Samsung Galaxy S5 Launch Date: What Not to Expect

The Samsung Galaxy S5 launch date is approaching, though, the company still has not confirmed exactly when it might take place. All signs point to an arrival later on this month and ahead of that possible date, we want to set consumer expectations for one of the biggest smartphones launches of the year.

Since the tail end of last year, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has been a fixture in the world of smartphones and mobile technology thanks to the numerous leaks, rumors and predictions that have seeped to the surface. The Samsung Galaxy S5 rumor mill has been churning at an unbelievable rate and from the looks of things, it will continue moving for at least a few more weeks.

So far, rumors have pointed to a pretty big upgrade from the Galaxy S4. Signs point to a larger display, a brand new processor or processors, an upgraded camera, new software, and, perhaps, a brand new design that could either be made out of plastic, metal or both. Sources still haven’t been able to nail down the exact nature of the Galaxy S5’s look though we have seen some Galaxy S5 cases leak out which confirm that the Galaxy S5 is indeed a smartphone.

Galaxy S5 rumors also point to a launch in the near future with signs pointing to an arrival in the next couple of weeks at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. And with a launch date supposedly this close, we want to take a close look at what we expect from Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S5 launch, or, the date that the company announces the Galaxy S5.

We’ve already taken a detailed look at what we expect and now, it’s time to reverse gears and detail what we don’t expect from the upcoming, and still rumored, Samsung Galaxy S5 launch date.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Launch Date Outside March

We still aren’t exactly sure when the Samsung Galaxy S5 will launch. A New York Times report suggests that the Galaxy S5 will indeed launch at the companies Unpacked 5 launch event on February 24th in New York City, something that Gotta Be Mobile said was extremely likely yesterday. Samsung itself hasn’t confirmed the date though which means that the door remains cracked.

Worst case scenario at this point for the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a March launch. There were rumors that hinted at a launch in mid-March though there were no rumors that suggested anything beyond that month. With Galaxy S5 rumors coming to a head, mainstream media has started to latch on,  there is reason to believe that a Galaxy S5 launch is close.

Anything outside of February or March at this point would be surprising.

All the Details

When the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch date does arrive, and again it looks like February 24th will be the day, expect Samsung to show off the Galaxy S5 and detailed many of its features. Just don’t expect it to detail everything.

Samsung will use this big stage to launch the Galaxy S5 and present consumers with hardware details and information about the software. We also expect it to reveal some kind of Samsung Galaxy S5 release date. We also expect the company to be coy about some specific pieces of the Galaxy S5 puzzle.

While the company typically does a good job of outlining most of the important aspects of its flagship devices, there are almost always some mysteries that remain. Here are the mysteries that we don’t expect Samsung to clear up on launch day.

Processors

From the looks of things, Samsung will debut at least one new processor inside the Galaxy S5. Signs point to a Exynos 6 and or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor. In the past, Samsung has used two different processors inside of its Galaxy S and we very well could see the company do the same here.

If that’s the case, some regions will get one processor, others will get another. And if that’s the case, don’t expect Samsung to outline, right off the bat, which regions will be getting which. This is is almost always a mystery that Samsung leaves for the media to figure out. We’re hopeful that the company does present a detailed list showcasing which countries will get which but given how much it will need to cover in its hour or so on stage, we don’t expect this information to be present.

Price

Don’t expect Samsung to detail the price of the Galaxy S5. The company almost always leaves that announcement to individual carriers. Carriers, at least those in the U.S., often wait several weeks before announcing this detail. The Galaxy S4 price remained a mystery for many weeks in the buildup to the release date.

Software

Again, Samsung has limited time on stage and that means that it’s not going to be able to detail every new feature on stage. We expect there to be a lot of new features and tweaks when it comes to software but we don’t expect Samsung to detail every single one on stage nor in any press release it might send out.

We expect that many of the smaller software features will be discovered once the Galaxy S5 is in the hands of the media and consumers.

Other Galaxy S5 Models

Rumors suggest that there will be at least two other smartphones barring the Galaxy S5 brand. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom and Galaxy S5 Active have both been rumored for arrival. And while we expect those devices to be real, based on the rumors and based on the fact that we saw both devices emerge with Galaxy S4 branding last year, we don’t expect them to join the Galaxy S5 on stage.

We expect Samsung to put the spotlight on the regular Galaxy S5. Other models would simply confuse general consumers tuned into the event. And with a Galaxy Gear 2 announcement seemingly planned for the event, we doubt the company would have enough time to debut that many devices and give them their fair shake on stage.

We also assume that Samsung’s supply and production chain will be focused on pumping out the mainstream Samsung Galaxy S5, a device that will likely land in the hands of millions.

Instead, we’re wagering on a launch similar to last year’s Galaxy S4. Unpacked will serve as the Galaxy S5’s launch date while the company will set up another date for its other Galaxy S5 products at some point beyond the initial Galaxy S5 release.

U.S. Release Dates

Do not expect Samsung to issue specific release dates for carriers in the United States. Furthermore, do not expect U.S. carriers to issue Galaxy S5 release dates of their own at the event or on launch day.

While we do expect them to confirm the device for arrival, we typically don’t see them confirm hard release dates weeks ahead of time. It’s likely due to other devices in their pipeline and we know that HTC’s M8 is getting closer. So, carriers will have some big decisions to make, decisions that may not come until after the Galaxy S5 is shown off on stage.

Detailed Software Upgrade Info for Older Devices

Finally, while it’s possible that Samsung will outline its upgrade plans for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Note 2 on stage, we don’t expect the company to go into great detail.

All three are still missing Android 4.4 KitKat so we could see the company confirm those updates for arrival at some point in the future. It’s also possible that we’ll see the company confirm Galaxy S5 software features for the Galaxy S4 and perhaps, the Galaxy Note 3 as well. Whatever the case, don’t expect all of the details to emerge.

Samsung almost always is silent about full change logs ahead of time, probably because it doesn’t want to let down consumers if it has to pull a feature or two if testing goes awry. If Galaxy S5 features are announced for older devices, don’t expect anything other than a vague confirmation on stage or after the event concludes.