Samsung management is making plans to launch its next-generation Galaxy S5 flagship in January, to go on sale in February, a report from Korean site Joseilbo notes. Pocket-lint is unable to confirm the rumour, but there is some evidence as to why Samsung would move the launch up from its usual March/April date.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has sold more than 20 million worldwide, yet insiders note the Galaxy S4 has missed the company's internal sales projections, even though record revenue has been achieved. With demand for Galaxy S4 declining and the iPhone 5S now on the market, Samsung may want to shake things up a bit earlier.

It's worth noting the Consumer Electronics Show is in January, but we're not too sure if we can see Samsung making a big announcement at such a large event. Then again, we wouldn't put it past the company. Joseilbo says to expect mid-January to help fuel sales for its flagship Galaxy line, citing internal Samsung meetings.

It's still early days, but according to reports we can expect Samsung to drop its traditional plastic design and go for an all-metal chassis like HTC did with the HTC One. This has long been a complaint for Samsung hardware. While speedy, the plastic build is annoying in the eyes of some customers. An Exynos 5430 64-bit CPU and 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation are also expected.

We advise you to approach this rumour with caution. At any rate, it's fun to get the speculation going for 2014, right?