Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date Coming: Analyst Proposes 2 Plastic Models As Samsung Confirms QHD Display Development

Just when enthusiasts thought reports of Samsung Galaxy S5 features was starting to become more concrete, new reports are giving a whole new set of specs to consider.

Long standing Galaxy S5 rumors have proposed that 2014 would be the year that Samsung introduced a premium smartphone with a metal chassis. Ideas have even gone so far as suggesting that the Korean manufacturer has plans to release two design models of the Galaxy S5: One with a metal exterior and one with plastic exterior. Recent reports still consider that two S5 models may release, but KGI Research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes both models will continue Samsung’s trend of premium smartphones encased in plastic.

Notably, several Samsung flagships have seen rumors proposing a metal design, while the devices ultimately released with the polycarbonate exterior for which the Korean manufacturer is known. Samsung has continually explained that its use of plastic in its smartphone design is what allows the company to release several flagship devices each year. We keep in mind that Samsung flagships usually do release in at least two main variants, featuring either a 3G enabled or LTE enabled processor.

Kuo’s prediction is that the Galaxy S5 release will be similar to previous flagship releases in that the devices’ exterior will largely remain the same, while the major improvements are featured internally. Kuo’s note to investors details that one Galaxy S5 version may be a standard model featuring a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM 8974AC chipset or an eight-core Samsung Exynos 5422 chipset and 2GB mobile RAM, while the other version may be a “Prime” model, featuring an eight-core Samsung Exynos 5430 chipset and 3GB mobile RAM. Both devices are expected to feature a fingerprint scanner, a rumor, which has been gaining support as of late.

Samsung Galaxy S5: Which Rumors Are Which?

Several reports have released about the possible internal features for the Galaxy S5, including a 64-bit processor and 4GB mobile RAM. Some sources have already suggested Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and Samsung Exynos 5430 chipsets among the Galaxy S5 features, while others propose “Exynos 6” and Snapdragon 805 chipsets for the S5.

According to Kuo; however, the Samsung Exynos 5430 chipset may be a 32-bit processor. With so many varying reports, there is no telling which is accurate at this point. Samsung and ARM reportedly began talks of 64-bit processor development not along after the unveiling of the iPhone 5S, which features the 64-bit A7 processor -- this has fueled Samsung 64-bit processor rumors for many months.

Additionally, Samsung began producing 3GB LPDDR3 memory in 2013 and implemented 3GB mobile RAM into the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Samsung also recently announced its 4GB LPDDR4 memory, which the manufacturer says will be implemented into UHD smartphones, tablets and ultra-slim notebooks. Though many reports have more solid proof behind them than others, pundits and enthusiasts must consider all feature possibilities.

Samsung Galaxy S5 QHD Display Continues To Gain Support

While some of Kuo’s predictions vary wildly from many previous reports, one of the analysts’ estimates is on par with long-standing rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S5 may feature a 5.2-inch QHD (2,560×1,440) display with 565 ppi density. The Galaxy S5 “Prime” model is expected to feature the QHD display. News of a QHD display for the Galaxy S5 first surfaced late last year, with late-December reports indicating that the next-generation display was already in mass-production. Samsung has supposedly announced in recent days that is currently working on a smartphone with a QHD display. According to Korean media, the manufacturer confirmed its development of QHD (2,560×1,440) 2K displays as well as UHD (3480 x 2160) 4K displays at the Semiconductor and Display Technology Roadmap Seminar.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S5 standard model is expected to feature a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display with 423 ppi density. We note that the Samsung Galaxy S5 features a Full HD display with a pixel density of 441 ppi. As Samsung is known for having each successor device feature an increasingly pixel-dense display than the last, it seems unlikely that the next-generation Galaxy S5 would have a lower pixel density than the previous-generation Galaxy S4. But nothing can be confirmed without word from Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy S5: New Model Number Uncovered

Rumors continue to swirl, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 seems to be making many appearances, cloaked in a now widely accepted model number. Reports have discussed the SM-G900S model number, which was discovered in a benchmark for a device with a QHD display; the SM-G900F model number, which was discovered within a Samsung shipping manifest; and the SM-G900A model number, which was supposedly a devices being tested by AT&T. Now, the SM-G900H model number has been discovered at telecommunications authorities in Indonesia.

As said, this model number series has long been connected to the Galaxy S5. Additionally, model numbers are often the first accurate devices details to surface for unreleased smartphones. Model numbers for several popular Samsung devices were leaked early -- including the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. These model numbers surfaced in locations similar to those we are now seeing. In fact, over eight actual model numbers for the Galaxy Note 3 were leaked several months before the device released. While model numbers often don’t offer much detail about devices during their pre-release, they are often good for determining the location and even carrier for which certain models will be released.

How much truth do you think are in the recent Samsung Galaxy S5 reports? Let us know in the comments below.

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