Samsung Galaxy S5 concept image
Samsung Galaxy S5 concept image Ivo Maric via Concept-Phones

It could be an earlier release date for the Galaxy S5 as Samsung is reportedly plagued by plunging sales of its current flagship, the Galaxy S4, reports said.

In the last three months of 2013, reports surfaced that the Galaxy S4 was losing great steam in terms of sales numbers. Following the device's incredible run during its first six months in circulation, in which some 40 million of total sales were cleared, industry watchers started claiming that the GS4 was headed to a steady decline.

True enough, Samsung reported an 18 per cent profit dip in the December 2013 quarter and prior to that, share prices of the Asian tech giant saw significant shrinks, which according to BGR were largely blamed to the Galaxy S4 failing to deliver the anticipated margins.

In other words, the GS4 was not the success that Samsung pictured it to be. In a recent report, CNN Money has affirmed that the Galaxy S4 was a "disappointment in every regard."

The same report blamed Samsung for producing a GS4 that is more on flash but lacking in substance. Since the GS4's March 2013 debut "other smartphone maker, meanwhile, was able to produce a phone that was just as fast, powerful, and capable as Samsung's top smartphone - with a higher quality design and better system software."

In essence, the Galaxy S4 has lost its initial lustre as rivals started to shine. By sticking to the GS4 as its major money-maker, Samsung will inevitably fail, the CNN Money report declared.

Hence, the need for a new hero Galaxy phone as soon as possible, which strongly suggests that Samsung may just accelerate the Galaxy S5 release date. Reports popping out this week hinted that a February 2014 preview is highly likely.

It is said that Samsung could use the 2014 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as launch pad or the company could push out the new flagship via its exclusive Unpacked event. Then commercial availability will follow either in late March or late April.

But now, Samsung would have to opt for an earlier release date for the Galaxy S4 replacement if only to keep its cash register ringing constantly. As CNN Money asserts, "Samsung now needs to look elsewhere to ensure that its Galaxy branded smartphones remain appealing."

No doubt the candidate best suited to play as Samsung's saviour is the Galaxy S5, which is rumoured to bring specs and features that really matter to end-users.

And for it to come out ahead of schedule makes sense and is logistically possible as fresh reports suggest that a number of speculated features of the handset will be excluded from the final cut.

According to Gotta Be Mobile, wireless charging via magnetic resonance and iris scanner capabilities would be axed from the Galaxy S5 exciting list of new features. If true, such adjustments would mean less new attraction for the device but production calendar would gain considerably, meaning rollout time could be advanced.

So for Samsung's eventual advantage and perhaps to the delight too of Sammy fans, the Galaxy S5 release date could fall within the first quarter of 2014, hopefully still displaying most of the anticipated killer features.