Is this the Galaxy S IV? Reported leak shows nothing new for Samsung

With Samsung’s Galaxy S IV scheduled to debut later this week in New York City, the leaks are coming full force.

Images posted to a Chinese forum show a phone that could be Samsung’s latest flagship device, reports Sammy Hub. Design-wise it looks very similar to the Galaxy S III and Samsung’s most recent phone, the Galaxy Note II, but the hardware specifications show that it’s something very powerful and new.

The phone, model number GT-I9502, features the same plastic case design as Samsung’s previous devices. It’s powered by a quad-core 1.8 gigahertz processor and features 2 gigabytes of RAM and a 1080p display, according to screenshots from the Antutu hardware test app.

It could be that this is just one of many hardware prototypes Samsung is testing for the Galaxy S IV. Last year Samsung went to great lengths to keep the Galaxy S III’s design a secret, which included secure test labs and multiple prototypes. Recent case leaks from the Galaxy S IV have also pointed to a slightly squarer design, which doesn’t quite match this leak. Personally, I’m hoping this leak is false — mostly because I’d like to see Samsung wow us with a hardware design for once. I’m getting a bit tired of the company’s over-reliance on cheap plastic cases, especially as competitors like HTC focus on stronger case materials.

Check back Thursday, March 14, as we’ll be covering the launch of the Galaxy S IV live.