Samsung Galaxy S4's imminent release is almost here and a new rumor could be of great interest to all awaiting the arrival of the new Samsung smartphone. Galaxy S4 is rumored to come with a 2,600mAh removable battery packed with built-in Near-Field Communication (NFC) capability.

This new development was speculated on a Chinese website that posted a couple of Galaxy S4 battery images apparently taken from a model in China. A close-up image of the battery gives us two interesting details: The battery carries the ratings of 3.8V 9.88Wh, which can be calculated as mAh rating (Wh x 1000/V) to become 2,600mAh.

According to Pocket Now, the battery inside the GT-I9502 is one of 9.88Wh (watt-hour). As per the formula (mAh = Wh x 1000 / V or milliamp-hour = watt-hour x 1000 / V), it is found that the battery is rated at 2,600mAh (9.88 x 1000 / 3.8). Second, the battery holds a label "Near Field Communication" right below the brand name, suggesting that the battery itself has NFC capabilities.

However, before we read too much into the speculations, it should be noted that we do not have a confirmation yet on whether Samsung will feature the above-mentioned specifications in the international or global variant of the device. While the 2,600mAh battery is definitely a step up, every internal aspect of the next-generation Galaxy smartphone is bumped up, thus requiring an improved battery. In addition, the Chinese variant of the device is rumored to have a dual SIM functionality, which ultimately points to the fact that the handset requires a battery power-up.

NFC technology has become a standard feature on all high-end Android smartphones nowadays. Samsung has included this technology in its Galaxy S3 and Note 2. According to earlier reports, Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature Visa's PayWave NFC-based wireless payment application under its new partner program with Visa. Financial institutions considering mobile payment programs will be able to use Visa Mobile Provisioning Service to download payment account information to NFC-enabled Samsung devices