Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date Coming: Case Listing On Amazon Suggests Two Models; Is Premium Version To Be Called Galaxy S5 Prime?

At a time when Samsung (KRX:005930) is only two days away from unveiling its new flagship smartphone, dubbed the Galaxy S5, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday, a surprising listing of cases for the new handset on Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) website by a third-party case maker has brought a twist in the tale. The listing showed that there could be two different models of the device -- a standard and a premium version.

According to the Amazon listing of Spigen cases for the new handset, the standard model could simply be called the Galaxy S5, while the premium model could be named the “Galaxy S5 Prime.”

A report from SamMobile cast doubt on the legitimacy of the listing, saying it is possible that Spigen has listed the cases early to build interest. However, the report also mentioned that if a higher-end model of the Galaxy S5 does exist, the new “Prime” moniker suggests that there could be significant difference between both the versions.

The SamMobile report also said that one of the main differences between the two Galaxy S5 models could be related to the display quality. According to the report, the Galaxy S5 Prime could feature a higher resolution display, with 2560x1440 pixels, compared to a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels in the standard model.

This is not the first time that Samsung is rumored to introduce two models of the Galaxy S5. Some earlier reports said that the premium version of the new smartphone could feature not only a QHD display, but also a metallic build.

Korea’s ETNews recently reported that the Galaxy S5 model featuring the QHD screen could be released a few months after the standard model with the 1080p display hits the market.

Meanwhile, Samsung released the first video teaser of the Galaxy S5 on Friday, in which it used the words "fit," "wet," "outdoor" and "alive," apparently lending credibility to some earlier rumors that the handset could be water- and dust-resistant, and could feature health-oriented apps.

When it comes to other features and specs of the device, rumors have it that the smartphone could sport a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, a faster quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor (U.S. variant), 3GB of RAM and a fingerprint scanner that will require users to swipe their finger on the home button to use it.

As for the release date, the device is rumored to go on sale in mid-March.