Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Release Date Rumors: Concept Patent Shows Possible Design For ‘New Form Factor’

Samsung has indicated that the coming Galaxy Note will feature a “new form factor,” and a recently discovered concept may give an indication of what the new Note might look like.

According to Dutch tech website Galaxy Club, a concept smartphone design was published in South Korea on Monday. While not confirmed, the concept has been connected to Samsung, the country's most famous company.

Rumors have long suggested that Samsung plans to release a device with a three-sided display made with its Youm flexible display technology. In November, Samsung filed a patent for a similar wraparound display design, which allows for an extended view. Both patents show various icons aligned on the extended sides. Since they are just concepts, there is no guarantee that either design will be featured on a Galaxy Note device released to global markets.

Samsung unveiled its Youm technology at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show but has not yet implemented it onto any marketed devices. The manufacturer released the Samsung Galaxy Round in October in South Korea, but that prototype device reportedly does not use any flexible display technology. In January, Samsung showcased a flexible display prototype at the 2014 CES, but the reports did not indicate whether the prototype was made with Youm technology. Samsung has made little mention of Youm since its unveiling.

Several Samsung executives have indicated that the next Galaxy Note may feature a wraparound display. Executive Vice President of Mobile Business Lee Young-hee told Bloomberg in January that the Note might feature a three-sided display. Notably, Lee is the same Samsung executive who divulged that the Galaxy S5 might feature a fingerprint scanner, a feature that indeed was introduced on the S5 in February.

Senior Vice President for Product Strategy Yoon Han-kil recently told Reuters about the “new form factor” for the Galaxy Note 4. Samsung has experimented a lot with design on its most recent flagships; the Galaxy Note 3 features a faux-leather back panel while the Galaxy S5 features a “modern glam” perforated back.

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 won’t be available for several months, there are already a number of specs rumored for the device. In addition to an updated design, the Galaxy Note 4 is projected to feature a (2560x1440) 2K display, a 64-bit CPU, 4GB mobile RAM, 128GB internal storage, a 20.7-megapixel rear camera and a 3600 to 3800mAh battery. The Galaxy Note 4 may also be water- and dust-resistant like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Features for the Galaxy Note 4 cannot yet be confirmed; however, certain components have already been announced and may be on the not-so-distant release pipeline. Samsung announced its 4GB LPDDR4 RAM chip in December, while Qualcomm recently announced its 64-bit Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 chipsets. But Qualcomm has indicated that the processors won’t be featured on devices until 2015. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S5 features the Snapdragon 801 chipset, but the chipset manufacturer also has plans for the Snapdragon 805 chipset, which is does not feature 64-bit processing, but does enable higher-resolution displays.

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