Octa-core Galaxy S4 set for Korea in April

Samsung Electronics is expected to roll out its new Galaxy S4 phones equipped with octa-core mobile processors in Korea as early as next month.

The latest flagship 5-inch display smartphone the IT behemoth unveiled in New York on Thursday, local time, will feature the upgraded processor running on the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution network due to the specific local demand, according to industry sources here.

The company also announced Friday that it will start mass producing its octa-core Exynos mobile application processor from the second quarter. The new processor, designed for smartphones and tablet PCs, supposedly enables its users to go ahead with heavy-duty multi-tasking activities while being more energy-efficient.

“In the past several weeks, we’ve heard amazing rumors and speculation about what I’m going to unveil tonight,” said the firm’s mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun at the Samsung Unpacked 2013 event at Radio City Music Hall.

“I want to emphasize one thing. We’re committed to innovation and ready to listen to people from around the world to see what they really want and this has taken us to what we have today.”

The new “slimmer, lighter and more solid” Galaxy S4 boasts a dual camera that enables users to record sounds while taking photos and allows simultaneous use of both cameras on the front and back to record or capture shots, according to Shin.

It has a 13 megapixel camera on the back and 2 megapixel camera on the front.

The new smartphone also has the smart scroll and pause function that detects eye movement and puts the screen on hold when the user is looking elsewhere. It is also equipped with a Full High Definition Super AMOLED display and the stronger Gorilla Glass 3.

The handset, operating on the third-generation and 4G networks, will be shipped to 155 countries to be serviced by 327 mobile operators starting from the end of April, he said.

The Galaxy S4, which is 7.9 millimeters in thickness and 130 grams in weight, also comes with a high-capacity 2,600 mAh battery, an upgrade from the previous Galaxy S3’s 2100 mAh, according to Samsung officials. It will be available in two colors — black mist and white frost.

Samsung expects to sell up to 100 million units of the new smartphone around the world, which nearly equals the figure of total units sold for the whole Galaxy S series — Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3.

“We’re committed to progress and excellence in innovation,” said Shin. “Experience how (the Galaxy S4) makes your life richer, simpler and fuller.”

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)