Samsung Galaxy S5 To Ditch Home Button, Eye Scanner And Wireless Charging Features
The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 may ditch the home button, according to a leaked design patent.
A patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office was spotted and showed the Galaxy S5 having no buttons. The handset design is similar to its predecessor Galaxy S4 and S3. The previous designs of Galaxy S4 and S3 feature soft keys and a home button. Other than the missing home button, the edges and shape resemble to that of Galaxy S4 and S3.
The patent also suggested Samsung Galaxy S5 will be skipping the rumored retina scanner. It was previously reported that Samsung Galaxy S5 will take security to the next level by packing an eye scanner. However, there were reports that Samsung will drop the feature in its upcoming flagship phone. This is because packing such feature will be troublesome for users as they will always have to put the device close to their eyes everytime they will unlock the phone. This raised concerns in using the device in low-light conditions and users who wear glasses. There were also concerns in using the device in movie houses and while driving.
Also, Samsung Galaxy S5 may also skip a wireless charging feature, according to a report by the Korean media NewsTomato. Many companies have adopted wireless charging in their devices but Samsung thinks it is not marketable.
Early this week, SamMobile cited a Samsung insider who confirmed some of the features of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5. The handset will come with a 2K display and 16 MP back camera. The smartphone will also come in two variants: one with metal casing and the other with a plastic body.
The insider said the Samsung Galaxy S5 will pack an AMOLED screen display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixel although he did not confirm the screen size. As for the camera, Galaxy S5 will be equipped with 16 megapixel camera at the back and may skip optical image stabilization (OIS).
Samsung Galaxy S5 will also come in two models that many people may find in iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. However, it is unconfirmed whether the Galaxy S5 with metal casing will be Samsung's new premium line - Galaxy F.
Samsung Galaxy S5 may also include an octo-ore Exynos 6 chipset or a Snapdragon 805 SoC for the 4G/LTE variant. The handset is also expected to run with Android 4.4 Kitkat OS. Samsung Galaxy S5 release date is reported to take place in April.