Galaxy S4 Release Date Pegged for April

The Samsung Galaxy S4 release date is set for April according to a new report which claims confirmation the next generation Galaxy S smartphone will go on sale the week of April 15th.

This lines up with the rumored Samsung Mobile Unpacked event said to take place on March 22nd in the U.S. as the official Galaxy S4 launch.

It’s not clear if the U.S. Galaxy S4 release date will take place at the same time as the global Galaxy S4 release in April, or if we will see a delay of several weeks before U.S. carriers like Verizon, Sprint or AT&T announce a branded Galaxy S4, something we saw with the Galaxy S3 release

A SamMobile report says the Galaxy S4, the next Galaxy S smartphone, will go on sale in the 16th week of 2013 in black and white color options and will feature a 2600 mAh battery and will support a wireless charging kit as previously rumored.

The 2600 mAh battery is larger than the 2100 mAh battery found in the Galaxy S3, but short of the extended Galaxy S3 300 mAh battery Samsung recently introduced. This is an average size battery for modern smartphones.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4: Why It’s Worth The Wait

Talk of a Galaxy S4 release in April is close to the rumors of a Q1 launch we heard at CES from an accessory maker, and fits the timing of Galaxy S4 cases in June, which we also heard on the show floor.

The report confirms the Samsung GT-I9500 model number which made an appearance on Samsung’s website earlier this year. The code name for the Galaxy S3 successor is reportedly “Altius(J)”. Samsung appears to be skipping over the GT-I9400 model number because the number 4 is bad luck in Korea. Samsung has not confirmed the Galaxy S4 name, which could jump straight to Galaxy S5 or Galaxy S V to avoid the number 4.

SamMobile cites an un-named source for the leak, and is generally reliable when it comes to news on Samsung’s upcoming products.

While there are no confirmations of Galaxy S4 carriers in the U.S., we anticipate the Galaxy S4 will arrive on the major U.S. carriers who sell the Galaxy S3. If this holds true, look for staggered U.S. Galaxy S4 release dates on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint as well as U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 Rumor Roundup

The Galaxy S4 is rumored to feature a 4.99-inch full HD display with a 1080P resolution and 440-pixels-per-inch, with the potential to deliver a very sharp and good looking display. The Galaxy S4 may use the new Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor and feature a 13MP camera.

Samsung’s security is keeping the Galaxy S4 design and details under wraps, so we aren’t sure what the device will look like. The video below shows a mock up of what the Galaxy S4 might look like based on one user’s imagination, but don’t expect the laser keyboard.

There’s no confirmation that the Galaxy S4 will use Gorilla Glass, but Samsung has employed Gorilla Glass on all past Galaxy S smartphones. Gorilla Glass 3, which offers better scratch protection, launched at CES 2013 and is on the way for mid-2013 according to Corning. If the Galaxy S4 uses Gorilla Glass 3 it could be the first device to launch with the new protective glass.

If rumors of the Galaxy S4 release date in April are true, we know what Samsung Vice President JK Shin’s definition of “soon” is.