Thanks to leaks, rumours and sources, we have an almost complete picture of what the Samsung Galaxy S IV will look like, what it will do and what new things it will bring to the table. Now that there are a mere two days left for the scheduled launch of the Samsung Galaxy S IV, it seems like a good time to do a final wrap-up all the rumours and see which ones of them will probably hit the mark and which ones won’t.
1. Display
We say: 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED
The fact that the Galaxy S IV will sport a 5-inch display is a certainty and we (and probably the rest of the tech journalism world) would do a double take if it turned out anything but. The 5-inch display is in line with the growing acceptance of larger displays and was rumoured since way back in September 2012, mere months after the Galaxy S III was launched.
There was some confusion about the technology powering the display with some rumours stating that the Galaxy S IV would have an IPS SoLux display. However, since then thanks to marketing images, we’ve come to believe that Samsung would continue with Super AMOLED technology for the Galaxy S IV. Resolution is expected to be full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) and rumours aren’t conflicted about that.
2. Processor
We say: Exynos 5 Octa (for India)/ Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (elsewhere)
The processor that will power the Galaxy S IV will differ according to where the phone is being sold. The big reason for this is that while the Snapdragon processor has a built-in 4G/LTE antenna, the Exynos 5 doesn’t. While 4G is present in some places in India, it’s still not widespread and that could be the primary reason why Samsung will pack in its own processor inside the Galaxy S IV, which probably means that the phone won’t come to India with 4G support.
3. Camera
We say: 13MP (primary), 2MP (secondary)
There really isn’t much to note about the Samsung Galaxy S IV’s camera apart from the fact that it really packs in the megapixels (13 of them, in fact) leading to photos with a maximum resolution of 4128x3096 pixels. The camera will also be able to record 1080p videos at 30fps and so will the front 2MP camera. It will have segment specific features such as auto-focus, HDR, geo-tagging, smile detection, image stabilization and touch focus.
What we expect the Galaxy S IV to do is finally solidify 13MP as the standard camera resolution for high-end smartphones, moving up from last generation’s 8MP.
4. Design, Build, Aesthetics
We say: Plastic body. Slimmer and probably lighter than the Galaxy S III
Unfortunately, Samsung is still in love with plastic when it comes to building the Galaxy S IV. A Samsung executive recently told CNET that Samsung will continue to use plastic for the Galaxy S IV’s body as the material was more durable and could absorb shock better. While that logic makes some sense, it also doesn’t sound too convincing. What does sound convincing is when the same executive says that Samsung is trying to draw a balance between making the phone feel premium and making it inexpensive enough to manufacture in large quantities.
Whatever the reason behind it, it’s guaranteed that however good looking the Galaxy S IV may be, at the end of the day, it will be a plastic phone.
Other aesthetic trends that the Galaxy S IV will most probably follow is that it will be slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. But owing to its larger display size, it will be a wider and taller device too. Leaked photos have also shown that the Galaxy S IV will retain a home button on its face even though earlier rumours had pointed to the phone’s front having no physical buttons at all.
5. Other Features
We Say: Yes to Smart Scroll, Smart Pause,
We Say: Maybe to wireless charging
We Say: No to S-Pen support
There are a couple of new features that Samsung is rumoured to introduce with the Galaxy S IV such as the Smart Scroll, Smart Pause and wireless charging. These are the features that we think we’ll get to see on the phone. Both Smart Scroll and Smart Pause use the phone’s front camera to perform similar actions- one tracks the user’s eye movements to scroll pages and while the other does it to pause video when the user is not looking at it.
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While rumours have pointed to wireless charging as a feature on the Galaxy S IV, we are still not sure. The original rumours stated that Samsung will sell the wireless charging apparatus (compatible back cover and charging dock) separately, but there has been no other updates on this feature. We won’t really be surprised if the Galaxy S IV doesn’t ship with this feature.
We’re pretty sure that contrary to certain rumours, the Galaxy S IV won’t ship with an S-Pen stylus. Even though the phone’s 5-inch display will make it very tablet-like, Samsung will want to differentiate it from its actual Note tablet line-up that comes with the S-Pen. Also, we’re not sure if customers will warm up to the idea of a premium phone being sold with a stylus.
We will have to wait till Thursday to see what the Samsung Galaxy S IV will actually look like and all the features it will sport. Provided there’s no massive glut of leaks in the next 48 hours, we think we’ve painted a pretty comprehensive picture of the final device that we’ll see.
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