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Galaxy S4 Concept: What Samsung’s Next Big Thing Will Look Like

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We cooked up some Samsung Galaxy S4 concept renders to show what we think the Galaxy S4 will look like. The Samsung Galaxy S4 officially arrives on March 14th, but we couldn’t wait that long. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the most anticipated Android smartphone of 2013 and is giving the rumored iPhone 5S a run for its money.

The photo-realistic images below show our best guess at what the Samsung Galaxy S4 will look like, not necessarily what we would like it to look like. We also put together some images of what the Galaxy S4 may look like compared to the iPhone 5 for size reference.

Samsung is already pushing the Samsung Galaxy S4 hard with an ad campaign and a Times Square kick off on March 14th to show the public what the Samsung Galaxy S4 will look like.

As it did with the Galaxy S3, Samsung is doing of keeping the overall design of the Galaxy S4 under wraps. We’ve seen several possible leaked images emerge, but none of them have been confirmed to be the official Galaxy S4.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 Rumor & Release Roundup

We partnered with Martin Hajek to come up with these Samsung Galaxy S4 concept images based on what we know about the Galaxy S4 so far, the most probable rumors and Samsung’s previous designs.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept Video

Watch the Samsung Galaxy S4 concept video to see what Samsung may announce when the Galaxy S4 arrives in New York City next week.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Design

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will likely feature a plastic design that takes cues from the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. We don’t expect to see a Samsung S4 with a metal body.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Plastic Design

Like the Samsung Galaxy S3, and the rest of the successful Samsung Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets Samsung appears to be planning a plastic finish. The Samsung Galaxy S4 concept below shows a mostly plastic design.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept

The Samsung Galaxy S4 design borrows from the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3 and the new Galaxy Note 8.0.

A plastic Samsung Galaxy S4 won’t win over every new customer, as many users prefer the metal construction of the HTC One and the metal and glass iPhone 5, but plastic provides a more flexibility.

The plastic back of our Galaxy S4 concept comes off like the Galaxy S3 back to provide access to a replaceable battery and a Micro SD card slot for 64GB of additional storage. By offering a removable back Samsung can also offer an extended Galaxy S4 battery. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S4’s plastic back can pop off to switch out for one that supports Qi wireless charging, another rumored feature.

Earlier rumors indicated Samsung was planning to use aluminum on the sides of the Samsung Galaxy S4, similar to where the silver side accents are, which would be another possible way to add strength and complement its sleek appearance. That said, we think the Samsung Galaxy S4 will stick with all plastic.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept

Expect at least a white and a dark Samsung Galaxy S4, with an improved 13MP camera.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Dimensions

The concept Samsung Galaxy S4 features a 4.99-inch display, which increases the size of the smartphone over the Galaxy S3. Thanks to a beautiful edge-to-edge display and sloping curves our Galaxy S4 concept remains manageable with one hand.

Unlike many device concepts, we set out to create a concept that Samsung could actually sell at a reasonable price. ven with the larger display we ended up with a Samsung Galaxy S4 that measures in closer to the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 than to the larger Galaxy Note 2.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 concept dimensions are:

  • Width: 64.82mm
  • Height: 136.66mm
  • Thickness: 7.85mm

That’s narrower and thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S3, while remaining just as tall. Even if Samsung can’t hit this width, we feel that the Galaxy S4 will still stay significantly narrower than the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. While larger than the iPhone 5, this Samsung Galaxy S4 concept remains pocketable.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Ports, Buttons & Speakers

There are no surprises when it comes to the Galaxy S4 ports and buttons. The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a headphone jack at the top and a Micro USB charging port on the bottom. While Apple shifted the headphone jack to the bottom, many users will agree that it belongs up top.

The Galaxy S4 has volume and headphone buttons, but no dedicated camera button. Users will likely rely on motion-controlled gestures to launch the camera from the lock screen.

Unlike the HTC One and the rumored iPhone 6 mockup we shared this week, there’s a single speaker on the back of the Samsung Galaxy S4 .

Samsung Galaxy S4 Display

Along with the screen bump to nearly 5-inches, the Samsung Galaxy S4 concept features a 1080P HD display. This is one of the most likely Galaxy S4 features, and it means the smartphone in your pocket will match most HDTVs’ resolution. The Full HD resolution translates to a 440 pixel-per-inch density for sharp text and crisp images.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept

The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a larger display, but our Galaxy S4 concept uses an edge-to-edge screen to keep the overall size closer to the iPhone 5 than the Galaxy Note 2.

Samsung may need to skip the Super AMOLED display technology from the Galaxy S3 in order to deliver the 1080P HD resolution. If this happens Samsung will turn to an LCD screen.

The edge-to-edge design allows Samsung to keep the Galaxy S4 size in check, while delivering a large canvas for reading, watching HD movies and playing graphically demanding games.

The larger screen will also come in handy when users activate Multi-Window View, a Samsung exclusive feature that allows users to run two apps on the screen at once, shown off in the video below.

To the upper left of the large display is a small but powerful sensor that allows the onboard software to track a user’s eyes and motions.

Samsung carries over the Smart Stay feature from the Galaxy S3, which tracks a user’s eyes and keeps the screen on and lit up when a user is looking at the display.

Samsung is rumored to be including at least one new feature within the software called ‘Eye Scroll’ which would allow users to scroll up and down the page naturally. While not confirmed, the feature would likely take advantage of either the front-facing camera, the built-in sensor, or both.

In addition to the eye tracking features, expect motion control similar to the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, which will allow users to turn the Galaxy S4 over to mute a call and slide a hand above the Galaxy S4 to see important information without touching the display.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Camera

Our Samsung Galaxy S4 concept features a 13MP sensor from Sony. There are rumors swirling that this is the sensor Samsung’s chosen for the S4 and there’s a possibility that Apple may use it in the iPhone 5S as well. This sensor will allow the Galaxy S4 to shoot better photos than the Galaxy S3 which was equipped with an 8MP sensor.

Additionally, Sony’s 13MP sensor would allow the Galaxy S4 to take HDR video, which is especially useful in high-contrast scenes.

While the rear camera is in the same position as it was with the Samsung Galaxy S3, we’ve shifted the positioning of the front-facing camera and the sensor ever so slightly from the Galaxy S3 to give it a more pleasing appearance.

The front-facing camera and sensor are placed in a position where they will be able to provide support for users looking to take advantage of the Galaxy S4’s smart features.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. the Competition

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5

One of the smartphones that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be up against when it arrives is the Apple’s iPhone 5, the most current iPhone that arrived back in September.

Apple’s iPhone 5 features an extremely modern industrial design that is one of the slimmest on the market. The overall design that offers a combination of glass, metal and an anodized aluminum back, a far cry from the polycarbonate plastic of Samsung’s past and perhaps present Galaxy S designs.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept vs iPhone 5

Our Samsung Galaxy S4 concept is close in size to the iPhone 5, and thanks to the plastic design there is a removable back with access to a user-replaceable battery and a Micro SD card slot.

The iPhone 5 checks in at 7.6 mm thick, which is just a bit thinner than our Samsung Galaxy S4 concept, which checks in at a mere 7.85mm.

While Apple included a larger 4-inch display on the iPhone 5, the Galaxy S4 is thought to have a much larger display. The larger display necessitates a larger footprint.

And while the iPhone 5 uses less-than-HD resolution, the Galaxy S4 features full HD 1080p resolution.

Read: 7 Ways the iPhone 5 Could Beat the Samsung Galaxy S4

Our Galaxy S4 concept’s camera will best the 8MP iSight camera found in the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5 features a front-facing camera that is situated directly in the center of the device. Our Galaxy S4 features an off-centered front-facing camera and sensor to give the front of the Samsung Galaxy S4 a sleeker look.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5S

This year, Apple is rumored to be releasing an iPhone 5S, a device that is thought to retain the same sleek design as the iPhone 5 while adding souped up hardware and, presumably, new software in iOS 7.

If true, it would mean that our Galaxy S4 design would match up similarly with the iPhone 5S, at least from a design standpoint.

Read: iPhone 5S vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 – Round Two

It would also likely mean that the iPhone 5S would keep the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5 meaning both the real Galaxy S4 and the concept would dwarf it.

However, rumors suggest that Apple will upgrade the rear camera on the iPhone 5S, possibly including the same Sony 13MP sensor that is said to possibly be coming in the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 6

The iPhone 5S isn’t the only iPhone that Apple is rumored to have in the pipeline for the future. In addition to the iPhone 5S, Apple is rumored to be working on a larger iPhone, which could arrive as the iPhone 6 in the future.

iPhone 6 concept from nowhereelse.fr.

iPhone 6 concept from nowhereelse.fr.

Rumors suggest that Apple’s larger iPhone could feature a plastic polycarbonate design, much like the concept and rumored Galaxy S4.

Read: iPhone 6 Concept Brings 4.8-inch, No Home Button Prototype to Life

Apple has used plastic iPhone designs before, most recently with the iPhone 3GS, but this time, the company is thought to be using it to keep the cost of the device down.

The display is said to be much closer to the size of the Samsung Galaxy S4’s, both real and concept, with reports pointing to a display that is either 4.5-inches or 4.8-inches in size.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One

One of the Android devices that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will surely challenge is the HTC One, HTC’s brand new flagship that will replace one of the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 2012 rivals, the HTC One X.

The HTC One will be HTC’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and from the looks of things, it should match up quite nicely from a design, display and camera standpoint.

The HTC One uses metal rather than plastic in the design.

The HTC One uses metal rather than plastic in the design.

Unlike the rumored and conceptual Galaxy S4, the HTC One features a full metal design that has no gaps in its construction meaning it keeps the same texture throughout the entire design.

HTC’s device at its thickest point is 9.4 mm. At its thinnest point, on its sides, the HTC One checks in at just 4.3 mm thin, much thinner than both versions of the Galaxy S4.

The HTC One display is a bit smaller than the rumored Galaxy S4’s. While the Galaxy S4 is pushing 5-inches at 4.99-inches, the HTC One boasts a 4.7-inch display. The HTC One also has full HD 1080p resolution, much like the rumored Galaxy and the Galaxy S4 concept.

Read: HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 (Rumored)

HTC has done away with the megapixel with the HTC One camera, instead, utilizing what it calls an Ultrapixel camera. The HTC’s Ultrapixel camera is said to be able to capture 300% more light than a standard smartphone camera.

HTC One photo samples show a camera that appears to product high-quality images, even in noisy and low-light environments but it’s unclear just how well it would match up with a 13MP Sony sensor in the Galaxy S4.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Summary

Our Samsung Galaxy S4 concept may not look exactly like the real device that arrives on March 14th, but many of the features including the 4.99-inch display, plastic design and 13MP camera will more than likely be on board the real Galaxy S4.

Gotta Be Mobile will be live on the ground on March 14th for the Galaxy S4 launch at the Radio City Music Hall. In the meantime, be sure to tune in for all of the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 news.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Concept Gallery

Adam Mills contributed to this report.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Diego!

    03/05/2013 at 10:32 am

    It looks amazing! Great job you guys! If this ever comes to reality, save one for me :D

  2. Uriah

    03/06/2013 at 9:18 am

    It’s amazing how much of a difference narrowing the bezels makes on screen dimensions. I’m looking forward to seeing if they add a 1080p display to the new Galaxy SIV. Streaming my live and recorded shows to my phone while I’m commuting to and from work at DISH is something I do often, and I think a higher resolution display would do well for me. I have the DISH Anywhere app on my Galaxy S2, which allows me to stream my shows from my DVR wherever I go, and it would work brilliantly with the higher quality display.

  3. Edward

    03/07/2013 at 10:30 am

    What a concept Great great, I am so much excited about S4 as iPhone 5 break my expectations

  4. metin

    03/07/2013 at 10:48 am

    süper design,? but why humpback and ugly back side, confused ducks-ördekler.

    • c2g1980

      03/14/2013 at 9:31 am

      Makes it way easier to hold being so thin. I feels better in the hand than most all the other devices even though it larger. That’s why it is tapered.

  5. metin

    03/07/2013 at 11:38 am

    Compare ? Please get such iphone 6, a smooth and beautiful model So Unfortunately the brand? Beginner? Man.and this is a bad design master. süper design,? but why humpback and ugly back side.. curvature of the model so that one day we knew already,

    • c2g1980

      03/14/2013 at 9:38 am

      It’s easier to hold something that curves to your than it is to hold something that doesn’t. It feels like it was made to actually sit in your hand. It’s not ugly at all honestly. It gives it a nice rounded look versus the same old same old flat design that mufflers the speaker when its laying flat on a desk. The sound on the curved smartphone bounces off of the desk or table & sounds amazing.

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