Android purists love nothing more than devices equipped with stock versions of the mobile operating system, and ever since 2010, Google has offered its most devoted user base its Nexus line of smartphones and tablets to deliver the truest form of the OS — that is, until now. Yesterday at its annual developers conference, instead of unveiling a true successor to last year's Nexus 4, Google announced an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 that comes with stock Android, completely free of Samsung's TouchWiz UI.
The catch? It'll cost $649 when it launches on June 26th, with no word of a subsidized version on its way.
Check out our Google I/O 2013 recap.
Compared to the Nexus 4 — which has been available unsubsidized for $299 since it launched in November — the price of this new Galaxy S4 is a tough pill to swallow, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth it.
People familiar with Android may be quick to say that installing a stock ROM on a subsidized Galaxy S4 would be a much better route, especially since those so determined to have stock Android on their device might already know a thing or two about flashing custom versions of the OS. The major difference with the "Galaxy S4 Nexus" is that it uses an officially supported version of the operating system, which is invaluable for app developers as well as users that want a stable experience.
The Galaxy S4 is one of the most powerful smartphones money can buy
Even better, Google promised that the device will receive future OS updates at the time of launch. While it would be great if all Android devices worked with way, immediate updates are reserved for Nexus products, with other smartphones and tablets receiving the same update weeks, months, or even years later.
Beyond early access to stock Android, the Galaxy S4 variant offers up one of the most high-powered smartphones on the market. Featuring a 5-inch 1080p display, a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a removable battery, and microSD card support, there are few devices with a spec sheet as impressive as the one found with Samsung's latest flagship.
As mentioned before, the big catch with this device is the price. $649 is a lot to drop for a smartphone, but in reality it isn't far off from the unsubsidized prices for the standard Galaxy S4 or the HTC One, which cost $639.99 and $599.99 through AT&T, respectively. In fact, the HTC One Developer Edition — which features an unlocked bootloader, but ships with HTC's Sense UI — is currently available for $649.99.
It's also important to remember that the $299 price point for the Nexus 4 was not typical for Google's smartphones. Its predecessors all launched with your typical high price tag for contract-free living, with subsidies available through carriers. While the Nexus 4's affordability was a welcome change, at this point it appears that Google was not using it to set precedent for future Nexus smartphones.
The recently announced Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android may be expensive, but it can easily be considered one of the best options for die-hard fans of the OS. $649 for a new phone is far from cheap, and wireless subscribers in the United States are not accustomed to purchasing phones off-contract, but the specs of Samsung's flagship, along with timely OS updates, may be worth your hard-earned money in the end.
Justin is all about his family and his gadgets. Follow him on MyIGN or on Twitter at @ItsTheLingo.
Source : ign[dot]com
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