Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Update: Fingerprint Sensor, 32-bit SoC Coming As Fresh Features
As Samsung preps to take on Apple iPhone 5s with Galaxy S5 later this spring, a Korean analyst believed the tech giant will catch up with a fingerprint sensor and 32-bit SoC in its next flagship device.
Ming-Chi Kuo, KGI analyst, predicted Samsung needs a fingerprint sensor on its next flagship device to keep up with the current rush toward on-board biometrics fuelled by iPhone 5s.
Although Apple is not the pioneer company to incorporate biometric security in a portable device, it has definitely fueled the trend by having an effective yet simple solution with the Touch ID.
Undoubtedly, the iPhone popularity is the leverage that led the Touch ID in the hands of millions of consumers worldwide. Currently, the rest of the manufacturers are scrambling to make similar products and stay competitive. According to Kuo, Samsung will use the fingerprint sensor technology created by Validity Sensors, a company bought by touchpad maker Synaptics in the previous year.
"Fingerprint is necessary for a star model," Kuo said.
"Because Apple's iPhone 5S and HTC's One Max have fingerprint, S5 the star model can't lack the function even [if] the solution (area type same as iPhone 5S's provided by Validity) is not as mature as iPhone 5S's."
Kuo noted Samsung will grab its high-end handset market share by pushing two devices differentiated by display resolution, memory and processor. Both models will sport the phablet size screen Samsung known for with its high-end "Prime" iteration employing a WQHD AMOLED panel with a pixel density of 565 ppi.
The handset will sport the powerful Exynos 5430 processor built on 20nm process of Samsung, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM to augment its graphic tasks. But the chip is not similar to Apple's 64-bit silicon found inside the iPhone 5s, iPad mini with Retina display and iPad Air. The Galaxy S5 is also rumored to feature 16MP sensor rear camera with autofocus and 3D gestures and plastic shell design.
Meanwhile, in contrast to the earlier reports, Kuo felt Samsung is not ready to launch the iris scanning technology in Galaxy S5.
In January, Lee Young Hee, Samsung's vice president of mobile said the company was "studying the possibility" of including the feature into its future products but there is no mention whether the technology will be ready for Galaxy S5.