Although Samsung is still preparing for the launch of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5, it seems the South Korean company is already working on its future flagship handset, the Galaxy S7.
A leaked document has revealed that the upcoming handset is already in its testing phase.
According to GSM Arena, an internal specs sheet for the Galaxy S7 appeared on a Chinese website. The document revealed that a prototype device named Jungfrau, which is the internal codename for the Galaxy S7, was being tested with the MSM8996 processor. The site noted that this is the model number for Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 820 chipset.
This revelation came as a surprise especially since for its latest devices, Samsung has turned to its own processor model, which is the Exynos processor. However, based on the new leak, it seems the company is ready to work with Qualcomm once again for the hardware of its future devices.
But, since the Galaxy S7 is still in its early stages of development, there's still a chance that Samsung might change its mind in favor of its in-house chips.
As for the possible launch of the upcoming handset, Yahoo reported that the company might unveil the Galaxy S7 sometime next year. Based on Samsung's release cycle for its previous flagship devices, the Galaxy S7 could come out in April 2016.
However, this could also change depending on the availability of the Snapdragon 820. Various sources have speculated that Qualcomm might unveil its newest processor model this month while other said it will be launch during the fourth quarter of this year.
According to Techno Buffalo, the Snapdragon 820 will make its debut with other smartphones scheduled to be introduced later this year. This includes the Xiaomi Mi 5 which is expected to launch in December.
The chipset is also rumored to appear in a number of devices next year. These include new handsets from Sony, LG, Motorola and HTC.
Given that the Snapdragon 820 will be one of the major highlights of next year's handset models, it seems Samsung is considering joining the bandwagon by equipping its next flagship handset with the same chipset.
Hopefully, the Snapdragon 820 will perform more efficiently than its predecessor and will not be plagued by the same overheating issues seen on Snapdragon 810-powered handsets such as the LG G Flex 2, Sony Xperia Z3+ and the HTC One M9.
