Pre-launch rumors of a new smart phone device can generate a buzz that gets everyone wondering what is true and what is false. Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S4 Thursday but we already have some ideas about what to expect.
We already know Samsung is going with a bigger screen for the device, that's a given. It's rumored that the Galaxy S4 will have a 5-inch AMOLED screen, slightly larger than the 4.8-inch display we saw on its predecessor, the Galaxy S3.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will run on the Galaxy S4, according to hearsay. It's a little too early for Key Lime Pie, but it's likely to be upgradable at some point. Samsung is staying with plastic material for the phone's body although some Galaxy series fans were hoping that there would be a switch to aluminum or glass.
One feature that's somewhat unclear is the actual processor powering the device. We first heard that it was going to be Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa eight-core processor. Updated rumor reports pointed to an issue with the processor overheating and that a Snapdragon 600 processor would be used instead. Alleged leaked photos just before launch day show a CPU as "Universal 5410," which suggests that it's the Exynos 5 Octa processor.
The rear camera may be a 13-megapixel and the front-facing camera is said to be a 2.2-megapixel. New technologies incorporated into the phone are eye-tracking and wireless charging. As reported by The New York Times, the phone can detect where a user is looking, which allows for control of the screen using the eyes. For example, when a user is reading, the device will automatically scroll when the user's eyes come to the bottom of the page. An optional dock will allow wireless charging of the 2,600 mAh battery.
Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3 were released in May, but rumor has it Samsung is releasing the phone in middle of April, one month after launch.
These are all rumors and speculations, of course, but we will know what's true and what's not on Thursday (March 14) at the official Samsung Galaxy S4 launch.
