The Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours continue to flow, with latest reports claiming the handset will be slower than the iPhone 5S when it launches in Q1 2014.
With claimed Samsung Galaxy S5 benchmarks having appeared online in recent days, it has been suggested that, despite making a jump to a rival 64 bit processor, the Samsung Galaxy S4 follow-on will in fact be slower than its leading Apple-branded rival.
While reports have suggested that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 clocked a score of 3303.88 in a Rightware Browsermark test, the recording is slower than both the iPhone 5S's score of 3669.91 and even the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which clocked 3353.07.
This, however, is just one of many Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours currently doing the rounds as Samsung works up to its challenger to the Google Nexus 5 and LG G2. Ensuring you are kept abreast of all the latest Samsung Galaxy S5 news and rumours, including when you can expect the Samsung Galaxy S5 release date, what specs the phone will have and how much it will set you back, bookmark this page as will be updating it regularly leading up to the S5 launch next year.
Samsung Galaxy S5 News
While the leaked Samsung Galaxy S5 benchmarks have suggested the phone will be less powerful than the iPhone 5S, further reports this week have suggested that in a bid to save money on production costs, Samsung will drop the flagship phone from its usual AMOLED panel to a cheaper LCD offering.
Although blacks will be reduced by the mooted switch to an LCD display, colours should appear more natural. Despite the change in panel, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has been tipped to be the first smartphone to adopt a 2K resolution.
Recently, it has been suggested that the Korean manufacturer will hold a Samsung Galaxy S5 release date in March 2014. Although the S4 was unveiled in March of this year, it did not go on sale until April. What's more, it has been rumoured that the new flagship phone will launch alongside a second-generation Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch that will be 30 per cent slipper than the original.
Elsewhere, Samsung recently teased a range of potential Samsung Galaxy S5 features. Speaking at its annual Analyst Day in Seoul, South Korean, the manufacturer has suggested that its 2014 phones (i.e. the Samsung Galaxy S5) will boast impressive 2560 x 1440 pixel displays as well as 16-megapixel ISOCELL camera sensors and as much as 4GB of RAM.
What's more, while recent Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours have pointed to the device trading in its less than impressive plastic build in favour of a new metal option, Samsung itself has stated the phone will support a 64-bit processor. While it might copy the iPhone 5S' CPU, Samsung has stated the S5 will not feature an integrated fingerprint scanner.Ensuring it is not left behind, latest Samsung Galaxy S5 news has once again seen the upcoming handset tipped to run a 64-bit processor, similar to that found in the new iPhone 5S.
While Samsung’s CEO of Mobile Shin Jong-Kyun recently stated that "yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality," reports of production issues had hinted this feature might not drop until later in 2014 aboard the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Now, however, the Samsung Galaxy S5 looks set to be on the receiving end, of the PC-esque processor.
“According to the latest bits of information coming from Samsung’s homeland, the company is pretty much done with developing its in-house 64-bit CPU,” tech blog GforGames has reported. They added: “From our understanding, Samsung went past the more difficult parts of creating the CPU, and the chip is almost ready for its release.”
Further reports have suggested the Samsung Galaxy S5 release date will see the handset line up with 3GB of RAM in tow. A feature that has also been mooted for the imminent Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the S5's expansive RAM has been hinted at after the company's latest development announcement.
Speaking in recent weeks, Samsung confirmed that it had started mass production of the first 3GB low power DDR3 RAM chips for mobile devices. With the Samsung Galaxy S5 set to be the manufacturer's new flagship phone, it makes sense that it will run the company's latest developments and most advanced components.
A chip that could spell more than increased speeds and improved multitasking capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy S5 RAM improvement could result in a slimmer phone with a bettery battery life. An official spokesperson for the company stated: "Samsung's new ultra-slim memory solutions will enable thinner smartphone designs and allow for additional battery space, while offering a data transfer speed of up to 2,133 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin."
Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date
As you would expect, Samsung has yet to give any direct indication as to when the Samsung Galaxy S5 release date will be held. That’s not to say we don’t have some idea on when to expect the next addition to the company’s flagship smartphone brand though.
If Samsung sticks with past tradition – and we can’t see why it wouldn’t – then it is expected that the Samsung Galaxy S5 release date will be held sometime around April/May 2014.
Although still nothing more than speculation, this predicted Samsung Galaxy S5 release date does have a theory behind it. Like its bitter rival Apple, Samsung has become something of a fan of strict annual product cycles for its leading product lines, as such it has become a little bit predictable.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 hit UK retailers on April 26 after a dedicated New York launch event on March 14. The Samsung Galaxy S3 went into stores on May 29 2012 and all the way back in 2011, the Samsung Galaxy S2 launched on May 1. Starting to see the pattern?
Although a late April/early May Samsung Galaxy S5 release date is believed to be on the cards, there are still many rounds of rumours and leaks expected before then.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Rumours
It might be early, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours are already doing the rounds. The most prominent Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours to date, however, all focus on one area of the currently unconfirmed phone – its design.
With the Samsung Galaxy S4 having been widely criticised for its plastic form factor which failed to match up to the brushed metal highlights of the iPhone 5 or HTC One, Samsung is widely expected to adopt an all new finish for the S5, with new aluminium body repeatedly tipped.
According to unnamed “sources close to the South Korean phone maker,” recent reports have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be used to launch a new ‘Design 3.0’ standard within the company.
The sources stated: “While we don’t have the slightest idea what Design 3.0 really means in terms of looks, we can now confirm that Samsung will start to use aluminium for its high-end smartphones, and the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be the first one to receive this treatment.”
Further hinting at a change in design and materials, Samsung recently acquired carbon fibre specialist the SGL Group, announcing in an official statement that it would be using the high-end lightweight materials in future phones and tablets.
"Lightweight materials have become an important factor not only in industrial applications but also the consumer end markets such as digital media," Yoosung Chung, President & CEO of Samsung Petrochemical said. He added: "This partnership will position Samsung as a leading player in the development and application of carbon fibre-based products.”
"The cooperation is expected to provide a stable long-term supply of carbon fibre materials for Samsung and promote its use in various Samsung products and applications such as consumer electronics, medical devices and engineering applications,"
Samsung Galaxy S5 Specs
With the Samsung Galaxy S4 having taken smartphone specs to the next level, it is widely expected that the South Korean manufacturer will continue with a similar trend with the next-generation S5. Although few areas of the phone’s features list have yet been rumoured, certain elements have been teased.
Earlier this month a Samsung design patent leaked (above) showing off a new angled-edged phone which has been mooted to the be the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5.
Based on the outed design filing, the phone will run a version of Google’s Android operating system (no surprises there then) as well as integrated cameras front and back. At present no further S5 specs have leaked.
Other recently emerged Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours have claimed the upcoming handset will make use of a new 16-megapixel smartphone camera sensor, offing high-end snaps that will finally spell the end for the dedicated compact camera.
Recent reports have claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S5 specs sheet could be bolstered by a 16-megapixel rear-mounted camera and 3GB of RAM wrapped within a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active esque waterproof coating. Although currently unconfirmed, the already eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy S5 is an inevitability of the current trend of annual product cycles and companies’ insatiable need to always be pushing the envelope and raking in the cash.
According to further leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S5 specs sheet will see the new 16-megapixel camera sensor further bolstered by optical image stabilisation features.
The revised camera component is said to be under development in Korea to replace the 13-megapixel snapper found on the existing S4. It is not expected that the improved camera optics will be ready in time for next week’s Samsung Galaxy Note 3 unveiling.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Price
Although the Samsung Galaxy S5 price is a long way from being confirmed, it has already been suggested that the S5 will cost more than its already pricy predecessor.
According to the same unnamed sources who have claimed a metal bodied design will be bestowed upon the next-gen handset, the Samsung Galaxy S5 price will be bumped up by the new premium building materials.
Stay tuned for more Samsung Galaxy S5 news and rumours as more details on the S4 follow-on continue to appear. While you wait, why not take a look at all the latest iPhone 5S rumours.
