Samsung has reportedly scrapped the use of Exynos 5 Octa CPU for its upcoming Galaxy S4 because the new chip proved 'too hot' to handle, literally.

Tests conducted by Samsung on the supposedly 8-core chipsets yielded disappointing results, according to Indian tech blog site TechKiddy, in which the processor emitted too much heat that caused a thermal envelope effect on the handset.

Another drawback was power consumption. Exynos, it turned out, has yet to realise its promise of energy efficient operation. Experiments reportedly showed that it consumed battery life far beyond than Samsung engineers had expected.

So Samsung has no recourse but to cancel its deployment with the Galaxy S4, which instead will be powered by Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 600, the same report said.

The switch was supposedly made way before the S4 is geared for its March 14 global preview, meaning no delays will mar the rumoured event that Samsung will stage in New York.

We can assume that the South Korean tech giant opted to ditch Exynos in order to keep with its self-imposed calendar of shipping out the new flagship device by Q2 2013.

Note that a GL Benchmark result was leaked earlier showing the Galaxy S4 being tested with a Qualcomm CPU that clocks at top-speed of 1.9GHz. Connecting the dots, now we know the report carries considerable merits.

The new development suggests that unlike in previous releases, Samsung will rollout the S4 in one edition, belying earlier reports that the firm plans a U.S. version and an international make for the overly anticipated handset.

Setting aside this 'last-minute' adjustment, the Galaxy S4 remains the superphone that it is brewing to be, bearing the following specs by the time it hits global stores: 4.9-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display screen, the Qualcomm workhorse chips with 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of flash memory, a 13MPx main camera snapper, expanded wireless connectivity that includes wireless charging and the latest JellyBean at Android 4.2.

Analysts are expecting the Galaxy S4 to fly off the shelves in big numbers, possibly reclaiming the smartphone leadership that its predecessor lost in Q4 2012.

According to Strategic Analytics, Samsung lost the position it snatched away from Apple in Q3 2012. By the end of December, the Galaxy S3 sold an impressive 15.4 million units but iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S performed much better. The duo registered sales of 27.4 million and 17.4 million units respectively during the holiday quarter, per the figures supplied by the research firm.

Experts believe the powerful S4 will again disturb the smartphone equilibrium shortly after its entry.