So far, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 'phablets' have peacefully coexisted, but a recent International Business Times report suggests that perhaps the Korean-based company will merge brands with the upcoming Galaxy S4, at least metaphorically.
We have already heard rumors of a 5-inch screen, which sits comfortably between the S3's 4.8-inch display and the Note 2's 5.5-inches, but no official word concerning either line of devices has been announced by Samsung. IBT cites Enuri, a Korean website, and notes that "The Samsung Galaxy S3's successor would [combine] some of Galaxy S3 and Note 2's features and capabilities."
While it is unlikely that the Note will be phased out, considering the success of the tablet-smartphone hybrid, the S4 appears to be further blurring the lines of what constitutes a smartphone with its gradual display size increases. Rumors indicate that the Note 3 may feature a 6.3-inch display, moving it closer and closer to full-blown tablet territory. It remains to be seen how Samsung will market the device as its size inches closer to 7-inch tablets such as the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7.
The Galaxy S4 is expected to use a stylus similar to the Note 2, run Android 5.0 (Key Lime Pie), and sport 2GB RAM, an Exynos 5440 quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel front camera, and an 8-megapixel rear camera.
Looking forward, Samsung expects to ship 510 million smartphones in 2013, reports the The Korea Times.
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