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The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a top smartphone with a lot to shout about, but with increased pressure from HTC, Sony and LG, there are suggestions that Samsung is looking to give its flagship another boost.
Here's everything we know so far regarding the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A premium version of the Galaxy S5
- When is it out? Sometime in 2014
- What will it cost? At lot - more than the current S5
Samsung Galaxy F release date
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime release date was tipped for mid-June, but with time having run out this information was clearly off the mark. July has almost slipped away too, so we won't be seeing the Galaxy Alpha before August.
One report suggests the Galaxy S5 Prime may be pretty tricky to get hold of, as complications in the production of the QHD display mean Samsung will only make a limited number of units.
Similar reports suggest that Samsung is struggling to manufacture large quantities of metal cases for it sprouting concerns that it could be limited edition or even exclusive to South Korea.
Given these problems we reckon that it might slip to September. Twitter leaker @evleaks received a tip claiming as much. Or more specifically claiming that the Samsung Galaxy F (which is believed to be one and the same as the Galaxy S Prime / Galaxy Alpha) will be launching then.
If it does then it will likely be going head to head with the iPhone 6, but that could be the whole point. While most manufacturers get out of the way of an Apple launch, Samsung is perhaps the only one which has the muscle to compete, so it may be a tactical move to steal away some would-be iPhone buyers.
Samsung certainly seems to be ramping up for a release in any case, as the handset has just passed through the FCC, while G4Games reports that it's been certified by the equivalent company in South Korea.
- Read our in depth Samsung Galaxy S5 review
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Samsung Galaxy F price
When it comes to the Galaxy S5 Prime price you won't be surprised when we tell you it's going to be expensive (that's if it actually exists, of course).
According to information garnered by Naver.com, the Galaxy S5 Prime will have a SIM-free launch price of KRW 900,000 (about US$880, £523, AU$940).
The price in other territories is likely to be higher than the conversions shown here thanks to taxes and other costs, putting the S5 Prime comfortably above the S5.
Samsung Galaxy F display
One of the major upgrades rumored for the Galaxy S5 Prime is the screen, with Samsung tipped to equip the handset with a 5.2-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 display.
With multiple sources all pointing towards the QHD display, it seems the most viable option at this time for the Galaxy S5 Prime.
The reasoning behind this decision is questionable, as the current Galaxy S5 has an eye-popping display which has been dubbed the best performing smartphone screen by independent benchmarkers.
A key factor in the S5 Prime potentially sporting a QHD display is what's happening over at Samsung's fierce Korean rival.
LG has slapped a QHD screen on its latest flagship - the LG G3 - and the S5 Prime could be Samsung's response in an attempt to stay relevant in its national market.
That said, more recently a handful of videos from TK Tech News have appeared on YouTube apparently showing a pre-production version of the S5 Prime with a full HD, 1080p display - matching that of the original S5.
A report from Holland also claims that the Galaxy S5 Prime (not the Galaxy F - that may be a separate device) only had a 1080p display when it appeared at a network event. There's no way to verify that information, and it would be an odd move from Samsung.
We've also now heard reports from the Korea Herald that the Galaxy F might only have a 4.7 inch Super AMOLED screen, which would seem odd in itself but would explain why it could be sticking with a 1080p display. A 4.7 inch screen is small for Samsung, but it would match the rumored iPhone 6 screen size and thereby make it more of an alternative to Apple's handset, which might be Samsung's plan.
Worryingly though it may not even get a 1080p display, with an unnamed source claiming that it will match the Samsung Galaxy S3's screen. That phone had a 4.8-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and it's not clear whether the source was referring to the size, resolution, technology or some combination, but it certainly doesn't sound promising.
We've also seen the model IDs SM-G870A and SM-G850F pop up in various places recently, although these are though to be linked to the Galaxy S5 Active, rather than the S5 Prime.
Interestingly TK Tech News claims to have of a pre-production version of the SM-G870A which it's billing as the S5 Prime due to its aluminium rear cover.
The site has posted several YouTube videos showing off the handset in question, and although it is referred to as the Prime, the thicker dimensions and more heavy-duty seal around the rear plate all seem to suggest it's actually the rumored S5 Active.
PhoneArena also reckons it's got some details on the Galaxy S5 Prime frame, with a set of images showing a dimpled back just like the S5 - although the site claims that the handset in these shots sports a metal rear.
It's difficult to tell from the photos what material is in use, but it appears the internal speaker may be moved from the rear of the Galaxy S5 to the base of the S5 Prime - a better position if you ask us.
And PhoneArena isn't stopping there, with yet another leak allegedly showing off a pre-production model of the Galaxy F which the site claims it's been sent.
The rear plate is said to be metallic, and while the smartphone in question is running a Snapdragon 801 processor the source it came from reckons the Galaxy F will ship with the newer 805 chip.
However SamMobile has got hold of some clearer and more recent shots purportedly showing the handset and it's evident from them that while the frame is metal the back is plastic.
For a while it looked like the Galaxy Alpha might have the same dimensions as the Galaxy S5, or the same height and width anyway. An FCC filingbelieved to be for Samsung's new phone includes a diagram listing the dimensions as 72.5 x 142mm, which is identical to the Galaxy S5.
But with rumors emerging of the handset having just a 4.7 inch screen that seems unlikely. Sadly the diagram didn't reveal the thickness of the handset, but the Korea Herald reports that it's just 6mm thick, which would make it a lot slimmer than the 8.1mm Galaxy S5.
Supporting the idea of an edge-to-edge display, PhoneArena has also uncovered an image of the Galaxy F side by side with the Galaxy S5. It's clear that while the devices are of a similar overall size the Galaxy F has far smaller bezels.
But that image has been called into question, as a more recent photosupposedly showing the phones side by side reveals that the Galaxy Alpha could be smaller, making it more in line with the 4.7 inch rumors we've been hearing. That image also matches another recent shot, obtained by Tinhte, so it could be the real deal.
Samsung has been more adventurous in terms of colored variants of its handsets in recent years, and if the latest press image leak from @evleaks is correct the Galaxy F looks set to sport a gold hue.
The serial leaker posted the image along with the words "Samsung Galaxy F, in 'perfect golden' hue, 2014" - again teasing us of its arrival this year, while the brushed metal back could well just be an effect on plastic rather than the real deal.
But @evleaks isn't finished there, as he's posted a second and third image claiming to be of the Galaxy F, but this time the gold color is referred to as "glowing gold."
In the first of these more recent leaks the tipster wrote: "Samsung Galaxy F (which is /not/ the S5 LTE-A), in glowing gold (yes, a different shade, apparently), 2014" while the latter simply read "Samsung Galaxy F, in glowing gold." Though it's worth taking all of these with a grain of salt as they don't line up with the recent spy shots that have been popping up.
The same Twitter account has also leaked what appears to be a black version of the Galaxy F "in the wild", although the pixelated shot is tricky to authenticate.
It's still not totally clear how much, if any, of the Galaxy F will be made of metal, but an image claiming to show the top portion of the devicereveals an iPhone-esque metal band running round the edge of the handset, which is along the lines of the recent spy shots we've seen.
Sent by an anonymous tipster the validity of the shot can't be proven, but the source states that only the edges will be metal with the removable rear plate being made of polycarbonate.
Samsung Galaxy F power
The Galaxy S5 sports a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, but the Galaxy S5 Prime may be in for a bit of a treat.
Some reports are suggesting the S5 Prime will pack the newer 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 chip, which would make it one of the first smartphones to do so.
Alternatively, SamMobile reckons the Galaxy F might come with the new Exynos 5433 processor, which would also be a smartphone first. The Korea Herald seems to echo this, claiming that it will be equipped with an Exynos 5 Octa processor.
As well as the improved processor, the Galaxy F is also tipped to come with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 GPU (or Adreno 405 depending on who you want to believe) - up from 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU on the S5.
Samsung Galaxy F operating system
The Galaxy S5 Prime could go one better than the S5 again, with the currently unreleased Android 4.4.3 KitKat platform leaked as the version apparently coming with the handset.
That's a slight step up from Android 4.4.2 which comes on the Galaxy S5, and you can expect Samsung to slap its TouchWiz UI over the top of 4.4.3 on the S5 Prime.
Samsung Galaxy F battery
If the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime really does arrive boasting a QHD display it's going to need some excellent battery performance to ensure you're not dashing to a plug after just a few hours.
The rumored Snapdragon 805 chip should provide some additional power efficiency, but reports also point towards a 3000mAh battery which is slightly larger than the 2800mAh offering in the S5.
We also saw Samsung include an extreme power saving mode on the Galaxy S5, and we expect the same function to appear on the S5 Prime to help battle the drain from that screen.
Samsung Galaxy F more specs
In terms of cameras the Galaxy S5 Prime looks set to adopt the same 16MP rear and 2MP front snapper of the S5 with 4K video recording on board and a host of options and effects we've become accustomed too on Samsung's high-end devices.
The heart rate monitor on the back and fingerprint scanner under the home key will apparently also make the jump. However while it will apparently come with 32GB of storage, it's rumored that there won't be a microSD card slot.
It will also apparently pack Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, if a listing on Bluetooth SIG is to be believed, although it does come with yet another model ID: SM-G906L.
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