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Samsung Galaxy S IV Specs Begin To Leak

Samsung unveils teaser for March 14 Unpacked event where the new Galaxy S IV smartphone will be launched.

Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect
Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect
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Samsung's big Unpacked event takes place in just 10 days. The company booked Radio City Music Hall, a venue that seats 6,000 people, to reveal the Galaxy S IV. So far, Samsung has tried to keep the Galaxy S IV under wraps, with few details and fewer images finding their way onto the Internet. As the event approaches, however, specs about the Korean firm's new flagship smartphone are beginning to emerge.

Over the weekend, a few images of Antutu benchmark test results popped up that betray some of the internals of the Galaxy S IV.

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First, the processor. The test results, provided by Androidiani, show the device to be running Samsung's Exynos 5410 processor. This eight-core chip is clocked at 1.8 GHz per core, arranged in two 4-core banks. The test results are of course off the charts. Some are unconvinced that the Exynos will be used in all GSIV variants, however. Samsung has, in the past, used Exynos chips in world market devices, but switched to Qualcomm Snapdragon chips for devices sold in the U.S. The processor will be paired with 2 GB of RAM, and the GSIV looks like it will be available with 16 GB and 32 GB storage options.

As expected, the GSIV's screen will measure 4.99 inches and will have a full 1920 x 1080p HD resolution. Samsung generally uses Super AMOLED displays in its smartphones, but the leaked performance benchmarks don't point to the GSIV's screen technology.

In terms of connectivity, the GSIV may be a "world phone," meaning there may be only one version that will be sold in most markets around the world. This assumption is being made thanks to a setting in the benchmarks that shows GSM/WCDMA/LTE for network support. Of course, GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi are on board, too.

The GSIV looks like it will include a 13-megapixel main camera that can shoot 1080p HD video and a 2.1-megapixel user-facing camera for video chats. Smartphone makers have really taken to the camera as one feature to customize and make unique. Look at the HTC One, for example. Instead of ramping up the pixels, HTC dialed them down and added the ability to record still images and video at the same time (something HTC refers to as Zoes). The leaked specs don't hint at any new camera features in the GSIV, but this is one area I would look for Samsung to innovate.

As far as software goes, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is what shows up in the benchmarks. There's no word on what customizations will be added by Samsung. The company's TouchWiz user interface is generally a part of all its Android smartphones.

Monday morning, Samsung added its own kindling to the speculation fire with a teaser video for the Unpacked event. You can watch it here:



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