Video: Everything We Think We Know About the Samsung Galaxy S5

For months, the tech world has been teased with endless rumors regarding Samsung’s next potential smartphone release, the Samsung Galaxy S5. If it’s in development, which it probably is, it’s a follow-up to one of the most popular smartphones in recent memory, the Galaxy S4 especially in the Android space.

But between rumors of curved screen displays, new names, an all-metal chassis and included iris scanners, it’s hard to paint a clear picture of what this potential new phone might actually be upon release later this year. And with this much hype behind it, there’s bound to be a few misleading reports in the pile. So, to help clear away the dust, we’re going to round up everything we think we know about the Samsung Galaxy S5.

 

Will the S5 have an All-metal Frame?

One of the earliest S5 rumors to rear its head on the Internet was that the device would be designed with an all-metal chassis in mind. While some reports have conflicted over the months (many claiming that the frame would be entirely metal), most signs now point to a hybrid chassis of aluminum and polycarbonate making up the S5’s body.

Other reports have surfaced claiming that two versions of the S5 could see release, one fully metal, and one traditionally polycarbonate (or even carbon fiber). The likelihood of that is low, however, given Samsung’s nature with the Galaxy family, but worth pointing out nonetheless.

Speaking of the outer design of the device, reports and related patents have pointed to the S5 ridding itself of a physical home button, leaving it entirely touch-based on the front. Could it happen? Frankly, it could go either way.

What will the S5 screen look like? Will it be curved?

It probably won’t be curved, since Samsung has already denied the rumor publicly. Also, with a family of devices as successful as the Galaxy S, it’s unlikely that Samsung would place its S5 bet on risky new tech like curved displays. But if you’re interested in seeing that technology at work, we suggest checking out the Galaxy Round and the LG G Flex.

Leaked potential specs for the S5’s screen indicate that the Quad-HD display will clock in at whopping 2560×1440 resolution, more than enough pixels for the human eye to notice. It might also be LCD instead of AMOLED in nature, allowing Samsung to save some money without sacrificing much in the way of performance and design.

Will it have an Iris or fingerprint scanner?

More recent rumors are pinning the answer to the fingerprint/iris scanner question as a simple “no”, and they’re probably right. Samsung  apparently told the Korean Times not long ago that it’s “not yet developing the technology” for its phones.

However, reports have come and gone of Samsung working on the fingerprint scanner themselves, or through the purchase of a biometrics firm, but all have gone either unconfirmed or flat-out denied.

And given the fanaticism about this sort of technology in times where the NSA pokes around in places it shouldn’t, you’ll have people on both sides of the argument for the inclusion of in-phone body scanners.

Will it run Android?

Some reports have claimed that the Galaxy S5 would run an operating system other than Android this time around, perhaps sporting Tizen OS instead. But since Android is gaining traction like a lazy cat gains pounds, we don’t expect the latest member of the Galaxy S family to shy away so quickly from Google’s popular mobile OS.

And since very stylish versions of the device’s Google Now interface have surfaced, it seems more likely than ever that the S5 will run Android 4.4 KitKat as many hope. Along with that OS comes the potential for more Air Gestures, a mechanic Samsung has been looking to evolve alongside its phones.

How powerful will it be?

As with anything prosumer in nature, we always have to ask what sort of horsepower this little sucker is packing. According to reports, the internal processor of the S5 could be 64-bit in  nature, as well as packing in 4GB of ram to power its software. Some reports have crazily suggested that the phone could include 8GB of ram, but we’re not putting our money on that crazy horse just yet.

But if the chip itself is not 64-bit in nature, you’re probably safe to assume that the S5 would include one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon quad-core chips, somewhere in the 2.5GHz clock range. If anything, the phone will probably match or beat the specs of the Galaxy Note 3, meaning at least 3GB of ram in the S5 is not an unfair expectation to have.

When can I buy one?

As for everything else about the device, it’ll supposedly have a removable, bigger battery, a 16MP rear-facing camera for higher color fidelity images, and a feature that’ll pour you a glass of wine and feed your cat. And while those last two features are complete and total lies on our part, trust us when we say we won’t really know the full details until Samsung announces the darn thing.

And speaking of which, Samsung will be holding its Unpacked event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on February 24.  It’s here that Samsung will likely introduce the S5, which may end up being released as early as April.

We’ll be at the simulcast event in NYC, so keep your browser locked to BestTechie for the latest on the S5, as well as our thoughts on it.

As always, tell us how we’re wrong in the comments, and tell us what you’d like to see in the Galaxy S5. Besides the wine-pouring, cat-feeding one, we’ve kind of already submitted that to Samsung.