MWC 2014: Samsung Galaxy S5 will be dustproof and waterproof, include fingerprint recognition, Korean press reports say

Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, is likely to be dustproof and waterproof with fingerprint recognition, according to Korean press reports.

Citing sources at the Korean electronics giant,ZDNet Korea reports the standard GS5 will be waterproof and dustproof, like Samsung’s current “outdoors” smartphone, the Galaxy S4 Active.

“For the previously released Galaxy S4, water-proof and dust-proof capabilities were adapted to the handset’s variants. But for the Galaxy S5, the standard model will have them immediately,” the source says.

The new device will also reportedly feature fingerprint recognition, with users swiping the home button to unlock.

The report also raises the possibility that Samsung will announce the Galaxy S5 at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but not begin shipping until March.

“Since Samsung is yet to place an order for parts, the company may change some of the peripheral features of the Galaxy S5 while retaining core features,” the source says.

“If they place orders at the end of this month or early next month, the handset will be commercialized around the end of next month at the earliest.

As SmartCompany previously reported, Samsung is set to unveil the new device at an event called “unpacked 5”, which will take place on February 24.

The event will take place alongside the 2014 GSMA Mobile World Congress industry trade show, which runs in Barcelona from February 24 to 27.

The MWC is one of the most important trade events in the mobile industry, and is used both by handset manufacturers and telcos as an opportunity to show off new products and services.

Meanwhile, last week the company released an image featuring nine key areas the tech giant will focus on during its presentation, including “speed”, “outdoor”, “curiosity”, “fun”, “social”, “style”, “privacy”, “fitness”, and “life”.

The image was released alongside a cryptic statement hinting at what users can expect from the device.

“We understand that there is lots of speculation regarding what will be unpacked in Barcelona,” the company stated.

“However, we at Samsung have to agree with what the 1922 Nobel Prize winning physicist Niels Bohr, who laid the groundwork for atomic structure and quantum theory, once said: ‘Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.’”