Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Leaked Software Features Suggest Major Upgrades

The upcoming Galaxy Note 4 smartphone by Samsung Electronics Co. (KRX: 005930) will likely include a host of new software features -- and a recent leak gives an idea of what those features might be.

Tech informant Evleaks recently shared a list of Android application packages (APK), the file format used for Android applications, which often reveals the name of an application. While some of the files included in the leak are for well-known Samsung features, many others could suggest new features to be included on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

In particular, files such as “SStudio_WQHD” APK stands out as indication of a potential new feature. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to feature a QHD (1440 x 2560) resolution display and this “S-Studio” app could work in conjunction with a high-resolution screen. Files like “VRSVC” APK could offer software support for Samsung’s rumored virtual reality headset called Samsung Gear VR, GSM Arena suggests. Many of the files give only a small idea of what the feature could be.

Some of the file names are a bit more straightforward, such as “OutOfFocusViewer” APK, “PhotoStudio” APK, and “SmartSelfShot” APK, which allude to photography applications. Some rumors suggest that Samsung will use a 16-megapixel for the Galaxy Note 4 with an optical image stabilization feature to capture clearer images. Other rumors suggest Samsung will use a 12-megapixel camera with a better quality lens for the Galaxy Note 4 to address the complaints from consumers about the picture quality of Samsung's mobile cameras.

Jeff Orr, a senior practice director at ABI Research, told International Business Times in June that Samsung will likely design the Galaxy Note 4 camera to work in conjunction with the device’s applications. A feature like “Smart Self Shot,” which sounds like a mechanism for taking selfies, could be a feature specific to the Galaxy Note 4 that requires a specially catered camera.

File names such as “SHealth3” APK and “FingerPrintScanner” APK are features already included on Samsung devices. Their inclusion within the leak could suggest confirmation of these features for a new device. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will likely include an updated version of the S-Health app, in addition to Samsung’s new Finger Scanner, which was introduced on the Samsung Galaxy S5 in April. Notably, Evleaks also discovered the “FingerPrintScanner” APK for the Galaxy S5 prior to its release.

Another software feature that may be included on Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is colorblind settings, which configure a display according to various levels of color-blindness. The name “Colorblind” APK is included among the list of leaked files. Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is expected to launch its new Android L software in the fall, which also includes colorblind settings; however, it is not known whether this feature on the Galaxy Note 4 is Samsung’s or Google’s.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to be announced in early September at the IFA Expo in Berlin and to be released in late September. Other recent reports suggest that device might include an ultraviolet (UV) sensor and a retina scanner.