Samsung revealed the new Exynos 5 Octa 8-core processor just moments ago at CES 2013, and the new silicon not only gives us a taste of how fast some Samsung smartphones will be soon, but also the possibility of this landing inside the Galaxy S4. This hasn’t been confirmed, but it would be the perfect handset to showcase the new horsepower considering its popularity.

If the Samsung Galaxy S4 did receive this new 8-core technology, then the handset will be able to switch between a Cortex-A7 for common tasks and a ARM Cortex-A15 for high performance tasks, which is thanks to the processor splitting the cores into two clusters with four cores in each. This improvement will really help battery life when running more common tasks.

This isn’t the first chip to aim to reduce power and processing by switching on the fly, but Samsung are promising the Exynos 5 Octa will improve on power use by up to 70 percent compared to the Dual Exynos 5. If this technology is included in the Samsung Galaxy S4, then we could be looking at a lot more battery life if you don’t run power hungry apps all the time.

Samsung also state that the Exynos 5 Octa will deliver around x2 the 3D performance in comparison to the previous generation, which would be welcomed on a Galaxy S4 for mobile gaming. The problem here might be battery life, so it will be interesting to see how the battery drain is when playing high graphic mobile apps.

Do you hope to see the 8-core Exynos 5 Octa inside the Samsung Galaxy S4, and if so do you expect this chip to deliver the right balance of performance and battery life? We will try and hunt down a video of Samsung’s presentation, but for now you might want to keep an eye on our social channels and samsungces.com.

In case you missed it, you might want to see this Samsung Galaxy S4 concept video that is pretty lifelike and arrived on YouTube late last month.

The last couple of days have included the publication of a new Samsung Galaxy S4 video showing a rendering of what the next handset could be like, and also a rumor that suggests the Galaxy S4 could see a release date in April next year. This fits with our earlier predictions and the likelihood of Samsung wanting a dedicated event for the Galaxy S4 launch, rather than a reveal at CES 2013.

You can see the Samsung Galaxy S4 hands-on video below this article, obviously not the real handset but a concept, and the latest release rumor is suggested on enuri.com, which you might need to translate to English. This suggestion for the Galaxy S4 to launch in April makes sense and is pretty obvious; especially considering Samsung stated this year that they would announce the S3 nearer to “commercial availability” and not at CES. We expect the same in 2013 with a launch in either April or early May. Enuri also claim that the Galaxy S4 will come with an S-Pen in the box.

What do you think about the rending in the video below, and will you be ready to upgrade to Samsung Galaxy S4 in four months? You can see more details on the expected Galaxy S4 specs here in our article from earlier this month. It is worth noting that the popularity and interest in the Galaxy S4 is clear, which is shown by the 1,309,475 views at the time of writing for the video below, which has only been online for 3 days.

When it comes to the appropriate Samsung Galaxy S4 specs there are some features that need to make the final design, and there are those that could result in major problems if they’re included next year. We heard about the Exynos 5440 quad-core CPU right at the start of this year, and expectations were for the chip to skip the Samsung Galaxy S3 and feature on the S4 in 2013. This looks to be the case now with additional confirmation arriving on an official Kernel Git information page, which leaves it very unlikely for Samsung to include anything other than this quad-core brain on the Galaxy S4, especially after the Nexus 10 is based on similar technology.

We traced a video one month ago that had been published back in January this year, and this showed predictions were being made at least 10 months ago for the Exynos 5440 quad-core chip to be included in the Samsung Galaxy S4. You can see Samsung’s Kernel Git page here, which had been published last month and details a patch that adds support for EXYNOS5440 SoC “including ARM Cortex-A15 Quad cores”. If this is to be the brain of upcoming Samsung mobile devices then the Samsung Galaxy S4 specs should include this chip considering it will likely be the new flagship smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S4 display rumor that persists – it seems that a number of blogs firmly believe Samsung’s new flexible screen technology will be included in the Galaxy S4, which in our opinion would be a bad move. An unbreakable display that is more flexible is good, but a totally bendy display that is hard to produce would be a recipe for disaster. We previously touched on the popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone, and how such popularity with a new Galaxy S4 would kill any chance of a flexible display being included.

Following this we looked at other screen evolution issues as well, but this hasn’t stopped a number of websites claiming the next flagship smartphone could include a bendy screen even after Samsung and other brands commented on how hard it will be to mass produce these displays. Considering the current smartphone sold over 30M units, and the next would likely be as successful it would certainly be a recipe for disaster if Samsung included a display that’s hard to produce and radically different.

In our opinion and after listening to the production issues with this new flexible technology, any website claiming Samsung will bring a flexible screen to the Galaxy S4 is not looking at the bigger picture, but a screen that is made tougher thanks to small steps towards this flexible technology would be a good move. You will see flexible smartphones from Samsung next year, but don’t expect them on their flagship smartphone that would almost certainly end in production problems if the rumor became a reality.

What would be the appropriate Samsung Galaxy S4 specs in your mind? You can see a list of expected features and specs for the next flagship phone below thanks to this source, but we’d love to hear what you think should be included on the Galaxy S4?

One thing we can count on with the Samsung Galaxy S4 is that it will be popular, and this assumption can be made from the 30m plus sales of the S3 and also the massive interest, which has users trying to find clues as to when the next Samsung flagship smartphone will see a release date. Recently we’ve seen a few rumors pointing to the Galaxy S4 seeing a launch in May, and a few people latched on to a recent news report that talked about new flexible displays standing a chance of mass production in the first half of 2013, so naturally some people question if the Samsung Galaxy S4 could feature a flexible display?

We wanted our readers to watch the WSJ news report that looks at Samsung’s plans for flexible display technology, and also states that the company is planning on mass producing flexible smartphones next year, so one of the biggest handsets expected from Samsung next year would be the Galaxy S4, but could this technology really be included with their flagship smartphone?

In our opinion it won’t and there are a number of reasons for this, which the most important lies with “Mass Production” and the fact that this has been the issue with previous brands aiming to bring this technology to market. Samsung explain they could be the first to mass produce flexible screens on a level large enough, although in the video below you’ll hear warnings repeated about the problem with creating enough flexible screens. They state that it’s not easy to mass-produce flexible displays at this time, but they are hoping to do so by the first half of 2013.

If Samsung tried to put a flexible screen on the Samsung Galaxy S4 its popularity would likely cause massive stock issues, although it is still not known if consumers would even want this technology on their smartphones, so it’s a massive risk for a flagship handset as well. For these reasons don’t expect to see the Samsung Galaxy S4 including a flexible display, but do expect them to land on other Samsung smartphones at some point next year.

Would you want a flexible display on a smartphone? You can also read why you shouldn’t expect to see the Galaxy S4 at CES or MWC next year in this article, which is thanks to Samsung’s comments earlier this year and the fact that this handset needs an event of its own.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve seen a few Samsung Galaxy S4 release date predictions thrown around, which a lot of these point to MWC 2013 being the launch event for the S3 replacement, but the more we look at previous statements from Samsung the less likely these rumors seem. Most people would agree that May 2013 should be the Samsung Galaxy S4 release month, which is due to the S3 launching around this time in 2012, so if this is the case some people feel that Samsung would unveil the Galaxy S4 at the next MWC, but this couldn’t be more wrong if we look at the companies feelings about this launch pattern earlier in the year.

Back In February of this year we saw Samsung confirm that the S3 wouldn’t be at Mobile World Congress, and the reason they gave for this had been the fact that they wanted to launch the handset closer to “commercial availability” with a separate event dedicated to the new flagship phone. Why would Samsung change this with the Galaxy S4 release, unless it’s going to see a launch date much sooner than May?

We agree with most users that MWC is just a few months before the expected Samsung Galaxy S4 release month, but if the same launch pattern is followed next year then it makes sense for Samsung to still want a dedicated launch for the Galaxy S4, which is nearer to availability once again. Personally we’d prefer to see the new flagship smartphone revealed during MWC, but looking at the way Samsung did business this year it is more than likely to give MWC 2013 a miss just like the prior release pattern.

Are you happy to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S4 reveal, just like we had to this year with the S3? On the matter of screen sizes, we know a few people wanted to see a smaller form factor, but the consensus from users would be a screen size between 4.7 and 5-inches, although feel free to share your ideal Galaxy S4 screen size in the comments.

We’ve seen a number of S3 owners make suggestions for the Samsung Galaxy S4, and while some people want the specs to include better battery life, an enhanced display, tailored software improvements, and an aluminum or metal casing, it seems that some people want to see a smaller Galaxy S4 when the specs are finally revealed. This seemed strange at first considering we know that Samsung launched an S3 mini not too long ago, although after taking a closer look at this possibility we start to understand it.

The slightly smaller Samsung Galaxy S4 – the S3 sold well over 30m units and showed that not only do people love Android, but they also love this handset created by Samsung. Most people love to see things improve and change will happen to some degree when we reach the Galaxy S4 release date, but what new features should be added and what should stay the same?

We’ve heard from a number of PR readers that want to see the Samsung Galaxy S4 a little smaller, so it “fits better in a pocket” and while some people point to the new S3 mini, it is worth pointing out that the specs have been reduced on this device to gain a smaller size. Samsung can make the Galaxy S4 form factor smaller by decreasing the size of the bezel on the sides, which would create a true edge-to-edge screen and reduce the width slightly. The top and bottom of the handset could also be reduced slightly and still allow for a screen size the same as on the S3, if they wish to do this.

Would you like to see the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch a little smaller with S3 beating specs? This can be done without reducing the screen size too much, although if the size is reduced what is the smallest you’d like to the Galaxy S4 screen? Personally we’d love to the Galaxy S4 with a reduced screen at 4.5-inches, from 4.8-inches, and with an edge-to-edge display to allow for a notability smaller device in your hand that hardly reduces in screen real estate. Add to this the fact that the Galaxy S4 will gain much more advanced hardware like an improved camera, and a faster processor, then you have a slightly smaller more power handset that could top the sales of this years flagship Samsung phone.

Those of our readers using an Apple device cannot deny that Samsung has made massive progress in being very popular in the smartphone market, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 met expectations following surprise success with a larger smartphone last year. We’ve also heard a lot about the Samsung Galaxy S4 over the last couple of weeks, but something you can count on being included with the Galaxy S4 is a plastic finish that some love and others hate. We hear iPhone 5 and 4S users talk about build quality a lot and it’s true that these smartphones feature a more expensive metal finish, but should the same thing come to the Samsung Galaxy S4 next year and maybe a special edition of the Note 2?

Desired in metal by Apple users – the majority of Android users using Samsung phones with the plastic externals would point to the internal specs and how much better they are, but for millions of iPhone users it would take a metal finish rather than plastic to gain their money. We’ve had a few emails from Apple fans asking if there would ever be a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 special edition in metal rather than the cheaper feeling of plastic, and while we can understand why they’d want this, we doubt it will ever come considering Samsung’s track record although if it does happen you’d be waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and not Note 2.

Samsung Galaxy S4 in metal – there are no signs that this will happen, considering the screen hints and specs we’ve heard already, but it isn’t stopping some people holding off from buying an iPhone 5 in the hope that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is made of metal rather than plastic. This does seem a big deal to some people, although it’s worth pointing out the more than 30 million sales of Galaxy S3 show that users love the current offering, which plastic certainly brings down the price and this is very important to a number of smartphone buyers.

Would you prefer a metal finish on the Samsung Galaxy S4, or better internal specs? It might come down to price at the end of the day, and while we know you can almost certainly count on plastic considering the way Samsung like to make phones, it would’ve been interesting to see a special edition in metal and we wonder how many iPhone users would be converted to Android with a Galaxy S4 in metal with those extreme specs?

The release date for both the next Samsung flagship smartphone and iPhone 6, 5S could be a couple of months apart, so this design offering would matter even more to Apple fans if this is the case. You can also read about the camera sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S4 in our earlier article, which is expected to be what the Note 2 should’ve been.

It is true that a smartphones specs can be decided by the timing of its release date, and while the Samsung Galaxy S4 could see a launch just a few months after the Galaxy Note 2, this gap has been very important to the type of CMOS sensor used on both handsets. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 features an 8MP sensor that will be more than enough for most people, although what some PR readers might not know is the Galaxy Note 2 should have had the 13MP option that is reported to be coming to the Galaxy S4 early next year.

Reason for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 being downgraded – it is hard to argue with the fact that there’s no better mix of a tablet and phone on the market at this time, and the Galaxy Note 2 is leading the way with this niche. The screen size of 5.5-inches is a perfect balance of phone and tablet for some people, and while not every user wants a massive device on their ear for making phone calls, it seems that the people that purchase the Galaxy Note 2 spend more time doing other things.

We tracked down a source from last month that explained why Samsung didn’t include a 13MP camera on the Galaxy Note 2, and this translated article explains that Sony couldn’t meet the number of 13MP CMOS image sensors needed for the Galaxy Note 2 at that time. The expected popularity and massive strain on these sensors at the time meant Sony couldn’t commit, but when looking forward to the Galaxy S4 launch it looks like Sony are in a much better position.

Samsung Galaxy S4 demand will be massive – you only need to look at the S3 sales to understand how big the Galaxy S4 release will be, and considering the enhancements we’ve heard it could top the sales figures of the current Samsung flagship smartphone. The image below comes from the same source via the link above, and shows a specs sheet for the expected 4208×3120 Samsung Galaxy S4 camera sensor with its size.

What would you like to see on the Samsung Galaxy S4? You don’t need to look far to find people offering up their wish lists for the Galaxy S4, and claimed specs include a 440ppi flexible display to deliver a screen that has no bezel, but this could just as well be a dream considering the unnamed sources being thrown around on numerous websites. Other rumored Galaxy S4 specs are a lot more solid, which include the potential for a quad-core Exynos 5450 chip that had been claimed right at the start of this year.

Two of the improvements we would like see arrive on Samsung’s Galaxy S4 would be an improvement in call quality, and also better battery life to support the new hardware, although another factor that’s going to be interesting is the release window of a new iPhone, which could land within months of the “S IV“. Feel free to name your ideal specs for Samsung’s next flagship smartphone.

You will be amazed at how many smartphone shoppers know what next generation device they want without knowing a thing about its specs, and this is especially the case with the Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 6. You’ll find the majority of people making a choice already for both these smartphones, due in 2013 at some point, and this decision will be made almost entirely by brand reputation. Some technology enthusiasts would already have an idea of Samsung Galaxy S4 specs and even a possible release date, which is due to a few insider sources and the fact that this smartphone will release before the iPhone 6.

Naming the so-called Samsung Galaxy S4 and Apple iPhone 6 – these smartphones were given names thanks to their past, although it is most likely that Apple will deliver a different name considering we’ve seen an iPhone 4S model before the iPhone 5, so you could see the 7th generation iPhone launch with the 5S title. Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is more straightforward and we have no reason to think anything else is coming other than the “Galaxy IV” title.

When it comes to launch events and release dates for both the Apple iPhone 6, as we like to call it for now, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 it seems details are very clear from Samsung, although Apple are a little more confusing. We’ve known what the Galaxy S4 processor is likely to be since the start of this year, and this has been reconfirmed towards the end of last month with some more insight into specs as well. We also looked at how the majority of fans want a certain screen size in this article, which included details on the expected Feb 25 unveiling at MWC and possible release date around March/April.

New launch window for Apple’s phone – iPhone 6 will be a little harder to paint a picture of launch pad and release date, although most people would claim that fall 2013 would be the launch window for iOS 7 and iPhone 6, which is what happened this year with iOS 6 and iPhone 5 in September. Things have changed a little this year though with Apple launching a number of new products that could lead to a new launch window for the iPhone 6.

Apple shocked fans with the iPad 4 launch just over half a year since its last generation, so we shouldn’t underestimate Apple with the chance of seeing the iPhone 6 release date backtrack to where it traditional had been, which saw a launch pad at WWDC. In 2013 that could mean a new iPhone just 9 months after iPhone 5, which is still better than the 7 month gap between the 4th and 3rd generation iPad.

Why would Apple want to bring the iPhone 6 back to an event they traditionally launched the phone from? First up it could be that the second half of the year is getting pretty crowded, which just included the launch of an iPhone, iPad mini, iPad with Retina, 2012 iMac, and of course a 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has previously confirmed they like to spread the launches of new products, so would the iPhone 6 be better off launching at WWDC 2013?

People that love to own as many Apple products as possible might also want the release date for iPhone 6, or other devices, moved thanks to it being impossible to purchase all the new products after launch. If Apple spread out the launches then it makes it easier for dedicated fans to buy the latest Apple technology as it releases. You might be surprised at how many homes own just about everything Apple, and like to upgrade shortly after a new generation launches. What specs would the iPhone 6 include, especially if it came 9 months after the last generation? Do you have a few features in-mind that were missing from the current model?

Samsung Galaxy S4 to launch with better reputation – Samsung has been a pain in Apple’s side this year, and new reports are claiming that the iPad lost half its market share in Q3, although this is likely aided by the fact that consumers expected a new iPad, which ended up delivering with both an iPad mini and 4th generation as well. You might have thought no one could catch Apple a couple of years ago, although it is very clear that Samsung has done this in 2013 and could do much more in 2013. We’ve also seen Samsung rule the UK mobile phone market with the Galaxy S3 thanks to certain stats, and this is expected to continue with the Galaxy S4 for those people that don’t like a bigger display found on the Note 2.

You cannot ignore the fact that Apple is still a force to be reckoned with, and we know plenty of people that will stay with Apple thanks to their investment in the brand over the years, but the same can now be said about Samsung that is building a loyal following. When we asked our almost 22,000 Facebook followers if you could really decide between Galaxy S4 or iPhone 6 this early, the responses pointed mostly towards Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S4. This is interesting considering we know very little about the specs for each device, and confirms a lot of choices will be made by brand reputation. Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 6, could you really decide this early?

The past couple of weeks have seen some solid rumors arrive for the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is pegged to be the only Android device likely to beat the S3 success, but we’re not liking some of the Galaxy S4 display size suggestions that seem to be in direct conflict with what the majority of users want. It is fair to say that the Note 2 has carved out its own niche of becoming both your tablet and smartphone, although there is no need for Samsung to send the screen size of the Galaxy S4 in this direction as well.

Samsung Galaxy S4 display size is critical – there have been a few rumors pointing to a screen size of around 5-inches for the Galaxy S4, which resulted in forums and blog comments being filled with users stating they’d “never buy the Galaxy S IV with a display size at or above 5-inches“. It is understandable why the majority of users seem to have these feelings, which is due to each Samsung Galaxy device needing to fit in and also keep the gap between display sizes.

Insight into the Galaxy S4 horse power can be read in our article here, which looks at a number of signs pointing to the EXYNOS 5250/5450 chip being used in the next Galaxy smartphone, although it is worth pointing out these rumors started back in January and look pretty solid. The link to the article above includes a video showing how long ago the EXYNOS chip rumors started.

Towards the end of last month we also looked at other Galaxy S4 specs that could happen, and after dissecting a number of sources claiming insider information it seemed that the most likely screen could be a 4.8-inch OLED with edge-to-edge technology. Take a look at that article here, although we’d love to hear what your ideal screen size would be for the Samsung Galaxy S4? Do you have a maximum display size, and anything after this would be a no-go for you?

At the time of writing there has been no confirmation of a release date for the Samsung Galaxy S4, although numerous reports are claiming that February next year is looking likely. Considering Mobile World Congress 2013 runs Feb 25-28, we’d expect a March/April launch for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to be on the cards.