Until the Galaxy S2, the only mobile which really generated lots of hype year-on-year was the iPhone. Everyone came to know that around September time of each year a new model would be unveiled, and soon Samsung caught on and when the Galaxy S3 was revealed in 2012, the flagship phone range gained a similar following.
This year will see the Galaxy S5 launch, undoubtedly, and with new Galaxy S models tending to launch within the first half of the year we’re already hearing plenty of rumours. Courtesy of @Evleaks on Twitter, we may just have our first glimpse of the new phone’s user interface. The account published pictures which it claims depict a new layout and features which will debut on the S5.
The two images show a layout not too dissimilar to Google Now, offering a range of notifications tailored to the individual user in card form. We’re not yet sure whether the screens shown above come from a particular app, widget or even a whole new-look homescreen, but it’s looking as though Samsung has created its own way of putting everything the user needs in one place.
The screens show notifications for shared songs and videos, sports scores, text messages, scheduled items (from the calendar), social check-ins, run stats, weather information, upcoming concerts and even a tracker for your NFC payments at Starbucks. These are all laid out as tiles, with the top tile looking to offer your current location, the date and time and both text and voice search, which appear to be linked with Google Now – going by the icons.
With the battery indicator and time featured at the top of one of the screens but no network information or status symbols, it’s likely that the images above are mock-ups or computer-generated designs and not ‘screenshots’ taken on a working device. With that said, it is likely that Samsung currently has several Galaxy S5 prototypes hidden away and in development.
As has become customary, the source gave little away alongside the image which was posted to Twitter. Other rumours circling the internet have suggested that Samsung will launch two versions of the Galaxy S5 this year – one metal and one plastic, following in Apple’s footsteps. With MWC being just around the corner we expect to hear much more next month as we head towards an anticipated March or April launch.