Samsung kept us waiting a long, long time for the Galaxy S III. We expected it to arrive at CES 2012 back in January, and when that didn’t happen, we hoped for a release at Mobile World Congress the following month (which Samsung didn’t bother turning up to). As it turns out, the Korean company’s flagship smartphone didn’t get its grand unveiling until May.

We may not be in for the same wait next time around, however. Samsung is already teasing “something new” for CES 2013, sparking speculation that the Galaxy S IV will be arriving as early as next month.

CES 2013 will take place in Las Vegas during January 8 to January 11, and it’s one of the year’s biggest events for fans of consumer technology. The biggest tech companies will be in attendance to showcase their latest and greatest offerings, and Samsung will make sure it doesn’t go unnoticed.

So what can we look forward to? Well, it’s hard to tell at this point, of course — Samsung doesn’t give away a lot of information ahead of time these days. The Galaxy S III, for example, remained a closely-guarded secret right up until its official unveiling. However, rumors have suggested that Samsung’s been itching to release a new flagship smartphone since Apple released the iPhone 5.

With that in mind, it’s certainly possible that the company could be gearing up to announce the Galaxy S IV at CES.

Having said that, Samsung may want to give the Galaxy S IV its own event — as it did with the Galaxy S III. It’s likely to become its biggest product of 2013, so it will want to ensure it gets the recognition it deserves. Announcing it during CES — the busiest week of the year for consumer technology — may not be the best way to do that.

Of course, Samsung doesn’t just offer smartphones; it also sells tablets, televisions, computers, and even refrigerators. So what that “something new” may be is — at this point — anyone’s guess.

• SourceSamsung Tomorrow
• ViaAndroid Central