Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date Nears: Final Rumors Before Unveiling Suggest Fingerprint Detection Technology, Samsung Orb, And Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor For South Korea

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be official in a matter of hours, but that hasn't stopped the online rumor mill from churning out guesses about what special features will come with the new smartphone.

According to recent reports, the Galaxy Note 3 may feature fingerprint detection technology -- in addition to possibly introducing the S-Orb panorama feature to the Samsung Galaxy Note line. Reports also suggest Samsung's native South Korea may get a Galaxy Note 3 model that will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

Fingerprint Detection And Other APKs?

Fingerprint detection has been rumored for smartphones for ages. For example, pre-release rumors for the LG G2 had suggested that the device would come with a fingerprint scanner on its back panel, but those features turned out to be the volume keys and the power button for the device.

For the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, however, famed informant @evleaks published two images listing various APKs that may be included in the device. One image lists 50 Android application package files, while the other lists 276 APKs, and among those is the file FingerprintService.apk. Despite its appearance in these lists of APKs, fingerprint detection technology has not been confirmed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. In fact, sources have told tech website SamMobile that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will not include fingerprint detection technology.

The technology could notably be used for various password protection purposes such as for lock screens and other applications that require secured access. Phone Arena proposes that fingerprint detection technology may be implemented into a dual user mode on the device, in which multiple users can have their own specific profiles on a single device. The technology could help users log into a device independenly and accurately.

Fingerprint detection technology was first proposed for Samsung devices after APKs were discovered within the Android 4.2.2 test ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S3, but thus far no device by the Korean manufacturer has featured fingerprint detection.

Other APKs discovered in the lists include such standards as S Pen APK files and files for the Samsung KNOX security feature. Android Authority notes that some of the APKs may be carrier specific, which may account for their quantity. It is important to remember that similar to the fingerprint detection APK, files featured on these lists won't necessarily be featured on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Photo Shot With S-Orb Panorama?

Many photos reportedly taken by the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 have leaked amid rumors; however, the latest leaked image is a particularly vivid panoramic photo, which is proposed to have been captured with the elusive Samsung Orb feature.

The leaked photo, which was discovered on the image sharing website Picasa has since been deleted. However its EXIF data lists that the device that captured the image by the model number SM-N900T, one of the model number currently associated with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The image was reportedly taken on Aug. 31 and was captured by a camera with F2.2 aperture and a focal length of 4.13mm. While EXIF data can easily be falsified, it is not the most important aspect of this rumor. Many have taken into the consideration that the image is unlike a standard long-form panorama shot and wonder if it could have been captured using Samsung Orb.

S-Orb is supposed to be Samsung's take on the Android Photo Sphere feature, intended to simplify panoramic image capturing. Instead of capturing a long-form image by moving a handset across a certain area as in a regular panorama mode, Photo Sphere composes several individual images into a single panoramic shot.

While Photo Sphere comes standard on various stock Android Nexus devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition; however, such OEM devices as those directly from Samsung may require the feature to be installed by users. Rumors have proposed since the pre-release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that the Korean manufacturer would introduce the S-Orb feature but it has yet to be seen. Early Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumors also proposed S-Orb as a feature for the device, and suggestions have once again surfaced with this photo. But for now, Samsung Orb remains unconfirmed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor For South Korean Model?

One feature enthusiasts are most excited to learn about is whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will feature the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, or both. Reports indicate that the Galaxy Note 3 will feature either chipset in various markets, while a source leaked a detailed list of which countries will get which processor variant upon the device's release. Samsung's home country of South Korea was notably missing from the list; however, the manufacturer is infamous for giving South Korean models of its flagship devices Exynos brand processors for their initial international release.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 in South Korea notably released with a special Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chipset, which was over clocked to 1.8GHz from the 1.6GHz clock speed seen in the standard chipset and was also equipped with LTE. Later, Samsung released a model of the Galaxy S4, also exclusive to South Korea, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which introduced the LTE-Advanced technology to the market.

Leaked documents from the South Korean mobile network KT indicate that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 may be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor for its intitial release instead of an Exynos processor. The chipset is expected to account for up to 80 percent of the Galaxy Note 3 handsets shipped for the device's initial release. While South Korea is usually among the exclusive markets to receive the Exynos chipsets, many propose that Samsung may opt for the Snapdragon 800 in order to equip South Korean handsets with the latest LTE-A technology. Currently, the recently unveiled Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processor appears to not even feature LTE capability; however, the manufacturer could very well produce a special LTE version for its home country as it has done in the past.

The rumor mill has saved some very interesting reports for the final hours before the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is released. Do you think any of these suggestions will pan out to be true? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow me on Twitter @FionnaatIBT.