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It may well still be a good six months until the Galaxy S6’s eventual launch, yet the rumours are already flying thick and fast about the potential specs of the next instalment in Samsung’s flagship smartphone series.Indeed, the Galaxy S5 has now been out for barely half a year, yet the tech world is awash with S6 next-gen rumours, including the possibility of an early launch.
The speculation comes with Samsung dropping smartphone market share in 2014 as low-cost competitors gain ground in emerging markets.
Research firm Canalys found Samsung commanded a 26 per cent share of the global smartphone market in the 2014 second quarter, dropping share despite being the worldwide number one vendor.
This was Samsung’s lowest global share in two and a half years, down from 32 per cent in the 2013 second quarter and 31 per cent in the 2014 first quarter.
Samsung is facing pressure at the premium end of the market from competitors such as Apple, which last month released its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, while at the other end of the market, companies such as Xiaomi have rapidly been gaining market share over the past few years.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of the month, Samsung released its earnings guidance for the 2014 third quarter, revealing its operating profit is expected to plunge by up to 61.8 per cent.
All of which has led to speculation Samsung could get on the front foot with an early release of the S6 as it seeks to reassert itself in the market.
Should Samsung operate true to past form, however, the S6 will be unveiled around February 2015 and then launched around April, with the S5 released in April this year and its predecessor, the S4, in April 2013.
So, what will be the standout features of the S6?
Faster processing speed is a given. Trusted Reviews has speculated a 64-bit, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor is a likely candidate, supporting display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 pixels, in line with claims of a WQHD screen.
In terms of display size, Samsung may well opt for a larger display than the S5, which measures in at 5.1″.
The market is firmly trending towards larger-screened devices (the iPhone 6 Plus measures in at 5.5″), and it would not surprise to see Samsung again up the display size of its flagship smartphone.
Trusted Reviews has also noted rumours Samsung will look to a more premium (non-plastic) build quality for the S6.
An upgrade on the S5’s 16 MP camera would also seem likely, while, with Android Lollipop now hitting the market, it is likely the S6 will run Google’s latest operating system.
For now, however, in the absence of any official word from Samsung, it is firmly a case of watch this space.
