Samsung Hints At A Galaxy S6 Smartphone Made Of 'New Materials'

Samsung is putting all of its focus into its next line of smartphones.

A senior vice president at Samsung's mobile communications business said Thursday during an earnings conference call that the South Korean-based electronics giant has two premium smartphones in the works that could debut within the next six months -- one is a large-screen device, the other is made of “new materials.” The first smartphone to be released will likely be the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which is expected to launch in September.

While Samsung's Kim Hyun-joon didn't provide details on the second device -- or what new materials it is using -- there's a good chance he's referring to the next smartphone in Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s (KRX: 005930) Galaxy S flagship line, which will likely be called the Samsung Galaxy S6. The six-month timeline Kim indicated could refer to the period between the release of its two flagships. Galaxy Note devices typically launch in September, followed by the Galaxy S usually six to seven months later, between March and April.

Rumors about a device called the Samsung Galaxy Alpha suggest that the smartphone may include metal in its external design. Some reports have considered that this could be the device made of new material; however, the Galaxy Alpha is expected to launch next month -- not in six, with some reports suggesting the device will be announced either Aug. 4 or Aug. 13. According to website SamMobile, the handset maker wants to market the Galaxy Alpha during the final summer months, before turning its focus to the planned September launch of the Galaxy Note 4.

Notably, Hyun-joon told investors that Samsung plans to release several mid-range and low-end smartphones that include “enhanced specifications” during the latter part of the year. The Galaxy Alpha is likely to be marketed as a mid-range smartphone with plenty of high-end features, including 32GB of internal memory, LTE-A mobile connectivity and a fingerprint scanner like on the Galaxy S5. One potential drawback? The Galaxy Alpha is expected to have a low-resolution display.

Samsung is the world's largest smartphone maker, and its Galaxy lineup competes well with rival Apple's iPhone line. But its revenue is under pressure, and Samsung hopes its new smartphones will help take the sting out of some of that decline. On Thursday, Samsung reported lower-than-expected profit in its second quarter as sales fell 9 percent. The company had warned that the second quarter would be its worst in two years, citing a drop in sales of its mid-range and low-end smartphones.

The company said that its Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, launched in April, is outselling the previous Galaxy S4 by 10 percent.