What to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung has become the Houdini of the tech world, magically turning itself into one of the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturers on the back of its Galaxy S3 mobile. The next model, the SGS4, is all set to be unveiled at an event in New York this week. Here’s what to expect.

The rumour mill has been working overdrive over the past few months in a notably Apple-esque manner, divulging secrets and hinting at features of the fourth generation Galaxy S smartphone.

What is known is the fact that Samsung is unveiling the new handset at an event called UNPACKED in New York on March 14 (around 9am March 15 AEST). The Korean giant is even planning on streaming the event for New Yorkers at Times Square, and has provided this little teaser to try and build excitement:

So what is the rumour mill stating? Well, the team at TechRadar has pulled together a massive compilation of all the news and rumours of the Galaxy S4 that’s well worth checking out. But to summarise, you can expect a 4.99-inch Full HD screen that lets you scroll through webpages and contact lists with the power of your eyeballs.

Inside the phone, there are rumours of an octo-core processor, backed by 2GB RAM and 32GB of on board storage. While there’s a good chance this will be busted by a quad-core processor, it’s still crazy that it’s even a possibility.

Wireless charging is looking promising, with Samsung also beefing up its NFC offering by creating its own version of Apple’s Passbook app called Samsung Wallet, and reportedly working with Visa to turn the Galaxy S4 into a virtual credit card.

In other rumours, the phone will likely keep its home button, although plastic will still play a roll in the device’s build quality. There’s also talk of an S4 Mini device and a Samsung Smartwatch, similar to the Casio G-Shock Bluetooth watch but designed for closer integration with the Galaxy S4.

Overall, there’s a lot of excitement about the world’s most popular Android handset. With Sony and HTC upping the game with the launch of the Xperia Z and One respectively, Samsung will need to deliver its best possible handset to remain top dog in the smartphone schoolyard.