Samsung Galaxy S 5 Coming in Spring: 10 Prominent Rumors

by Don Reisinger

Speaking to Bloomberg, Lee said that consumers should expect a new design from the Galaxy S 5. The Galaxy S 3 and Galaxy S 4 essentially came with the same design, and it’s time for a refresh, Lee says. The nature of that refresh, according to the rumor mill, has ranged from minor changes to a radical redesign.

According to a few recent reports, Samsung is planning to launch “iris recognition technology” with the Galaxy S 5. That technology will take on Apple’s biometric fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S and allow users to open and possibly control their devices by scanning their eyes. One note: It’s believed other companies are planning eye-scanning technology for their own smartphones in 2014.

There’s an ongoing debate over the material Samsung plans to use with the Galaxy S 5. Some reports have said the device will come with a full metallic body, while others say Samsung will opt for a part-metal, part-plastic casing. Either way, it appears metal will be incorporated into its design in some way.

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but several rumors say that Samsung will build a 64-bit Exynos processor into the Galaxy S 5. Apple started the 64-bit craze with the iPhone 5S, and now Samsung, LG and others are expected to respond with 64-processors in their top models. That should mean overall better application performance for the Galaxy S 5.

During the interview with Bloomberg, Lee wouldn’t say what size screen or resolution the Galaxy S 5 will have, but Lee seemed to indicate that it will be a step above what’s built into the previous model. Recent reports have said the device will feature a 5.2-inch display that comes with a staggering 2,560-by-1,440-pixel resolution. Other rumors say it’ll have a 1080p screen. Here’s hoping it’s the former.

Until CES, it was believed that Samsung was working on an improved version of its TouchWiz user interface in the Galaxy S 5. All that changed, however, after the company showed off the TabPro and NotePro tablets with the Magazine UX design that looks far different from TouchWiz. Now some reports suggest Samsung will go with Android 4.4 (KitKat) and the Magazine UX with the Galaxy S 5.

Expect the Galaxy S 5 to come equipped with a high-end camera. Nearly every rumor surrounding the device has said that the handset will come with a 16-megapixel camera, capable of delivering large photos at a nice resolution. That might not be on the level of Nokia’s PureView, but it’ll be a nice addition to an already high-end device.

Will Samsung double-dip on the biometric front? Some rumors suggest that Samsung will invest in both iris scanning and fingerprint sensors. It seems unlikely that Samsung would bundle both technologies into the smartphone, but biometrics are the future of mobile security, so it’s certainly possible.

AT&T is reportedly already testing the Galaxy S 5, which isn’t much of a surprise, considering AT&T has sold Samsung handsets for years. It’s believed at this point that the Galaxy S 5 will hit AT&T store shelves first and then make its way to other carriers after that. Neither Samsung nor AT&T, however, has confirmed that’s the case.

So when will the Galaxy S 5 hit store shelves? It depends on whom you believe. Some reports say the device could be available as early as March, while others say it will come out in April or May. Either way, it’s apparent that the Galaxy S 5 will be available this spring in the U.S.