After releasing the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ last week, leaked documents now suggest that the South Korean device maker is already working on a follow-up flagship device - the Samsung Galaxy S7.
Last month, Samsung was rumored to be planning to equip its next flagship with Qualcomm chipsets, along with its own Exynos processors. Now, a report citing leaked documents from China seems to support that rumor. According to the leak, Samsung is indeed toying with the idea of launching a Galaxy S7 variant powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 820 chipset.
The alleged documents depicts an internal Samsung communication which indicate that the upcoming Galaxy handset has been designated with the code name "Jungfrau." They further suggest that the company is currently undergoing the "middle testing" process of product development.
The speculation that a Qualcomm-made chip will be added to the mix is fueled by the appearance of a certain "MSM8996" component on the leaked docs. As it turns out, MSM8996 is actually the model number for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 SoC.
Moreover, Jungfrau is also included in Samsung's software upgrade plan for Android M, which is an expected move as Google has already given out developer previews for its new OS. The latest version of its popular mobile OS has also been revealed to be the "Android 6.0 Marshmallow."
In recent years, the device maker has only released version of its flagship devices powered by its in-house Exynos chipset. But as this leak suggests, Samsung may be preparing to shake things up a bit by once again launching a powerful handset with a processor courtesy of a third-party supplier.
When it comes to the actual release date, it's a little early to come up with a solid prediction. However, according to a report by a Korean publication, the Galaxy S7 may come earlier than expected.
The report claims that the company has switched to a faster production strategy. Instead of utilizing the old "Waterfall" methodology, Samsung is reportedly using the new "Agile" methodology which could reduce the duration of design-to-sale cycle by up to 1 or 2 months.
This new "Agile" approach employs techniques where various facets of product development are split in smaller modules to be completed as fast as possible. They are then ultimately combined to assemble the final product.
Due to that purported new strategy, it is possible for Samsung to launch the Galaxy S7 at an earlier schedule. As such, the upcoming flagship handset is speculated to be seen first during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January next year at Las Vegas.
