The thing is that this latest rumor suggests that Samsung will be looking to release the Galaxy S IV in April 2013 - a month earlier than the Galaxy S III, which was launched in May this year. The sources do not bother to explain why they think so, but on the other hand, they let us know that Samsung might have a secret weapon in the works for the GS IV. It seems that the so-called Project J (codename for the GS IV) may come with a new type of screen, which is being referred to as "unbreakable". We have absolutely no idea how this "breakthrough" unbreakable screen has been achieved, but if this really turns out to be true, then it will be one great selling point for the Galaxy S IV.
In addition, the sources confirm our expectations of a larger and higher-resolution screen, possibly one with pixel density of 441 ppi - a big upgrade compared to the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi. If the GS IV indeed has a 441 ppi screen, then it's safe to say that it will probably feature a 5" display with 1080p resolution - same as the recently launched HTC DROID DNA for Verizon Wireless.
With such an amazing screen, if Samsung has really managed to make it unbreakable, we have no other option but to get super-excited about this eventual April release of the Galaxy S IV!
Samsung’s Galaxy S3 launched to much critical acclaim when it was unveiled in May last year, we awarded it our Best Buy award and it still remains our top pick Android handset. No wonder, then, that speculation surrounding the launch of its follow-up is mounting.
While Samsung is keeping tight-lipped on its future product launches, a series of 'leaks' and 'source quotes' claim the South Korean firm is putting the final touches to its fourth-generation flagship handset - almost certainly to be called the Samsung Galaxy S4. Here, we round up all the latest speculation to find out what to expect.
Sadly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 wasn't unveiled at the show, as the company focussed on its range of TVs and home appliances. That doesn't mean that we won't be getting more concrete news in the near future, though, as Samsung needs a new phone fairly soon.
Although the S3 was released just over half a year ago, it faces some stiff competition in the market from the likes of the Google Nexus 4.
Sharing much of the specification of the Galaxy S3, the Nexus 4 is significantly cheaper - at least, if you can wait the five to six weeks required by Google's back-ordering process due to unexpected demand - and comes with the latest Android 4.2 'Jelly Bean' software with numerous improvements and bug fixes, including a clever 360-degree panoramic photo mode.
As a result, it seems likely that Samsung has seen sales of its Galaxy S3 handset grind to a halt - something it will be keen to address soon. It's much more likely that Samsung will hold of its announcement until Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona at the end of February or, at least, in an individual event shortly after. Speaking to a peripheral manufacturer, we were told that it will be making cases for a big Samsung product due to be announced in February.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 PRICE
As expected, leaks surrounding the S4's suspected price have been thin on the ground, although we can expect it to cost as much as the S3 when it launched back in May - a wallet-busting £499. Once again though the tough competition from Google's own Nexus 4 device may force Samsung to lower its price in order to compete - unless of course the hardware specification is a big step forward.
On contract you're likely to be looking at £30-40 a month minimum, and considerably more with a 4G service such as EE. This will be an expensive handset, though probably still a little less than the iPhone 5 costs.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 SPECS
According to sources speaking to Taiwanese industry rumour site DigiTimes, the S4 will include a 5in Full HD display with an impressive 1920x1080 resolution, following a trend starting with rival HTC's Butterfly handset. Such a display would boast an impressive pixel density of around 440 pixels per inch (PPI) - significantly above the resolution of Apple's Retina display technology. Such a big display, however, would certainly blur the line between the S4 and Samsung's own tablet-phone hybrid Galaxy Note 2 device.
The new screen size and resolution was all by confirmed when Samsung showed a slide to AnandTech at CES 2013.
The slide showed the companies release schedule for screens and highlighted a Q1 2013 launch for a 4.99in Full HD (1,920x1,080) display, which ties in perfectly with expected launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S4.
According to AnandTech, the new screen is a full RGB OLED, he PenTile AMOLED in the Galaxy S3. While a regular display has RGB sub-pixels to make up the picture, the Samsung PenTile uses RGBG, adding an extra green sub-pixel. Samsung claims that this extends the life of the screen, but the complaint is that these screens aren't as sharp as full RGB screens.
We'd now put money on the rumours of screen size and resolution being correct, as Samsung asked AnandTech to take-down the shot of the slide and the accompanying information about the screen. That's about as close to confirmation as you're likely to get before an official launch.
Another separate rumour supports this ever-increasing screen size mania, including a report from The Korea Times suggesting that a new entry in the Galaxy Note family, imaginatively dubbed the Galaxy Note 3, will include an impressively large 6.3in Full HD display - which would maintain the gap between the devices.
Another rumour has pointed to the use of a flexible display technology, previously demonstrated as a stand-alone product by Samsung, to give the Galaxy S4 an unbreakable screen. Sadly, this may not come to pass - at least, not until the Galaxy S5 is ready - with The Verge quoting an anonymous source as stating that commercial implementation of Samsung's flexible display technology in smartphone devices is "still a while off."
Seemingly more likely is that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have wireless charging built in. Wireless charging, in which inductive or resonating systems provide power to without the need to connect a charging cable, are becoming increasingly popular: Nokia's flagship Lumia 920 includes wireless charging built into the phone. Integration makes a lot of sense as it removes the need for bulky wireless charging cases that bulk up a handset, and make it much more convenient to charge a phone. We'd expect Samsung to want all of the latest technologies in its new handset and wireless charging makes a lot of sense.
It's possible that the company could go a lot further as a recent patent application shows. Samsung's wireless charging patent, applied for in July last year and published in December, describes a technology that combines wireless power with a modulated carrier signal - allowing the handset to communicate with the charging mat or stand.
If it allows data, Samsung's technology could allow extra features, such as placing your phone on a speaker dock and have it play music wirelessly. This would remove the need to join a Wi-Fi network or enable Bluetooth. It could potentially be used for syncing data, such as photos and videos, to the phone as well.
As is normal, the patent doesn't mention any specific devices that the technology will apply to, but the timing does seem right for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Link: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-S-IV-release-date-set-for-April-2013-may-feature-an-unbreakable-screen_id37372 and http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/smartphones/1296715/samsung-galaxy-s4-release-date-specs-price-rumours
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