KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung is planning to release an updated version of its Galaxy S4 smartphone that will boast "advanced" 4G LTE speeds, Reuters reported on Monday.

Samsung Mobile CEO JK Shin let word slip about the upcoming model, which will feature LTE speeds twice as fast as an average top-end smartphone. This apparently will be due to Samsung's integrated LTE-Advanced 4G technology that will offer data transmission at up to twice the normal 4G speed, as well as a nippy Qualcomm processor.

"We'll be the first with the commercial launch of the advanced 4G version of the smartphone," Shin was quoted as saying, adding that downloading a film that usually takes three minutes will take just one minute on this upgraded model.

There's not much word on availability of the upgraded Galaxy S4 model yet, but Reuters reported that it could debut in Korea as early as this month. This suggests there's a chance we'll catch a glimpse of the handset at Samsung's event in London on 20 June.

News of an upgraded Samsung Galaxy S4 model follows earlier speculation that Samsung's latest flagship smartphone isn't selling all that well, rumours that knocked around six percent off the firm's share price. However, Shin has been quick to defend Galaxy S4 sales, saying that the handset has been selling well.

"[Galaxy] S4 sales remain strong. It's selling far stronger than the [Galaxy] S3... and the new LTE-Advanced (4G) phone will be another addition to our high-end segment offerings that ensure healthy profit margins," he said.

"As operators seek to provide more data-centric mobile services, I think this will become mainstream 4G technology globally in the coming years."

Shin was also quick to defend sales of Samsung's tablet lineup too, adding that the firm's large-screen devices have seen a three percent sales jump over the past year.

By: Docmemory
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