Samsung’s flagship smartphone and phablet devices may be in line for a major update early next year. An effort, reportedly called “Project F” according to unnamed ETNews sources, is already underway to produce the next generation Galaxy S and Galaxy Note devices. That in itself should not come as a surprise but Samsung is looking to dramatically up the build quality and specifications of the next generation of devices.
More interesting is that these Project F devices may not be direct replacements for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 but complementary devices. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 could share the limelight with some even more impressive devices next year.
On tap are a metal chassis design, 16MP (likely erroneously identified by ETNews as 1600 million pixel) cameras with optical image stabilization, octa-core Exynos processors and possibly even flexible displays. A 5-inch display appears to be in the cards for the smartphone model.
The report adds that Samsung is still working through a number of design challenges that could derail its plans. For example, Samsung is still trying to ensure that it would have a sufficient supply of metal chassis to meet expected demand.
Rumours that Samsung would switch to metal designs first surfaced late this summer with rumours that the Galaxy S5 would adopt a metal chassis, a 16MP camera with OIS and possibly a 64-bit processor.
A separate report by the Taipei Times suggests that Catcher Technology which already makes metal casings for Apple and HTC could receive Samsung’s order for its metal frames. The order could be for between 10 and 30 million units, numbers that match sale volumes Samsung would expect based on past Galaxy sales. The report adds that Samsung is also considering building its own production line to build magnesium and aluminium handset casings by the end of the year.
It all adds up to a rather ironic turn of events. While Apple is now embracing plastic for its smartphones, Samsung is moving in the opposite direction.
Sources : ETNews // AndroidAuthority // Taipei Times