Galaxy S4 Google Edition

[CrimsonPride]

I think that the answer to your question is - how soon will you have an unlocked bootloader on ATT?

apparently the at&t bootloader has already been unlocked, but it is not going to be released until the verizon version comes out

 

[Shockwave78]

Since the phone will most likely be the same as the carrier s4's, couldn't you just get a carrier one and then load the unlocked ROM into it? Would it be exactly the same as the unlocked pure google version then?

I am going back to AT&T and was going to wait out until the apple conference in June. Bu at this point I don't think it matters. I will have an iPhone 5 64gb I could sell for $650 and the galaxy s4 I could get now for $199 and probably sell thy for $450 if I wanted to and get anything I want again

The note 3 is also something I am really looking forward to. The note 2 was the closest thing that has ever steered me away from the iphone. I still drool over the spen here and there. It's great for drawing wire diagrams and stuff at work

 

[EarlyMon]

Thinking about it, it occurs to me that this is simply a Nexus without the name.

So treb - congrats on having the first thread in our new forum!

 

[Shockwave78]

Wow. This is making me look at coverage maps, it really is.

On the one hand, I'm updatable on VZW as of ... yesterday. OTOH, I'm really, really, really annoyed at VZW and am tempted to wait out the extra six months to kill my contract.

(Why am I annoyed? Losing unlimited data (unless I pay full price for the phone) and actually having to pay more on Share Everything for less; customer service lies; every call drops once anyway; did I mention customer service lies; shutting off my data and falsely claiming I requested it; bizarre text messages every time you get an email when the phone is out of the country; only supporting the phones it likes; untruthful customer service....)

So, yeah, seeing as I was thinking of paying full price for the phone anyway, the idea of paying full price for stock android genuinely makes me drool.

Same here, I still have unlimited but at some pint I am losing it anyway. Indonhave move e family to my plan eventually anyway, might as well just get it overwith.

I had at for about 10yrs, zero issues ith them other than building penetration where I work. Verizon's coverage was much better I that regard. However over the last two years since I left it is much better now with the 4g and lte coverage.

Reason
S I am leaving Verizon in order

1. Always late to get phones or just not get them at all. I get 3-4 phones a year so it bugs me

2. AT&T still has this loophole if you want to call it that, I won't go any firer with this but it's a huge benefit and it still works. Lets just say you can get a couple phones per year at subsidized pricing :-d

3. Walking into a Verizon store is like apple but 10x worse. What a bunch of tools. There friggin phone salesmen and act like they went to school for years to learn it, when it actually I know more about what there selling than they do. They are worse than apple zombies. Customer support online and over the phone is the same. At least with AT&T they seem more down to earth when I go into the store or call. They are not putting on this big act for me like I am Nigerian prince

 

[treb1797]

Thinking about it, it occurs to me that this is simply a Nexus without the name.

So treb - congrats on having the first thread in our new forum!

I also had the first thread in the S4 forum ( no joke ):thumb:

So what do I win

 

[EarlyMon]

I also had the first thread in the S4 forum ( no joke ):thumb:

So what do I win

+4 Interwebz and my undying admiration.

 

[treb1797]

+4 Interwebz and my undying admiration.

PhanBot: Portable Android Robot Speaker from Phandroid

I was hoping for a PhanBot, but that will do.:tee:

 

[RAND0M1ZER]

So just to confirm, the hardware of this phone is going to be identical to the current AT&T S4?

 

[EarlyMon]

Not sure, the announcement said that it supported all USA ATT and T-Mobile radios, so there may be transceiver differences.

 

[charlie310]

Google unveils Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android Jelly Bean, available June 26th for $649
Foolish Google...don't they know we can just root & flash vanilla android. Didn't they hear the boot loader has been unlocked?

 

[jhawkkw]

True, but often times AOSP roms don't fully work due to drivers not working. But releasing this version of the S4, everything should work and AOSP roms will work much better on this device rather than the Touchwized GS4

 

[Mikestony]

Merged Threads

 

[EarlyMon]

True, but often times AOSP roms don't fully work due to drivers not working. But releasing this version of the S4, everything should work and AOSP roms will work much better on this device rather than the Touchwized GS4

^This.

Plus, sim unlocked.

Plus, updates directly from Google.

 

[sean76]

For a person who doesn't mind spending retail on a phone, this is basically everything all wrapped up in one package!

1- Stock Android the way it was meant to be
2- Updates directly from Google
3- 5 inch full HD screen
4- Super fast Processor
5- 13 megapixel shooter
6- Expandable storage
7- Removable battery
8- Fully unlocked from top to bottom
9- GSM LTE

I mean this is basically it people! Yea it's $649, but when you really look at the BIG picture this is probably going to be the best Pure Google Android phone to date, no Nexus branding of course, but at this point I could care less!

 

[Android26]

Yeah, rooting and flashing vanilla android is not as sweet as automatically getting it from Google.

 

[326]

Anyone know if this means the s4's that are already out now may get faster support for software upgrades. For example when Android 4.3 becomes avail?

 

[EarlyMon]

Anyone know if this means the s4's that are already out now may get faster support for software upgrades. For example when Android 4.3 becomes avail?

Samsung has already gotten pretty fast - but - following the Android 4.3 upgrade, then Sammy will have to touch that with Touchwiz and if you're in the US, the carriers are going to want to set their own schedule.

Until we see it happen, Samsung's next update cycles will be just speculation.

 

[Liamo_210]

All I can say is shut up and take my money.

 

[breadnatty08]

Interesting question from someone on Engadget. Do you think Google will remap the buttons? Turn the Settings button into a multi-talking one?

 

[jhawkkw]

Interesting question from someone on Engadget. Do you think Google will remap the buttons? Turn the Settings button into a multi-talking one?

I'm not counting on it because google let them keep the physical home button.

 

[AntimonyER]

I didn't think about the hardware buttons... Kind of takes away from it a little I think.

 

[jhawkkw]

Yeah, Samsung really loves that ugly physical home button. Because people love the apple home button, Samsung has to include it on their phones

 

[wicked1]

Great idea but like Google Glasses totally out of their minds price wise, only a small number of people will buy it.

I have the iPhone 5 and would love a vanilla Android device, especially not waiting for AT&T to release their updates, but no way would I spend that much.

Why is it that AT&T and VZ take so damn long to release the Android updates, kind of not fair to users if you ask me, one reason I have not switched

 

[Liamo_210]

Great idea but like Google Glasses totally out of their minds price wise, only a small number of people will buy it.

I have the iPhone 5 and would love a vanilla Android device, especially not waiting for AT&T to release their updates, but no way would I spend that much.

Why is it that AT&T and VZ take so damn long to release the Android updates, kind of not fair to users if you ask me, one reason I have not switched

Why not get a nexus 4? Its vanilla android and at an amazing price.

 

[sean76]

Great idea but like Google Glasses totally out of their minds price wise, only a small number of people will buy it.

I have the iPhone 5 and would love a vanilla Android device, especially not waiting for AT&T to release their updates, but no way would I spend that much.

Why is it that AT&T and VZ take so damn long to release the Android updates, kind of not fair to users if you ask me, one reason I have not switched

The price is not nuts at all! You have to look around and see what retail phones really cost. How can Google sell the S4 at a cheaper price then at&t or Tmobile do off contract and retail? It's just not possible to discount a phone like the S4.

I said it from day one that as soon as I found out the pricing for the N4 that people are going to always be expecting Google to sell future phones and nexus devices at the same price point. How can they out source the phones and have them built by another manufacturer and offer better hardware, better internals, better cameras, etc! Losing money is not the name of the game for these companies. Granted the S4 is no world beater when were talking about hardware, but in actuality it is a sick phone when your talking specs and performance and what not.

Unless Google really gets they're act together and makes sense to everyone as to why they really bought Motorola and they release a built from the ground up nexus device directly from them, I'd say get used to the higher price point for phones directly from them running stock android.