Update: The invite to Samsung Unpacked is here, and as you can see, the Galaxy S4 will be the star attraction. We're told to be "Ready 4 The Show" and are invited to "Come and meet the next Galaxy". It's also "Episode 1" of Samsung Unpacked 2013, suggesting there will be more events later in the year, meaning more phones. The original story follows.
It's official: Samsung's Galaxy S4 will launch on 14 March, the company has confirmed.
Keen to steal the limelight from its Mobile World Congress rivals, Samsung will send out invitations this morning to a Samsung Unpacked event in New York next month. And a high-ranking executive has confirmed to our sister site CNET News that this will see the unveiling of the S4. Break out the champers, the next Samsung flagship is almost here!
Samsung elected not to hold a press conference at MWC this year, just as it didn't last year. It's likely its announcement will overshadow a lot of what's going on at the show.
So what can we expect from the S4? It's rumoured to pack an eight-core Exynos processor, a separate eight-core graphics processing unit, and a 4.99-inch SuperAMOLED display. Inside should be 2GB of RAM, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, while on imaging duties it should have a 13-megapixel camera that can handle 1080p video, with a 2-megapixel front-facer. It should also have Samsung's new security software, known as Knox, baked in.
We've heard the 14 March date touted previously by an Internet tipster, while a few days before that, a 'trusted insider' claimed the handset would make its debut on 15 March.
The Galaxy S3 was unveiled on 3 May last year, and didn't go on sale until the end of that month. Unless Samsung holds the S4 back from shop shelves for a while, the S3 will have been on sale less than a year before being replaced. Which could leave some S3 owners feeling a little short-changed, especially with two-year contracts being more and more common.
Though on the upside, the price of the S3 might fall, meaning you could pick up an awesome handset for a song.
Will you be buying a Galaxy S4? What would you like to see from it? And would you feel annoyed if your S3 was replaced after less than a year? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 16
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anonymous 25 February, 2013 10:13
I don't see why it should have a bigger screen than the S3. The S2 was the perfect size and all, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they come up with
anonymous 25 February, 2013 10:31
Agree, I've owned all the iphones and still own the iphone 5 but the S2 has the perfect screen size
anonymous 25 February, 2013 12:28
+1 to the above two comments. Not everyone wants a phablet.
anonymous 25 February, 2013 14:36
s2 screen ok for making calls, but for surfing and sky go its way to small. i wont get the htc one because its only 4.7". Its either this or the xperia z for me.
shauney3 25 February, 2013 14:50
My 4.7 Nexus is a great size, very happy with it. Interesting to see what the S4 holds.
KashAli 25 February, 2013 20:01
Had iPhone 4S than lost one was thinking to get iPhone 5. However been waiting for months now to see what's new Samsung's handset going to feature if it has high tech features and good specifications than moving to Android.
anonymous 25 February, 2013 20:26
@KashAli welcome to android
anonymous 25 February, 2013 22:11
Iam wating to S4
CaptainPicard 25 February, 2013 23:06
I can manage my HTC One X with one hand though I normally use my left hand to hold my the phone and right hand to use it. 4.99 inches isn't as big as it sounds; the One X from top to bottom is actually 5.3 inches tall so their is clearly space on the phone that could be utilized.
anonymous 26 February, 2013 15:59
I've got an iphone 4 but I am likely to switch to Samsung S4. The iphone just looks a bit tired to me now and frankly I'm sick to death of Apple as a company.
KashAli 26 February, 2013 20:24
Please bring for maximum cost of £400. Than you'll get 100 Million sale in a day. Definitely...!
anonymous 28 February, 2013 11:22
Samsung bragged about how much time they spent on the ergonomics of the GS3 in particular, something that the case above appears to go directly against.http://gossipscentral.com/technology/samsung-expected-throw-rumor-mongers-galaxy-s4-launch/
anonymous 28 February, 2013 14:45
I have an S3. Not to bother if they bring out a new one before its been a year because the S3 is still the top android phone on the market and is still amazing.
HotDog 28 February, 2013 15:16
I'm starting to get the feeling that the S4 is just a pimped up version of the S3, should they be calling it the S3se edition? It seems to me that Samsung is getting a tad greedy now, releasing a S4 so soon after the S3.
I for one won't be getting one as yet as I find the S3 I have now does the job I need it to perfectly fine, sorry Samsung but you have gone down in my expectations by releasing a new version so soon.
anonymous 28 February, 2013 20:15
Plz let me know when s4 is released.my email is junaid55@gmail.com....i will be very obliged to see s4....i love samsung company nd will support samsung forever......plzz just make the cost of s4 a little bit low to $400 so i can afford to buy it.......i will be waiting for s4......nd one thing that apple must say sory to samsung by telling samsung a copycat.....who they think they are....a world record breakers....huh in dreams
anonymous 1 March, 2013 19:54
I have been waiting for months to make the switch to android from my iPhone 4 but I am frustrated by the lack of a high-specced android phone with a screen size around 4-inch. I may in the end be forced to go with an iPhone.