News & Reviews:   Samsung Galaxy F

South Korean Media reports have the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S5 Alpha or Galaxy F smartphone coming with a 6mm-thin metal body along with a 4.7-inch screen. This comes from reports calling the smartphone a "card phone" in reference to the slimness of the device. Both new tech specs are different from previously expected tech specs as we thought it would come with a 5.2-inch display and be about as thick as the previous Samsung Galaxy S5 (which is about 8.1mm). Reports also indicate that it will use a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor, but then, Samsung has been known to offer models with different processors before. No details on Malaysia release dates or pricing but as always do take these rumours with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates.

The rumoured premium metal body Samsung Galaxy F just got another press render leak, again from serial leaker @evleaks. This time around, it is the full smartphone but instead of gold, it is a metallic silver colour. While the leak did not go into details many are expecting a 2K display on the upcoming smartphone or one that will provide a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S range of tablets already offer 2K displays so it seems very likely that that would be a feature in the next premium smartphone from Samsung. No Malaysia release dates yet but the Galaxy F is expected to arrive in 2014 perhaps in Q4. As always, do take this rumour with a good pinch of salt but stay tuned for more developments.

While a black brushed metal Samsung Galaxy F picture has been making the rounds on the rumour mill, new renders of the smartphone otherwise known as the Galaxy S5 Prime have appeared. Coming courtesy of @evleaks, the renders show a golden brushed metal backside for the smartphone with a white front. Tech specs and features have yet to be confirmed but many are estimating a 5.3-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. Other features that are visible from the renders includea heart-rate sensor and a rear camera which will likely be the same 16MP sensor version. No news on Malaysia release dates or pricing, but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.

There have been rumours of a metal-backed premium smarpthone from Samsung since forever, but new pics that have leaked online show that this may not be a rumour for much longer. Called the Samsung Galaxy F, the pics show a shape similar to the Samsung Galaxy S5 but sporting a black brushed metal backside, much like that of the LG G3. Other features include a heart rate monitor, fingerprint sensor and a 5.3-inch display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution. Other tech specs include a Snapdragon 805 processor, 16MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). No news yet on pricing but it is expected around September, around the same time as the Apple iPhone 6. Hopefully Samsung does not run into any supply problems as is often the case with new metal body smartphones.

A device going by the model of SM-G906S has appeared on the GFXBench website bearing the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and beating quite a few graphics scores. Initially appearing with a hidden info tab, the tech specs on the device are listed to include a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, Adreno 420 graphics, 3GB RAM, a 5.2-inch display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution and features a 16MP rear camera. The model numbering is fairly close to that of the Samsung Galaxy S5 which could mean a more powerful Galaxy S5 version coming out later (which Samsung did do with their Samsung Galaxy S4 when they came out with the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE+). Then again, it could be an entirely different smartphone as rumours of a more premium Samsung Galaxy F smartphone have been making the rounds as well.

Metal-casing smartphone lovers have been predicting and wishing for a metal-casing Samsung for quite some time. With the release of the Samsung Galaxy S5 most of the hopeful users are now expecting the premium Samsung Galaxy F range of smartphones to appear with a metal chassis. Designer Ivo Marić has come up with a concept render of this metal chassis Samsung Galaxy F smartphone which looks very realistic, which you can check out for yourself in this article.

Samsung may be considering switching the current AMOLED displays in their smartphones to PLS-LCD displays. The move is supposedly because the price war is getting more cut-throat as lower cost Chinese smartphones are expanding into the market. The PLS-LCD displays offer more or less the same level of quality as AMOLED displays but offer a 20% cut in cost for a smartphone. On top of that, PLS-LCD technology is also owned by Samsung and could offer better yield compared to AMOLED displays. This doesn't mean that Samsung would stop using AMOLED displays completely though as they could be used in the rumoured premium Galaxy F Series of smartphones instead. However, such a move would result in the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 having PLS-LCD displays and not the current AMOLED displays.  

A metal frame for a smartphone has recently surfaced, and while it isn't an aluminum unibody, it could be the metal frame for the Samsung Galaxy S5. Measurements for the frame come up at 143.8 x 72.3mm which indicates that it could get a 5.3-inch display, matching up with the incremental screen size increase of previous versions. This leak comes courtesy of nowhereelse.fr, which is quite famous for mostly accurate leaked images and tech specs. However, certain aspects of the frame don't match with current features of the Samsung Galaxy S range. These include a corner camera placement as opposed to the standard center camera placement along with a 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom as opposed to standard practice where Samsung smartphones have the 3.5mm audio jack on the top. Then again, this could be a frame for the new premium Samsung Galaxy F line of smartphones. In any case, this is still very much a rumour, so do take it with a pinch of salt. No other tech specs, pricing or Malaysia release dates were available but the Samsung Galaxy S5 is said to come in January 2014.

We previously reported about the Project F series of premium smartphones from Samsung which may have a metal body, 16MP OIS cameras and other superior tech specs or features but now it appears that it may be called theSamsung Galaxy F series instead. While there is already the Samsung Galaxy S series, the new Samsung Galaxy F series will spare no expense in making a super premium lineup of smartphones with top-of-the-line features such as Samsung Octa-core Exynos processors and the aforementioned metal chassis. No news on Malaysia pricing or release dates but this Samsung Galaxy F series is expected to be priced higher than the Samsung Galaxy Note series. This strategy fits with Samsung's usual 'carpet bombing' of a model for every need and we may see the first Samsung Galaxy F smartphone during the holiday season at the end of 2013.