A leaked photograph claimed to be of Samsung’s official Galaxy S IV press shot has been leaked online, along with specifications for the device. It reportedly came from an insider at Samsung, who claims this is the successor to the hugely successful Galaxy S III. It’s expected to offer a larger 4.99-inch 1080p display, plus a 2GHz quad-core processor. But is the image genuine?

SamMobile got its hands on the picture, and they think it looks like the real deal:

We of SamMobile just received a huge tip from our insider at Samsung and according to him this is the next generation of the Galaxy S series, the Galaxy S IV. We can’t 100% confirm if this is indeed the Galaxy S IV but the picture he sent us looks really sharp and doesn’t look fake at all.

SamMobile notes that the handset almost looks like a cross between the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Premier, which could indicate it is indeed genuine. However, there are a couple things we’re not so sure about.

The lack of home button, for example. Android handsets have stopped using these since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but Samsung continues to provide them. It’s released a whole host of handsets since Ice Cream Sandwich debuted, and they all have a physical home button, including the Galaxy S III and the more recent Galaxy Note II.

With that being the case, it seems Samsung likes to provide a physical button, so we’re not sure why the company would decide to ditch it now.

The handset also appears to be missing a notification LED, which usually sits towards the left of the speaker. This is another trademark feature of Samsung’s Galaxy series, and it’s visible in the company’s press shots — as you can see from the Galaxy S III’s press shot below.

Nevertheless, here are the specifications that came along with the photo:

– Exynos 5450 Quad-Core CPU clocked at 2.0GHz
– Mali-T658 GPU
– 2GB of RAM
– 4.99” SuperAMOLED FULL HD resolution (1080×1920) Display
– 13 Megapixel Rear Facing Camera
– 2 Megapixel Front Facing Camera
– Android 4.2.1 (Out of the box)

That’s a significantly faster CPU, and better front- and rear-facing cameras. The biggest improvement, however, comes with the display. A 4.99-inch Super AMOLED panel would push the Galaxy S IV into “phablet” territory, and somewhat blur the gap between the Galaxy Note.

If this photo is indeed genuine, then I’d be happy, because it’s a beautiful phone. But I’m not quite convinced just yet.

• SourceSamMobile