Samsung Galaxy S4, 6.3-inch Galaxy Note 3 coming in 2013

Samsung is gearing up to unveil the next smartphone in its flagship Galaxy S series early next year, according to Korean press reports.

The Korea Times reports that the Korean electronics giant is planning to introduce the Galaxy S4 at the Mobile World Congress in February 2013.

Also in the product pipeline is the company’s Galaxy Note 3, which will feature a 6.3-inch OLED display.

At 6.3 inches, the Galaxy Note will be smaller than 7-inch tablets such as the iPad mini or Google Nexus 7, yet significantly larger than 5-inch screen tablets such as Samsung’s Galaxy S3.

Along with the new product innovations, the company’s Samsung Display subsidiary is shifting its focus from large-sized LCD to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and plastic-based flexible displays optimised for smartphones and tablets.

“The real problem is that major television markets like the United States remain sluggish,’’ an anonymous Samsung executive says.

“This is much worse than display-making manufacturers expected. In contrast, the demand for tablets is increasing and that market will see further explosive demand growth next year