Samsung will release its next-generation Galaxy S4 smartphone at some point during the first half of 2013. As releases go it doesn't get much bigger than a new flagship from Samsung, now the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer.
Up to now most big releases – well, ones that piqued the attention of millions of people all over the globe – were the sole reserve of Apple and its iPhone and iPad. This is no longer the case, however, with Samsung commanding just as much, if not more, attention from consumers en masse.
So while the release of the iPhone 5S will no doubt be a big deal, Apple launches always are, we think Samsung's Galaxy S4 could well eclipse the new iPhone, both in terms of shipments, interest, and features. Case in point: the Galaxy S3 outsold the iPhone 4S in Q3 2012.
The Galaxy S3 was a resounding success, cementing Samsung as the true heir to Apple's throne. The device was bigger, better, and faster than nearly all of its peers and made the iPhone 4S look practically remedial, a point that was further cemented by the introduction of Google Now via the Android Jelly Bean update.
So what can we expect from the Galaxy S4? Read on to find out:
Galaxy S4 – Design
At this juncture in time it's hard to talk specifics about a handset that's probably not going to see the light of day for potentially another six months. But because it's Samsung we're talking about here it's probably safe to assume that the device will be constructed from similar materials to those used on the Galaxy S3 and Note 2. And that means plastic – and lots of it.
We'd expect the device to be significantly slimmer than the Galaxy S3, as well as bigger, owing to the inclusion of a larger display. But beyond that it's difficult to speculate any further. We would like to see Samsung up the ante in the build materials department though – perhaps even introducing a unibody aluminium chassis?
What to expect? The Galaxy S4 will be bigger, slimmer, and lighter – and hopefully constructed from better quality build materials.
Galaxy S4 – Display
Latest reports suggest the Galaxy S4 will feature a 5-inch full HD 1920x1080 pixel display that'll pack in a staggering pixel density of 441ppi. Samsung is also reportedly using flexible OLED panels rather than glass setups aboard its next flagship, although whether this actually turns out to be the case remains to be seen.
According to a one unnamed Samsung exec, 'the company will pull out a handset featuring ultra-thin AMOLED material and a screen with a 441 pixel per inch density,' according to Tech Radar. Either way you can bet your socks that whatever Samsung launches will rival anything produced by HTC, Sony, and LG in the coming months.
What to expect? A 5-inch full 1080p HD display with a staggeringly high pixel density
Galaxy S4 – Processor
Samsung will be showcasing a dual quad-core mobile processor at the International Solid-Stat Circuits Conference in February next year.
The System-on-Chip (SoC) is a 28nm chip, with one quad-core cluster running at 1.8GHz for high performance apps, and the other running at 1.2GHz for energy efficiency. Based on an ARM A15 Cortex setup, this chipset is widely believed to be the one that will power Samsung's Galaxy S4.
Analyst Kevin Krewell at Linley Group told EETimes, 'We expect the Samsung part is the first big.little processor. The A7 cores should be capable of handling most [smartphone] tasks, with the A15 cores only required for maximum performance needs, like video games.'
And because the Galaxy S4 is likely to be such a big release, we're inclined to believe that this is potentially the chipset that will power it. Samsung likes to show off, and launching a new flagship on either of its current Exynos SoCs just isn't the company's style.
What to expect? A new Exynos-branded ARM A15-based SoC capable of staggering processing power – we're expecting something very impressive here.
Other rumours have broken that the Galaxy S4 will in fact feature a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU. This latest leak is based on a NenaMark2 benchmarking test, which also suggests the device will run on android 4.2 with a 800x480 pixel screen. We're sceptical, that's for sure.
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