Samsung is reportedly working on a quad-core processor that could power its next-generation Galaxy S4 handset. The company has not confirmed any details or specs for its highly rumored Galaxy S4, but the production of a new, speedier processor adds more depth to speculation that has been spanning the Web for months.

While details on the device are largely a mystery, there is confirmation that Samsung is currently creating an Exynos 5440 quad-core processor. The Korea-based company’s Kernel Git page confirmed that the component is in production, according to Android news source Android Community.

This processor is allegedly based on Samsung’s Cortex-A15 chipset, the same component currently powering the Nexus 10 tablet. The company’s newest Exynos 5250 dual-core processor found in this 10-inch slate is the only one of its kind based on this chipset, but Samsung’s forthcoming quad-core variant could follow suit.

Samsung recently updated its Kernel Git page with various patches that will support its upcoming processor. There are not many details at the moment, but the reference board is identified as SSDK5440. Further specifications, such as the processor’s clock speed or RAM support, are unknown at this time.

While little is known about the forthcoming addition to Samsung’s Exynos family, it may be safe to say that users can expect to see this in upcoming smartphones, tablets and even new ultrabooks from the company.

The production of a quad-core Exynos 5400 processor based on the Cortex-A15 aligns with previous rumors about the Galaxy S4’s specs. In early November, a report from Korean newspaper Digital Daily published a slew of technical specifications that are expected to appear in the next-gen device, one of which being the exact processor that Samsung is currently producing.

The same report also indicated that Samsung is running test batches with this Exynos powerhouse to prepare for what could be an April or May launch. Rumors about the Galaxy S3 successor began to gain momentum back in September when the Korea Times reported that the device would premiere at a European technology expo this winter.

“Samsung is ready to unveil the next Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy S4, at early next year’s Mobile World Congress [MWC] in the Spanish city of Barcelona,” an unnamed Samsung official said to the Korean news source.

The Galaxy S4 is rumored to be Samsung’s “most powerful” smartphone to date, and executives from Samsung’s parts suppliers reportedly tipped the Korea Times that the device will “definitely use” LTE networks.

Other specs that have surfaced in Korean reports indicate that the smartphone will include a 5-inch OLDED display and a 13-megapixel camera. Recent rumors from Korea reported by Sam Mobile have also said that the device as been internally codenamed Project J and will launch in 2013. However, until Samsung decides to make its next-generation plans known to the public, this can only be considered rumor.

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy device will certainly have a lot to live up to. The company managed to sell 20 million units of its Galaxy S3 in 100 days following the handset’s release, and it is still the most popular smartphone overseas in the United Kingdom.

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