14 DAY TRIAL // Although this is not the first time we hear that Samsung plans to announce the Galaxy S5 earlier than expected, it's the first time the information comes from an ex-Samsung employee with some connections.
Naver, a South Korean publication, claims that Samsung will tease the next Galaxy device as early as January 2014, at CES (Consumer Electronics Show).
The publication cites multiple sources close to the matter, as well as South Korean media, which predicts that Samsung Galaxy S5 will be officially revealed in February, at Mobile World Congress 2014, in Barcelona.
This shouldn't be a surprise at all, as Samsung is usually announcing its next Galaxy S flagship smartphones at MWC, but the time frame between the official announcement and release on the market is usually about 2-3 months, depending on the region.
However, Samsung is determined to shorten this window to only 1 month due to Galaxy S4’s unexpectedly low sales. If Galaxy S5 is announced in February, then we might see Samsung releasing it on the market as early as March/April.
The smartphone is said to feature the new Design 3.0 stylish look, which means that Samsung has finally decided to get rid of the plastic chassis in favor of a metallic body.
On the inside, Galaxy S5 is rumored to come equipped with Samsung's Exynos 64-bit processor with no less than 8 cores, while on the back, it will boast an enhanced 16-megapixel camera.
The latter will be packed with lots of improvements and additional features, including OIS (optical image stabilization) and low-light shooting enhancements. Samsung Galaxy S5 will also include a fingerprint scanner.
The first image of the Galaxy S5 is likely to be released by Samsung in mid-January 2014, but we have yet to get confirmation on this one. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.