So it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S5 may make an appearance at MWC 2014 after all - but why? Samsung, do you have something to hide?
If Samsung was looking to get the maximum publicity for its marketing buck it would stick to the standalone launch event which served it so well for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4.
These events managed to generate almost Apple levels of hysteria and excitement - a buzz many manufacturers can only dream of, and one which should be carefully preserved, not thrown into a melee of announcements at MWC.
I'm not saying people will ignore the Galaxy S5 if it does arrive in Barcelona, everyone (myself included) will still cover it with the same vigour as previous Galaxy S launches as it's going to be one of the big phones of the year, no matter what turns up - but I'll be doing it in the middle of covering announcements from a multitude of other manufacturers.
All part of the plan
Samsung is going to lose out on coverage compared to previous years - there's no two ways about it.
But perhaps that's exactly what it's trying to do. Maybe Samsung has finally run out of ideas on how to reinvent the wheel on an annual basis and is fearing a backlash as it unveils a handset which boasts only minor improvements over the Galaxy S4.
People were not overly excited by the Galaxy S4, which brought a slightly updated design and new eye, face and hand tracking tech - branded a gimmick by some.
Taking a look at the Galaxy S5 rumours there doesn't seem to be a great deal to get properly excited about.
A higher resolution display is hardly going to blow us away, a 16MP camera still pales in comparison to the 20.7MP Xperia Z1 and 41MP Lumia 1020 and Samsung will be late to the fingerprint scanning tech with the iPhone 5S and HTC One Max beating it to the punch.
With less of a focus put on the Galaxy S5, there will be less analysis of its flaws as media outlets attempt to churn through all the new products at MWC - leading to coverage of the sentient points, which realistically, is all the consumer needs anyway.
While this earlier-than-expected launch would see Samsung get its handset out the door before HTC - the Taiwanese firm may have the upper hand with its own event in March, allowing the HTC One Two to garner a lot more interest, especially if it can get the phone on shop shelves within a fortnight of announcement.
And what about the design? Is Samsung finally admitting it might not be that desirable? It's still thought that the South Korean brand will stick with the tried and tested plastic chassis for the Galaxy S5, but consumers now have a taste for the finer things in life.
The metal clad HTC One and One Mini join the iPhone 5S and Xperia Z1 in terms of premium look and feel - something that Samsung's handsets have always lacked, and it's falling further behind.
And the winner is...
This is great news for MWC. After a drab CES 2014 the relevance of trade shows was called into question, so having the Galaxy S5 showing up in Barcelona would be a massive coup for MWC - which may boast two major phone launches with the Sony Xperia Z2 also tipped for an appearance.
We've also got some decent tier two phones in the shape of the Nokia X Android phone and the LG G2 Pro - they might not be big hitters, but will certainly garner some decent coverage.
That potentially spells more trouble for Samsung as the Galaxy S5 will be going head to head with one of its biggest rivals almost immediately.
Get the Galaxy S5 wrong and it could be over before it's even hit stores, if critical acclaim is showered on Sony with Samsung's offering failing to impress - OK, that's a bit of a stretch as marketing also plays a huge part, but it's not a fight anyone should want to pick.
Sure, the Galaxy S5 will be powerful and brimming with the latest tech - but I fear it will also be underwhelming, and Samsung knows it.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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