A possible Samsung Galaxy S4 powered by the Snapdragon 800 processor has had the rumour mills running hot since yesterday, and now a photograph of an S4 look-a-like has popped up on the same day as the Samsung Premier 2013 event.
Photographed by micro-blogger Palm, Slashgear believes it could very well be Samsung's Snapdragon 800 iteration of its S4 because of the physical similarities, including its button placing and wallpaper set. The phone is shown to be in a casing, which Samsung has used previously on unreleased phones.
Timing and coincidences aside, it's probably best to take this photograph with a helping of salt without any sort of official announcements or confirmations on if the phone even exists.
Snapdragon reality
Earlier we reported another clue to signify a possible S4 variant in the form of a user manual. As an unlikely clue, the online manual for a South Korean device known as the SHV-E330S shows that it has Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 800 processor.
If this device ends up being an S4 variant, it would support LTE-advanced, 2.3GHz quad-core processing and Adreno 330 graphics, with the possibility of 4K video output.
With so little known about Samsung's plans for the phone, if an S4 variant did become a reality, it might not even be released in the West.
Samsung announced the mini version of its flagship smartphone, but there was nothing small about the number of products it unveiled today in London.
The Korean manufacturer finally told the world what it already knew: the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is on its way.
The Galaxy S4 Mini is the 4G successor to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. It has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display at a 960 x 540 resolution, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, and 1.5GB of RAM.
While there is 8GB of internal storage, the company noted that only 5GB is actually available to use.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release date is pegged for “before the end of June” in the U.K., while availability in other markets is still unknown.
The price is expected to be around the £25 per month mark, or about £300 (around $460, AU$480) SIM-free.
The Galaxy S4 Mini with a higher-end camera bolted to its back
More Galaxy S4 variants
Samsung also announced the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, which is more like a digital camera-fied version of the stripped-down Galaxy S4 Mini.
It has a 16-megapixel camera on the back and a 10X zoom lens, hence the name. That’s great for Android phone fans who are more interested in a camera than high-end smartphone specs.
Sure, the phone’s Blue Arctic, Purple Mirage, Red Aurora, Brown Autumn and Pink Twilight colors are a bit garish and don’t have a release date yet, but where else are you going to get both pastel variety and Smart Pause.
Bending over backwards
Samsung tablet announcements
The other big focus of Samsung’s June 20 announcement was its Ativ tablet range.
The company was bending over backwards to show off the slim, transforming Samsung Ativ Q tablet-laptop hybrid that definitely fits into the post-PC era.
It comes with packs both Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean on the same device with a 13.3-inch touchscreen display and it expected in the U.K. later this year.
This wafer-thin tablet measures just 8.2mm and weighing in a 550g. Yet it’s powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 CPU chip and runs full Windows 8, not Windows RT.
The Ativ Tab 3 will also come with Microsoft Office Home and Student edition, which will be perfect for anyone returning to school the next month.
When style isn’t your product’s forte, just add it to the name
The skinny on these Windows 8-running computers is that the Book 9 Plus is a 13.3-inch laptop with a touchscreen and 12 hour battery life aimed at consumers.
As you may have guessed, the Book 9 Lite is a lower-specced version of the Plus.
The Samsung Ativ One 5 Style is a minimalist is look, but this all-in-one desktop is anything but in terms of its specs.
It has a 21.5-inch screen with 1920x1080-pixel-resolution, runs on an AMD A6 Quad Core Processor, has 4GB of memory and a storage capacity of up to 1TB.
Google's OS comes to a CSC
You’ve spilt Android on my CSC camera
Proving that Android knows no bounds, Samsung is packing Google’s mobile operating system into the newly announced Samsung Galaxy NX.
This makes it the first compact system camera (CSC) with 4G and Android, specifically Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
In addition to its 20.3 million-pixel APS-C sized sensor and interchangeable lenses, the Galaxy NX’s connectivity feature specs include WiFi and GPS to boot.
Like most of the products unveiled today, Samsung didn’t reveal a price for its Android-powered CSC, but it did promise a summertime launch.
Security is just a touch away (credit: Patently Apple)
The security of mobile devices to this point has been restricted to a personal identification number or a simple swipe of the finger on the screen.
With the amount of personal information readily available to anyone who happens to open your device without your knowledge, any additional security would be welcome.
As luck would have it, Apple has been reportedly working on adding in a fingerprint scanner to its devices for a few years, with the rumorsrisingagain as the reveal of the iPhone 5S draws near.
Though Apple has already patented fingerprint scanning technology of some sort in various stages, that didn't stop the Cupertino company from returning to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office once more for yet another potential mobile fingerprint reader.
Bezel tov
According to Patently Apple, a patent was been filed in February for a fingerprint scanner that could be hidden within the bezel of any given device.
The security feature is different from earlier attempts from Apple, in that this would be an actual sensor somewhere on an iPhone (for example), but not hidden under the display.
This new method is possible thanks to some Apple engineers discovering a way to encapsulate both the bezel and the sensor together, which not only allows the completed scanner to be smaller and more compact, but also protects it from any environmental hazards that could potentially mess with the delicate hardware.
Operation is then easy enough, as the fingertip is swiped through the sensor, and a small amount of current is passed through the bezel to the finger to provide a more accurate reading.
The sensor is only capable of creating a 2D image, so the mild current not only helps accuracy, but helps the software actually render the complete fingertip with ease.
Though the patent didn't reveal any information about when the scanner might be put to actual use in any of Apple's products, this latest iteration only serves to show how serious the company is about making good use of its AuthenTec acquisition.
We wouldn't be shocked to see the fingerprint scanner make its debut with the next iPhone, but with the amount of patents filed that never see the light of day, this could just as easily vanish into the USPTO's file cabinets.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has arrived with exactly zero surprise factor, as the Korean firm looks to milk its flagship brand for all its worth.
It takes over from the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini which launched a few months after the Galaxy S3 last year, but Samsung has not given the S4 as much time to find its feet before bringing out its smaller, cheaper brother.
Obviously you don't get the same stellar line up of specs as you do on the full fat Samsung Galaxy S4, with the Galaxy S4 Mini offering up a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960 x 540 display, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, although only 5GB is actually available to use.
Luckily the microSD slot behind the removable rear cover means you can stick in a card up to 64GB in the size, although its placement behind the battery is far from ideal as you won't be able to swap cards in and out quickly.
In terms of a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release date TechRadar has been told the 4G variant will arrive in the UK before the end of June, while availability for other markets is still unknown.
Pricing for the Galaxy S4 Mini hasn't been announced just yet, but we reckon it will come in around the £25 per month mark, or about £300 (around $460, AU$480) SIM-free.
The body is noticeably plastic, but it's solid in construction Galaxy S4 looks complete with the metal brand round the edge adds to the premium style of the handset.
We much prefer the look and feel of the Galaxy S4 Mini over its predecessor, which we felt was a little on the cheap side.
At 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm the Galaxy S4 Mini sits comfortably in the hand and at 107g you won't be straining your wrists at any point, while slipping it into a pocket or bag won't make any difference to your load.
Its relatively diminutive size means the power/lock key on the right and the volume rocker on the left are easy to hit, while up top there's a headphone jack and the microUSB port completes the roundup at the base of the handset.
The distinctive Samsung physical home key features below the 4.3-inch of the Galaxy S4 Mini and is flanked by touch keys for menu and back functions - all of which are responsive enough.
Look above the keys and the qHD display which adorns the front of the Galaxy S4 Mini is bright and clear, providing that high level of colour saturation we've become accustomed to on Samsung devices.
Samsung's TouchWiz overlay is plastered over Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and while some may not be a fan it's a feature packed offering from the Korean firm which is relatively easy to use.
We found the screen to be responsive to all our various pokes and prods and the 1.7GHz dual-core processor, plus 1.5GB of RAM, does a good job at keeping everything running smoothly.
The Galaxy S4 Mini was never going to be as fluid as the Galaxy S4 and it does lack the slickness when sweeping through homescreens and opening apps, although to the untrained eye you're unlikely to notice much difference.
We were a little disappointed with the default keyboard on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, finding it rather cramped and tricky to manipulate at speed, which led to some errors as we bashed out messages to our imaginary unicorn friend Brian.
At least the screen was responsive, so the S4 Mini always picked up our key press, plus the presence of next word prediction and auto-correct soothed our initial anguish a little.
This issue can be resolved by downloading a third party board from Google Play, but we wish Samsung had spent a little more time on its own offering.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini we got our hands on came equipped with a EE SIM-card in the back, allowing us to test out its 4G browser speeds and we must say it gave an impressive showing.
The mobile version of TechRadar loaded up in just a few seconds, while the desktop site didn't take too much longer.
Sadly text reflow isn't available on the S4 Mini and considering its slightly smaller screen size this is a little frustrating as you generally have to zoom in to read what's on screen.
Text itself rendered crisply which made it easy to read and images looked detailed, although not quite as sharp as they do on the full HD handsets out there.
Round the back you'll find Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S4 mini with a decent 8MP camera with a single LED flash, while round the front you've got a 1.9MP camera for those all important vanity checks.
If you let the auto-focus settle before hitting the shutter than the Galaxy S4 Mini will instantly take a snap, and in less than a second you're ready to take another picture.
Tap-to-focus is also present, although we found the Galaxy S4 Mini usually took a second or so to readjust - but that isn't a big issue.
Image quality was acceptable for our dimly lit event space, and we did notice some graining on the images, but the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will probably perform far better in well lit areas and outdoors - something we'll put to the test in our in-depth review.
For the budding photographers among you Samsung has stuck a heap of modes in the Galaxy S4 Mini camera app with the likes of HDR and panorama present, plus you can also record full HD video at the tap of a button, without having to switch modes first.
The news that the 1900mAh battery is removable will be music to some people's ears, and it's easily to get out along with the rear cover which peels off with no trouble - even when it's attached to a security gizmo. We're proper hackers here at TechRadar.
Early Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a surprisingly well built, premium looking handset with a good range of bells and whistles which will please any prospective buyer.
We weren't overly impressed with the microSD placement or the bundled Samsung keyboard, plus the amount of internal storage available is disappointing - but these aren't huge issues and overall the Galaxy S4 Mini appears to be an excellent smartphone.
As long as Samsung can keep the price sensible the Galaxy S4 Mini is going to be one of the big contenders in the mid-high end of the market and we'll struggle not to recommend it.
The Galaxy S4 insists on showing everyone its awkward topless vacation photos
Rumors that Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon 800 processor, the MSM8974, will make its way into a variant of Samsung's Galaxy S4 appear to have just been confirmed by a user manual of all things.
The online manual for a South Korean device known as the SHV-E330S, which Engadget believes to be an upcoming Galaxy S4 variant, confirms that the device sports Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800.
The SHV-E330S will also use new LTE-advanced technologies, according to the site.
So far little is known about this possible Galaxy S4 variant, and it would be pure speculation to guess whether we'll ever see a more powerful S4 out West.
Extrapolation
One thing is certain from this revelation, though: that Samsung is indeed beginning to integrate the Snapdragon 800 into its devices.
In fact the use of the MSM8974 in the SHV-E330S makes it seem all the more likely that it will be included on the rumored Galaxy Note 3 as well.
The powerful new Qualcomm SoC supports 2.3GHz quad-core processing and Adreno 330 graphics, plus LTE-advanced and the possibility of 4K output.
