Samsung Galaxy S5 May-arrive in early 2014

Samsung is reportedly planning to release the successor to its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone in early 2014, amid speculation that the device could come in two versions – one metal and one plastic.

According to Korean news website ET News, manufacturing of the Samsung Galaxy S5 will begin in Vietnam in January 2014, with a view to a release at the end of the quarter.

See also: Samsung 2014 phones Planning for 560 ppi Amoled Display

This would mean an acceleration of the company's normal release cycle, reinforcing rumours that slow sales of the S4 have forced Samsung to bring forward plans for its new handset.

ET News also suggests that the Galaxy S5 will be released in two versions. The premium version will have a metal chassis and flexible screen, according to the report, while the lower-end version will have a plastic casing and a regular screen.

Unlike Apple's iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, the specifications of the two Galaxy S5 handsets will be identical. The display size is expected to be around 5 inches, using Super AMOLED technology and with a pixel density of around 560ppi.

Other rumoured specs include a 16-Megapixel camera and 3GB of RAM, powered by a 4,000MaH battery.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Samsung is planning to release a Galaxy smartphone next year with a three-sided display that wraps around the edges of the device. The idea is that the user will be able to read messages from an angle. However, Samsung plans to have each side of the display operate independently.
Samsung unveiled a prototype of its Youm flexible display technology at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Youm uses OLED display technology, and is designed to bring out better colours and contrast with an extremely thin form factor.
In October, the company unveiled the Galaxy Round. Billed as the world's first curved screen smartphone, the device features a flexible 5.7-inch high definition display and is designed to allow users to check the information such as the date, time, battery life and missed calls more easily while the home screen is off.
The global flexible display industry is predicted to grow rapidly in the next few years. Research firm IHS Display estimates the market will be worth $1.5 billion (£900 million) by 2016 and more than $10 billion by 2019.

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