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Samsung may shrink Galaxy S6 screen size to 5 inches

If true, the screen would be slightly smaller than the 5.1-inch display on the S5. But that doesn't mean the next version of the flagship phone will be smaller overall.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read

Could the Galaxy S6 offer a smaller screen size than the S5? Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Samsung could be aiming to go a bit smaller with the screen size of the next edition of its flagship phone.

Two Samsung mobile phones found on India import/export site Zauba with the model numbers SM-G920V and SM-G920F, respectively, reveal a 5-inch display. One phone is listed for testing and evaluation and not for retail sale, while the other is listed for research and development purposes and evaluation and not for retail sale. Both the numbers SM-G920V and SM-G920F have been associated with the Galaxy S6, according to SlashGear and other blog sites.

Samsung needs to shake up the market with its next Galaxy phone to revive its sluggish mobile-phone business. The company saw its operating profits and smartphone market share drop last year in the wake of competition from rival players. That includes vendors such as China-based Xiaomi with low-end devices and Apple with its high-end iPhones. Thanks to its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple is now tied with Samsung for the title of world's largest smartphone vendor.

Assuming the specs do point to the S6, the reduction in screen size would be minor as the current Galaxy S5 sports a 5.1-inch display. Even so, that would represent a change in the world of smartphones where most new models tend to increase or at least retain the screen size of their predecessor.

However, prior rumors have suggested that the S6 would receive a Quad HD display with a resolution of 2,560x1,440, up from 1,920x1,080 in the S5. If so, the display would look especially sharp on that 5-inch screen.

So would a smaller screen for the Galaxy S6 result in a smaller phone overall? Not quite, according to a report from French tech site NowhereElse. The site claims the body of the S6 will actually be longer than the S5 but thinner.

Rumors have been floating over what specs the S6 would offer. An early November report from SamMobile said the phone would come with a Quad HD 2,560x1,440 display the Exynos 7420 chip, a rear camera with a megapixel range of 16 to 20, and it'd run Android 5.0 Lollipop, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy S6 in early March at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

(Via MakTechBlog)