With the Samsung Galaxy S4 release edging closer and closer, the official firmware leaks apparently started already in anticipation for the hot new Galaxy flagship.

The first one of these firmware leaks brings the firmware for the GT-I9500. This leak is for version I9500ZCUAMDG and it packs the firmware, as well as the kernel and necessary Odin files.

These files are available courtesy of Adam Lange, who posted them on the xda developers forum. The threat itself is just the beginning of a stock ROM archive thread for the new Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone. The first ROM for version I9500ZCUAMDG is from China. The build date appears as April 24, 2013, and it is for the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Such firmware leaks are particularly useful for users who like to play around with their devices and install various custom ROMs. These official ROMs will basically allow users to get their phones back to a stock out-of-the-box experience in a quick and easy manner, with minimum hassle.

It remains debatable just how many users will actually benefit from the Chinese firmware. Interested Samsung Galaxy S4 owners may want to wait until someone posts the correct files for their region before commencing any downloads and installs.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 release is just around the corner, arriving in the U.S. as soon as Friday, April 26 on US Cellular. T-Mobile and Sprint pushed back their availability of the handset due to some unexpected supply issues. Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, has only pre-orders available for now and will launch the smartphone later than its rivals.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 was wildly popular, and the fact that its successor, the Samsung Galaxy S4, already faces supply issues proves that it continues the tradition and is another hit from the South Korean tech giant. Samsung said the supply issues were due to "overwhelming global demand."

Samsung should fix that soon, however, and interested consumers will be able to get their hands on a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4. These initial firmware leaks are just the beginning, with more ROMs likely to surface soon. All versions will be available at GT-I9500 Firmware Repository Page from Samsung-Updates.com as soon as Samsung releases them.