Samsung is working on a dust-proof and water-proof Galaxy S4, which will be a the same as the S4 but with environmental superpowers, says the Wall Street Journal. We have seen phones like the Sony Xperia Z implement something like this. The paper also reported that Samsung will also release its next-generation Galaxy tablet in June, as well as a smaller screen size S4 at “just” 4.3-inches in size. Samsung has released phones and tablets in all sizes in a move to diversify its line with a variety of offshoot gadgets, so the news should come as no surprise.
The rumoured S4 will take the flagship phone in a brand new direction, however, and one that might actually cut off a key competitor at the knees – Google’s own Motorola. Google CEO Larry Page and Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have referenced Motorola’s upcoming hardware work, referring to how phones should not break when dropped, or die when submerged in water, suggesting that one of the key features of any Android hardware coming out of Motorola once its existing pre-Google product timeline runs out will be somewhat rugged, too.
The Wall Street Journal also notes that a rugged version of the Galaxy S4 will help Samsung attract lucrative military and government contracts, something the OEM is trying to accomplish in order to steal share from Apple and BlackBerry. Startups like Liquipel and HzO are also trying to make water-resistant consumer electronics common-place, both before- and after-market. At this point, it’s just a matter of who can do it first.
