Samsung Galaxy S4 Release: Does The Leaked Android 4.2.1 ROM For Galaxy S3 Tease Smart Scroll and Smart Pause Features On Galaxy S4?

What were thought to be leaked screenshots of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 have turned out to be false, but many now think the images of the leaked Android 4.2.1 ROM on a Samsung Galaxy S3 may still provide some insight about how certain features will work on the Galaxy S4.

SamMobile initially shared Wednesday screenshots of what was thought to be the Galaxy S4, which were taken as confirmation that the smartphone would have the eye-controlled pause and scroll abilities that have long been rumored.

Among many options under the “smart screen” settings page, the images show “smart scroll” and “smart pause” capabilities available on the phone.

One image shows that smart scroll can be configured in several different ways, allowing the setting of speed, acceleration and visual feedback, and can be set to work with the phone’s different programs, including Internet, Chrome, Gmail, and other email messages.

Samsung Galaxy S4: Confirmation Evidence?

Rumors that have referred to the technologies as “Eye scroll” and “Eye pause” say they let users direct the scrolling of both apps and webpages with eye movements, and pause videos by turning their eyes away from their displays.

A recent report from the New York Times claims to have confirmed the existence of the eye scrolling technology on the Galaxy S4. A Samsung employee who spoke anonymously told the newspaper that he has seen the mechanism in action, detailing how it works: “For example, when users read articles and their eyes reach the bottom of the page, the software will automatically scroll down to reveal the next paragraphs of text.”

Samsung also notably filed patents for eye-tracking technology, one under the name “Eye Scroll” in the UK in January, another under the name “Samsung Eye Scroll” in the U.S. in February, and a third under the name “Eye Pause,” for which little information is known, according to the report.

Many note that Samsung appears to be building on the Smart Stay technology that was introduced on the Galaxy S3, and allows users to control whether their screens are on or off based on their eyes being open or closed.

In addition, the leaked images showed a “smart rotation” mechanism, an option that was introduced on the Galaxy Note 2 and adjusts the phone’s screen according to the user’s angle of sight.

SamMobile claims that while the details of the leak were not completely true, an insider has also confirmed to them that these features are in fact on the Galaxy s4.

Will The Real Samsung Galaxy S4 Please Stand Up?

Other purportedly leaked images have also popped up in the wake of the Android 4.2.1 ROM confusion, including some shared on GSM Israel that show a device sporting specs similar to those rumored for the Galaxy S4, including a 5-inch full HD 1920 x 1080 display, a quadcore processor clocking in at about 1.8GHz and a 13-megapixel camera, according to Android Authority.

The images, completely different from the ones shared by SamMobile, also show the supposed home screen of the Galaxy S4 as well as a “my device” screen and a camera configuration screen.

These various leaks occur just a day after renderings of the Galaxy S4 initially shared on Twitter by @evleaks later turned out to be from the French online retailer Expansys. The images show the Galaxy S4’s proposed hardware and are thought to be some of the most accurate mockups of the S4. They suggest that the phone includes a Super Amoled Full HD touchscreen display and a 13-megapixel, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, LED flash camera -- two of the phone’s most prominent rumors.

Samsung will likely shed light on all of these leaks and rumors at its Unpacked event March 14 at Radio Music Hall in New York City, where the Korean-based company is expected to unveil the Galaxy S4.