What's next for the Samsung smartphone line? We may find out in September. Josh P. Miller/CNET
Samsung is reportedly readying a new set of smartphones that could come with big displays and some new components.
The
rumored Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus are real and they're
coming to the IFA 2015 conference in Berlin in September, Sammobile
reported
on Wednesday. The Galaxy Note 5, which will come with Samsung's S Pen
technology for tapping on the screen with the stylus-like digital pen
will feature a 5.7-inch screen, the Samsung-tracking site is reporting,
citing people who claim to have knowledge of the plan. The Galaxy S6
Edge Plus will also reportedly feature a 5.7-inch screen. The current
Galaxy S6 models come with 5.1-inch screens.
While
smartphones were once accounting for two-thirds of Samsung's operating
profit, the company's smartphone division over the last year has been
challenged by major competitors, like Apple, and prominent China-based
companies Xiaomi and Huawei, which have attracted consumers away from
the company in that critical country.
Samsung also saw a
decline in both smartphone sales and market share during the first quarter of 2015, research firm Gartner
reported
in May. The Korean electronics giant sold 81.1 million smartphones
during the period, down 4.4 million units compared to the same period a
year ago. The company's market share stood at 24.2 percent, a decline
from 30.4 percent in the first quarter of 2014.
Samsung
has acknowledged its woes, saying last year that it would reduce the
number of handsets it would offer in 2015 and spend more of its time,
money, and energy on better-performing flagship models. The Galaxy Note 5
and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus would fit into that strategy. Whether they will
actually appeal to customers, however, remains to be seen.
In
addition to a 5.7-inch screen, the Galaxy Note 5 will reportedly run on
a new processor made by Samsung called the Exynos 7422. Current
smartphones have multiple components that handle computing (central
processing unit, or CPU), graphics (graphical processing unit, or GPU),
and other needs. The Exynos 7422 combines the CPU and GPU, as well as
onboard memory, storage, and cellular connectivity with wireless
networks, on a single chip. The processor would be the first of its kind
from Samsung.
The
Galaxy S6 Edge Plus would mimic the design of its predecessor, the
Galaxy S6 Edge, featuring tapered sides on either side of the screen.
Unlike the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will feature the
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, according to Sammobile. The device
will feature 32GB of internal storage and a 16-megapixel rear-facing
camera, according to the report. The handset will run on Google's
Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system.