Samsung Galaxy S4: From Features To US Release, A Final Roundup Of Rumors Before March 14 Launch

However, even before its release, the upcoming handset has already created a lot of buzz among the tech enthusiasts around the world, with many people even believing that the device will help the South Korean tech giant outshine the Apple iPhone.

There have been a lot of rumors and speculations related to Galaxy S4’s features over the last few months. With the much-awaited launch of the flagship smartphone just around the corner, here’s a final roundup of expected features, specifications and US release predictions and pricing of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Display & Touch

The next-generation Galaxy S smartphone is expected to follow the path of the Galaxy Note series, as far as its screen size is concerned. The device is very likely to feature a 4.99-inch (or 5-inch) Super AMOLED Full HD Resolution Display. When it comes to resolution, the device is likely to sport 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (445ppi) that will offer the desired sharpness.

Adding to the speculations surrounding the Galaxy S4, a new report from SamMobile said Friday said that Samsung Galaxy S4 would have a “floating touch” and “green PHOLED” display technology.

If turns out to be true, the new “floating touch” technology will allow users to hover over an item to get additional information related to it. For example, “floating touch” can be useful to preview images inside an album without having to open it.

In terms of the display technology, the report has stated that the new AMOLED material called “green PHOLED” will use the colors green and yellow to make the AMOLED display 25 percent more efficient, “which is good news for the battery life” of the device as well.

Form Factor

If you are one of those who are not fond of the plastic body of the existing Galaxy S3 and are hoping for Samsung to ditch its plastic roots, the upcoming Galaxy S4 may not live up to your expectations. In a recent interview with CNET, Y.H. Lee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business said that the Galaxy S4 would continue with the plastic materials in order to maintain a balance between manufacturing skill and a "premium feeling" product that consumers demand.

Recent reports also have suggested that the Galaxy S4 will come with dimensions of 140.1 x 71.8 x 7.7mm and will weigh 138 grams. The device is also rumored to be available in Black and White initially.

Processor

When the processor of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is concerned, there is still a bit of confusion between the in-house Exynos Octa CPU and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor.

It was reported last month saying that the Galaxy S4 won’t be powered by the Exynos 5 Octa processor because of power-related issues associated with it. Instead, the phone would have the Snapdragon 600 processor, clocking at 1.9 Ghz.

That report was followed by another rumor suggesting that the Galaxy S4 would be powered by multiple solutions for the application processors and baseband chips. The subsequent rumor said that Samsung would likely adopt Qualcomm Inc’s Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor for the U.S. variant of the Galaxy S4, while the variant for the European market would likely get the in-house eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor.

However, if a recent Antutu benchmark result is to be believed, the next Galaxy S smartphone will feature an Exynos Octa 5410 CPU, clocking 1.8GHz. The benchmark has also revealed that the device will come with PowerVR SGX 544MP ARM GPU and 2GB RAM.

Camera

With the current Samsung Galaxy S3 sporting an 8-megapixel camera, the company is expected to improvise the feature with the Galaxy S4. According to rumors, the new smartphone will have a 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability and Orb camera technology. The front-facing camera for video chatting will likely offer a 2-megapixel shooter.

‘Smart Scroll’ For Eye-Tracking

If this feature becomes a reality, it will be the so-called “X-Factor” of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

A report hit the web last week claiming that the fourth-generation Galaxy S smartphone would have a new technology called “Smart Scroll” that could track users’ eyes to scroll through pages. “For example, when users read articles and their eyes reach the bottom of the page, the software will automatically scroll down to reveal the next paragraphs of text.”

At a time when this new feature was raising many eyebrows, a set of leaked screenshots, claimed to be of the Galaxy S4, apparently confirmed that the device would indeed have the ability to allow users scroll up and down a page with an eye movement.

Operating System & Storage

Many reports have suggested that the Galaxy S4 will come with the new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean firmware out-of-the-box. While the storage options are concerned, the device is expected to be made available in three different variants – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

On the other hand, considering two color options rumored for the device, it’s expected to be released in six variants – GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 16GB (White), GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 32GB (White), GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 64GB (White), GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 16GB (Black), GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 32GB (Black) and GT-I9500 Galaxy S4 64GB (Black).

Wireless Charging & NFC

DigiTimes has reported, citing industry sources, that Samsung may “adopt Qi wireless charging technology run by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) for its next flagship model, the Galaxy S IV.”

The report, however, has noted that the new Samsung smartphone may not have embedded wireless charging capability, but will likely require users “to buy replacement covers for their smartphone" for gaining access to a charging pad.

This is not the first time when the Galaxy S4 is rumored to come with Qi wireless charging technology. Reports surfaced in January, suggesting that the next-generation Galaxy S device would feature wireless charging for the first time, something that will be compatible with the Qi standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium.

According to a report from Redmond Pie, the Galaxy S4 “will be tied to some description of Passbook-esque app.”

“Samsung has also struck an NFC deal with Visa to implement the credit card company’s technology to a set number of its handsets over the next twelve months, the first of which could possibly be the S IV,” the report has added.

U.S. Release

Given that Samsung is holding the release event of the Galaxy S4 in the United States, the U.S. customers are expected to bag the new smartphone earlier than other markets.

In the case of Samsung Galaxy S3 that was unveiled in the U.K., “customers in the United States had to wait until late June and early July” for the device, said a report by Gotta Be Mobile.

“So the fact that the event is taking place in New York City also means that there is a good chance that unlike past years, Samsung could not only spill more U.S. release details than ever before, but it could possibly release the Galaxy S4 in the U.S. either first, or at the same time as other regions like Europe,” the report added.

As Reuters reported, Samsung was “bombarded with requests from the U.S. mobile carriers to unveil the Galaxy S IV in the country.” That said, it’s very likely that the company will have all of the five major U.S. carriers – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon – on board for the Galaxy S4 launch next week.

Samsung launched both the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 on the five leading carriers in the U.S. that contributed immensely to the devices’ success. Therefore, there are strong possibilities that Samsung would follow suit this time as well with the Galaxy S4.

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