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Samsung applied for the same design patent to USPTO in August last year, leading many to speculate that the design was for the Galaxy Note 3. Reuters

Samsung (KRX:005935) has applied for a smartphone design patent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, which hints at how the company’s upcoming Galaxy Note 4 could look like.

According to a report from SamMobile, Samsung had applied for the same design patent to USPTO in August, leading many to speculate that the design was for the Galaxy Note 3. However, as the Note 3 did not feature the form factor, it is likely that the patent was actually meant for the Galaxy Note 4. Yet another aspect that indicates the design might be a concept of the Galaxy Note 4 is the S Pen slot, visible at the bottom of the device.

The design patent of the Samsung smartphone shows that the device has a curvature form factor, which makes it look like it lacks a bezel on the side. The design also does not have the hardware buttons that are found on Samsung devices.

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Samsung applied for the same design patent to USPTO in August last year, leading many to speculate that the design was for the Galaxy Note 3. USPTO

However, the report said that “the design could either be a temporary omission or a permanent one, depending on the extent to which Samsung wants to refresh its smartphone design.”

According to earlier reports, the Galaxy Note 4 could feature a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, or OIS, technology. Some other reports have also suggested that both the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 could ditch AMOLED display for LCD in an effort to cut down on production costs.

Following Samsung’s announcement of a new 4GB RAM module for its upcoming mobile devices earlier this week, rumors surfaced claiming that the company’s 2014 flagship handsets, such as the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4, could feature 4GB of RAM.

Some reports have suggested that both Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 could sport WQHD screens with 2560x1440 pixels, and 4GB of RAM will certainly help the devices power these displays and run apps easily.

Click on the following links for more information on the design patent:

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