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Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has become a monstrous success. The device has features that beat the iPhone 5 on multiple levels. From its bigger screen to its faster processor to applications like near-field communication, it’s the kind of product that consumers and enterprise users can get excited about. More importantly, it’s the kind of product that can’t be so easily replaced.
But Samsung is holding a special event in March that will attempt to do just that. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is expected to be unveiled at that event, and with it, Samsung will try to strike gold twice.
So far, Samsung, taking a page from Apple’s marketing manual, has remained tight-lipped on its plans for the Galaxy S4. But just about everyone agrees that the product will be one that consumers and business users will to take a close look at.
Just because Samsung hasn’t discussed its features, however, doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time to speculate on what the Galaxy S4 might offer. If the rumors are true, the Galaxy S4 will be a product no one will want to miss.
Here is some informed speculation about what features to expect in the Galaxy S4:
1. A slightly larger screen size
Although the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 4.8-inch screen is awfully big, the Galaxy S4 is expected to ship with a 5-inch display. That would make some sense, considering the Galaxy Note that Samsung sells also has a 5-inch display and it has proven popular. With a 5-inch screen, the Galaxy S4’s display will be a full inch larger than the iPhone 5’s screen.
2. The same design
Don’t expect the Galaxy S4’s frame design to change all that much. Samsung has found a design that it likes with the smartphone and it has so far sidestepped Apple’s lawsuits on design. It makes no sense for Samsung to change things now.
3. Retina-Display-killing pixel density
According to several reports, the additional screen real estate in the Galaxy S4 will allow Samsung to deliver a product that will have over 450 pixels per inch. With that many pixels, the Samsung screen will easily outpace the iPhone 5’s Retina display and kick off the race for best screen in the mobile market.
4. A new CPU and GPU
With any new updates, consumers expect a new CPU and GPU. And luckily, the Galaxy S4 will deliver. The device is said to offer a new Exynos 5 octo-core CPU, as well as a dramatically improved GPU for gaming purposes. Since the Galaxy S4 is Samsung’s flagship device, such a major update makes sense.
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 to Appear in March: 10 Features to Expect
5. Touchless control?
Here’s an interesting one: several reports have indicated that Samsung has inked a deal with vendor Atmel to include its MaXTouch S controllers in the device. What that means is users will be able to hover over the screen to choose different menu items, but won’t actually need to touch it. How well it will work, of course, remains to be seen.
6. 4G LTE
Here’s an obvious one: the Samsung Galaxy S4 will come with 4G LTE and WiFi connectivity. Any smartphone is expected to support WiFi and 3G nowadays, and any flagship product must come with 4G LTE. Since the S4 is one of those flagship products, expect to find 4G LTE.
7. Gorilla Glass 2
Corning has been doing a great job delivering on its promise of reducing the impact of dropping a smartphone. Gorilla Glass 2, in fact, can withstand an awful lot of punishment without causing scratch or ding. That’s why Samsung will include it in its Galaxy S4.
8. Not much internal storage
Samsung might make the surprising – and perhaps ill-advised – decision to only include 16GB of storage in the Galaxy S4. The move might be a response to the fact that the device will come with a microSD card slot that will support up to 64GB of additional storage. Cloud storage might also be available. Maybe onboard storage isn’t as important as once thought.
9. Android Jelly Bean
Since Mobile World Congress has come and gone without any mention of a new version of Android, there’s a good chance that the Galaxy S4 will ship with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). But if Google announces a new software version in the next few months, rest assured that the Galaxy S4 will be upgradable to the next version.
10. Full Bluetooth 4.0 support, a better camera, and NFC
Looking for some extra bells and whistles? According to the rumor mill, the Galaxy S4 will come with additional improvements, including full Bluetooth 4.0 support for fast data transfers, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and support for near-field communication.