Samsung is preparing two versions of its anticipated Galaxy S5 flagship, with ‘prime’ and ‘standard’ incarnations made available, according to reports.

The speculation has been driven by what was said to be a research note from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI, which provides a detailed breakdown of the specifications for what actually works out as four devices: ‘prime’ and ‘standard’ in ‘Korea’ and ‘worldwide’ variants.

Distinguishing the ‘prime’ version of the device is the screen: a 5.2-inch 2560×1440 display with 565 pixels per inch.  Contrastingly, the ‘standard’ version has a 5.2-inch 1920×1080 screen, with 423 pixels per inch – which is hardly skimping.

And the vendor will again use different processors for different versions of its device. The ‘prime’ version will use a octacore Samsung Exynos chip, while ‘standard’ will have an octacore Qualcomm processor.

Interestingly, the processors used across-the-board are 32 bit, against a backdrop of speculation that Samsung would use 64-bit processors in its new device. Apple has shifted to 64-bit processors with its iPhone 5s, but clearly Samsung feels this is not necessary for its products yet.

Echoing the iPhone 5s, the devices also gain a fingerprint scanner – with this feature having also been included on devices from HTC, it has become something of a must-include for flagship devices.

Interestingly, the Korea Herald reported that Samsung has dropped a previously-mooted feature – Iris recognition – citing an ‘industry source’.

Issues related to Iris recognition include the need for a dedicated camera module, increasing build cost, complexity and size, plus the need to hold the device up to the face in order to use – which is inconvenient in many situations.

And, if true, the report also puts an end to another topic of specification: the casing for each version is defined as ‘plastic’, meaning that a previously-mooted shift to metal casings for the flagship will not take place.

Other suggested specifications include 3GB of RAM, 16MP main camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and ‘3D’ gesture support.