
Phonearena points out that part of the Android build designation reads "klteskt", which could be reference to Korean network SK Telecom. It's suggested this may be an early testing prototype and we could see spec changes before the final product arrives, including 64-bit Exynos and Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip variants.
But that's a tough call. Recent evidence suggests Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy S5 in Q1 of 2014 with an announcement at either CES or MWC and the phone on the market by March or April. But if that's the case then it will surely miss the boat on both the 64-bit Exynos chip and Snapdragon 805, which aren't expected to be ready until around the Summer.
Could this mean we'll see a repeat scenario where Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 with a Snapdragon 600, only to re-release it with the Snapdragon 800 a few months later?
Samsung now prepping Galaxy S5 production for Q1 release – new claims
Time waits for no man, or Technology Company, for that matter. And in the spirit of doing things fast, Samsung is tipped to be already prepping production of its next flagship, the Galaxy S5, for a release sometime in Q1 2014.
“Highlights surrounding the expected specs of the Samsung Galaxy S5 include a 64-bit CPU, which could the first iteration of Samsung's Heterogeneous Multi-Processing (HMP) Exynos big.LITTLE chip capable of running on eight cores simultaneously,” reports GSM Arena.
Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon chipsets – the 805 series – have also been linked to the Galaxy S5, which would seem to indicate that the company is keeping its different-chips-for-different-regions policy in place for its upcoming next wave of devices.
Android 4.4 is said to be the OS of choice, and the Galaxy S5 could also feature a similar Flexible OLED display to the one found inside the Samsung Galaxy Round. We’ve also heard talk of the display resolution being bumped up to 2K, although size-wise it’s likely to remain unchanged at 5-inches.
The report indicates the Galaxy S5 will use a 4000mAh battery cell for improved longevity. That’s bigger than the Note 3’s 3200mAhh setup, and could be a sign Samsung is moving away from removable battery packs in its Galaxy S range – something that will no doubt irk many of the Samsung faithful.
The Galaxy S5 will also apparently launch along the company’s new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which the report says is around 15-20% thinner than the current model. The Galaxy Gear 2 will likely be bundled in with the Galaxy S5 once it is released.
Should Samsung launch the Galaxy S5 in Q1 2014 – i.e. sometime between January and March – it’ll have to get a launch in pretty early, and that means either CES 2014 or, more likely, Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona.
Samsung to create 20 MP camera sensor
Samsung’s flagship phones could soon include a 20MP camera. This comes as something of a surprise as previous rumours suggested the Galaxy S5 would feature a 16MP setup. According to Korean site ET News, December 1 was the date when Samsung’s research and development division started worked on a project to develop a 20MP camera sensor from scratch.
It seems this will include autofocus actuators. The source doesn’t comment on whether the 20MP sensor will include optical image stabilization, but ET News reveals this isn't very likely for the Galaxy S5. According to the report, for OIS to be possible in this scenario Samsung would need to find 50 million suspension mechanisms which are not available yet. For this reason it’s likely the 20MP sensor won’t be ready until the second half of 2014, meaning it wont appear in handsets until 2015. Obviously all of this will miss the Galaxy S5's rumoured Q1 2014 launch.
According to an industry insider, Samsung will install the current 16MP camera module in 25% of its smartphones released next year. It's also believed Samsung plans to sell 360 million smartphones, with the 16MP hardware next year and develop 20MP products for a 2015 release.
Samsung Galaxy S5: First To Market With 2K Display?
In a space dominated by marketing, standing out from the crowd is sometimes hard. Most high-end handsets released this year, on paper, tell a very similar story –– 2GB of RAM, Snapdragon 800 chipsets and 1080p displays. That’s par for the course in today’s market.
Adding in marketable USPs, things like fingerprint scanners, eye-tracking technology and fancy camera tech, are what separates the men from the boys. In 2014 this will not change. One area where we could see Samsung pull away from its peers is display tech.
Reports indicate Samsung is keen to implement 2K displays inside its flagship handsets in 2014, meaning the Galaxy S5 could well be the world’s first smartphone to feature a 2K resolution display, according to Tech Radar, which would equate to a pixel density of around 560ppi on a 5-inch panel.
Holy MOLY!
Galaxy S5 to skip optical image stabilization
The latest rumour coming from the Korean based firm is that the Galaxy S5 will skip Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) technology for its built-in camera.
OIS is a solution for blurry and shaky photos which happen when the user is shaking the phone while taking a photo.
Camera module manufacturers use the technology to compensate for the physical shaking of the device caused by the user. The technology has been used in digital cameras for a long time but is starting to straddle the divide and become present in a number of smartphone handsets.
Korean website ET News has alleged that it won’t appear the Galaxy S5, but believes devices shipped in the second half of 2014 would have the feature. It seems to be down to the fact OIS technology is in short supply at Samsung.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 was expected to sport OIS but surprised consumers and journos when it was announced without it, so it does seem likely the first batch of Galaxy S5 devices won’t include the feature.
Samsung Galaxy S5 to go into production in January: metal and plastic models with 4,000mAh battery
Samsung's Galaxy S5 could go into production in January, adding further weight to claims it may launch at Mobile World Congress in February 2014.
The word comes via Korean source ETNews, which also reports there will be both metal and plastic versions and all models will feature a huge 4,000mAh battery pack.
As with previous releases, there will be two processor variants. Allegedly one will be using Samsung's forthcoming 64-bit Exynos Octa eight-core chip, while the other will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon. It's not clear whether this will be the current Snapdragon 800 or the newly revealed Snapdragon 805.
What is also not clear, is whether the processor type will be specific to the different models made from either metal or plastic. We could perhaps see both processor variants for each material build, but then factoring in the different storage variants too could perhaps be too many different builds for Samsung.
The sources also re-iterate the display size as around 5-inches using Super AMOLED technology and with a pixel density around 560ppi.
Other rumoured specs include 3GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel camera.
Built-in multi-party video conference in the Samsung Galaxy S5?
A new patent has been filed outlining a multi-party conference call feature which may appear on the Samsung Galaxy S5. These built-in conference calls would allow the user to have multiple users in one conversation.
A document filed to the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service unveiled the details.
It seems that users can use the front and back camera at the same time when in a video call. It’s currently unclear if this feature will be integrated with a number of existent apps or would be a new app entirely. Samsung’s ChatON application already allows one-way conference calls so it seems like the next logical step for the app.
The images below show multi-party conferencing in progress.
Could the Samsung Galaxy S5 have a metal frame?
Our favourite rumour so far is that the S5 could have a metal frame. It’s unclear at the moment but according the French blog No Where Else the image below is the start of Samsung finally opting for a metal design.
This isn’t necessarily the full story as the frame could still be covered in plastic panels.
The frame pictured measures 143.8 x 72.3mm, which would be one of the largest Galaxy models to date, compared to the S4’s 136.6 x 69.8mm or the Galaxy Note 3’s 151.2 x79.2.
This has sparked the speculation that we could be seeing a larger screen on the Galaxy S5.
The original leak doesn’t claim which model of future smartphone is pictured so it could be an entirely different model.
A few things to note include the fact that the camera seems to have been moved to the top right corner whilst traditionally Samsung Galaxy devices have had them in the centre.
Also the headphone jack is placed at the bottom on the frame, usually positioned in the top on the Samsung Galaxy range. Once we know more details on the Galaxy S5 you’ll find them here on Know Your Mobile.
As the centuries-old adage goes, anything Apple can do, Samsung can do better. That means following Apple's debut of fingerprint scanning with the iPhone 5S -- and HTC’s similar move with the HTC One Max -- the company is breaking out an eye scanner for the Galaxy S5. Well, according to rumour anyway.
Patent Bolt has found a recent Samsung patent filing for a retina scanner, adding fuel to the rumours. And even if the eye scanner technology isn't developed in time to reach the Galaxy S5, the patent indicates we might be seeing a VERY exciting new addition to the Galaxy Note 4 or Galaxy S6.
Specs
Hot on Apple’s trail, Samsung has officially confirmed that it is just about finished making its 64-bit Exynos processor chip and it will be including the new hardware inside devices launched in 2014.
Rumors have been swirling around the tech world about Samsung’s development of its own in-house chipset since the announcement of Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5S in September. While the Korean company never outright denied the rumors, it never really confirmed them either - until now.
An ARM official has confirmed that the 64-bit chip is definitely coming and a 128-bit chip is soon to follow.
The official’s exact words were, “Executives from Samsung and ARM had a meeting today. They discussed the ARM 64-bit chip, which is expected to be used in Samsung’s smartphone next year.”
The 128-bit chip is still two years away from being released but the official said we should expect the 64-bit processor in the company’s devices starting next year.
This marks a similar move to Sony, which has issued multiple handsets over the last 12 months with water and dust proofing, including flagship models such as the Xperia Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1. Sony's phones can be submerged in up to a metre of water safely.
Of course, this isn't entirely new territory for Samsung either, the company launched the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active shortly after the flagship Galaxy S4 with such weatherproofing and reports indicate a similarly rugged Note 3 model is in the works.
Release date
If you're waiting for the Galaxy S5 to come out before you buy your next phone, you may not have that much longer to wait.
At least, according to the Digital Journal which suggests that we will likely see an S5 in March 2014, a year after the release of the S4. That's not all - it should have a 16 MP camera, offer Android 4.4 Kitkat and 3GB of RAM for improved performance.
"Stephen Woo, System LSI president, stated that Samsung will first offer a 64-bit processor based on ARM's core before releasing an optimized IP-cores. However, unlike Apple, Samsung did not code Android and so they will need Google to write the 64-bit version for it", it reports.
We'd take the rumours with a pinch of salt. While we've heard rumours that the S5 will come equipped with a 64-bit processor, other specs remain unclear.
4GB of RAM?
Samsung's Galaxy S5 flagship may be one of the first smartphones to hit the market with 4GB of RAM, according to Korean sources.
Korean IT news source DT.co.kr has re-iterated the rumour that Samsung will debut a 64-bit processor aboard the Galaxy S5 but adds that it will carry 4GB of RAM to make best use of the new architecture, according to "industry officials familiar with Samsung Electronics."
The move comes following criticisms of Apple's 64-bit A7 chip found in the iPhone 5S, iPad Mini 2and iPad 5. Despite showing impressive benchmark results which trounce much of the competition, critics allege that in actual use users won't notice a significant hike in performance due to 64-bit requiring a minimum of 4GB RAM to really see an effect. Apple's products are believed to use 1GB of RAM.
It would also neatly follow the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which was the first handset with 3GB of RAM.
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