The Korean company's next-generation flagship Android phone will be more distinctive than predecessors. Also coming: a smaller, more powerful Gear successor. by Stephen Shankland January 8, 2014 11:48 PM PST Samsung introduced the Galaxy TabPro, an Android tablet with a large 12.2-inch screen, at CES 2014. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) Samsung's Galaxy S5 will be stylistically distinct from S3 and S4 predecessors, and the next-generation flagship Android phone could include an iris scanner when it ships in March or April, according to the company's mobile-products leader. "Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology... We are studying the possibility," said Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung mobile's division, in a Bloomberg News interview at the CES conferrence in Las Vegas published Thursday. Related stories Samsung Galaxy NotePro kicks up productivity Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 gets Android 4.3, retro redesign (pictures) He said the S5 should look different, too: "When we moved to S4 from S3, it's partly true that consumers couldn't really feel much difference between the two products from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn't as big," Lee told Bloomberg. "For the S5, we will go back to the basics. Mostly, it's about the display and the feel of the cover." The S5 will be released a year after the S4, in March or April, he said. At the same time, a successor to the Gear smartwatch will arrive that'll be less bulky and have more advanced features. And a new Galaxy Note, a larger smartphone for higher-end customers, will arrive in the second half of 2014. Samsung Galaxy NotePro gives you something to write home about at CES 2014 1-2 of 6 Scroll Left Scroll Right Samsung, although the dominant Android phone maker, is locked in a legal battle over patents with Apple and on Monday warned of declining profits because the smartphone market is saturated and because Apple iPhone competition is fierce. In addition, the HTC One has helped show that Android phones need not be bland plastic slabs, the LG Electronics-built Google Nexus 5 is pushing costs down for high-end Android phones, and the Moto G from Google subsidiary Motorola is pushing costs down for lower-end Android phones. Lee also said Samsung will focus harder on its Tab line of tablets in 2014. At CES, it introduced the large 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPro and Galaxy NotePro tablets. The NotePro includes a stylus, and both models will ship in the first quarter.
The Korean company's next-generation flagship Android phone will be more distinctive than predecessors. Also coming: a smaller, more powerful Gear successor.
Samsung introduced the Galaxy TabPro, an Android tablet with a large 12.2-inch screen, at CES 2014.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Samsung's Galaxy S5 will be stylistically distinct from S3 and S4 predecessors, and the next-generation flagship Android phone could include an iris scanner when it ships in March or April, according to the company's mobile-products leader.
"Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology... We are studying the possibility," said Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung mobile's division, in a Bloomberg News interview at the CES conferrence in Las Vegas published Thursday.
Related stories
- Samsung Galaxy NotePro kicks up productivity
- Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 gets Android 4.3, retro redesign (pictures)
He said the S5 should look different, too: "When we moved to S4 from S3, it's partly true that consumers couldn't really feel much difference between the two products from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn't as big," Lee told Bloomberg. "For the S5, we will go back to the basics. Mostly, it's about the display and the feel of the cover."
The S5 will be released a year after the S4, in March or April, he said. At the same time, a successor to the Gear smartwatch will arrive that'll be less bulky and have more advanced features. And a new Galaxy Note, a larger smartphone for higher-end customers, will arrive in the second half of 2014.
Samsung, although the dominant Android phone maker, is locked in a legal battle over patents with Apple and on Monday warned of declining profits because the smartphone market is saturated and because Apple iPhone competition is fierce.
In addition, the HTC One has helped show that Android phones need not be bland plastic slabs, the LG Electronics-built Google Nexus 5 is pushing costs down for high-end Android phones, and the Moto G from Google subsidiary Motorola is pushing costs down for lower-end Android phones.
Lee also said Samsung will focus harder on its Tab line of tablets in 2014. At CES, it introduced the large 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPro and Galaxy NotePro tablets. The NotePro includes a stylus, and both models will ship in the first quarter.
