Samsung Galaxy S4: Images leaked ahead of March 14 launch

Published Tuesday, March 12, 2013

By Vicky Kapur

It had to happen – and it has. Images of what seems to be the Samsung Galaxy S4, the South Korean smartphone giant’s next-gen flagship mobile, have been – finally – leaked online.

We expected them to be ‘leaked’ much sooner, but given Samsung’s near-hysterical penchant for secrecy, we can forgive the delay.

The clarity of the images actually vindicate the hacker, but we can’t be a 100 per cent sure that this is the real deal before the smartphone is actually unveiled in two days from now, on March 14.

The device looks strikingly similar to the Samsung Galaxy S3α (alpha), but we’re told it’s different. The rather convincing images show a 5-inch smartphone, similar in styling to the Galaxy S3α, and a fair deal of details in terms of the oblong button and a glossy reverse cover, presented in a stylised background.

The yet-to-be-officially-revealed smartphone has some serious specifications upgrade from the current generation of the Galaxy smartphone, the S3, including eye-tracking software that will help you scroll through the phone with the twitch of your eyes, and a literal “green screen” with energy-saving PHOLED material in its AMOLED display.

In addition, it is rumoured to be available with a wireless charger – but that should soon be a standard, so no surprises there – and floating touch technology (i.e., you do not need to actually touch the touch-screen for it to function). You can read all about it here: Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5S: Compare specs, release dates and pricing.

The images were first uploaded to Chinese forum 52 Samsung just a few hours ago, and are making a splash online as you read this.

As you’ll notice from the images, the 5" screen shows it as a cross between the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note – which is what the Galaxy S4 is rumoured to be. But it is expected to pack a powerful punch behind its smooth exterior.

On the other hand, the images might just be fake, leaked by Samsung to distract the online paparazzi from the real thing – something that Samsung did remarkably well when launching the Galaxy S3.

Nevertheless, unless we actually hear from Samsung in a couple of days, we’re sure to be bombarded with some more – perhaps different – leaks. Let’s take them with a pinch of briny, then.

Let us know what do you think of them… real or fake?

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