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Samsung Galaxy S4 – hardware from Samsung with Google’s latest software
- mtgx 13y agoThey really need to make it a "Google program" of some sort, where any manufacturer can do this with their smartphone models (while respecting Google's strict guidelines of course). They'd basically be Chromebooks for Android.
- emehrkay 13y agoThe HTC One or even the Facebook phone would be very nice with stock Android
- pook1e 13y agoI believe you can simply remove Facebook Home from the HTC First to return to stock Android, though I'm not sure that guarantees updates like the Nexus devices do.
- Supermighty 13y agoYou can, but AT&T has already discontinued the HTC First. If you're lucky you can pick it up for $0.99 before the pull it from shelves.
- devindotcom 13y agoI believe there's still plenty of time, that BGR report seemed pretty preliminary. They've got stock to burn through. Even the Playbook stayed on shelves for longer than this. I plan on buying a First myself.
- freehunter 13y agoWould it really be the Facebook phone if it came with stock Android?
- bede 13y agoThis. I'm surprised that it's taken Google this long to get around to it. I just hope the network operators actually bother to sell these devices... For reasons I fail to comprehend, EE, the largest network in the UK, still refuses to sell the flagship Nexus 4, or indeed any phone that ships with a non-mutilated version of (stock) Android. Edit: I suppose it's because the device is such good value on the Play Store that EE wouldn't be able to make a worthwhile margin on their contracts while appearing vaguely competitive.
- untog 13y agoFor reasons I fail to comprehend, EE, the largest network in the UK, still refuses to sell the flagship Nexus 4 Because there is next to no market for it. People who are not developers are not aware of 'stock', and don't care. People who are developers will just buy from the Play Store.
- bede 13y agoFair, although this is not simply some geeky dev device. Apart from the poor camera, it is a remarkable phone for the money (in some contrast with this S4!) and I suspect that it is primarily Google's lack of marketing that has prevented it from going mainstream. LG has struggled to keep up with demand for these phones as it is.
- sbuk 13y agoMight it have something to do with the fact that EE is an LTE network and the Nexus 4 is a HSPA+ device?
- bede 13y agoProbably, and it would likely cannibalise sales of their pricey 4G tariffs. Although apparently their official line on the N4 is that it 'failed EE's internal testing'.
- sbuk 13y agoWhat I find really frustrating is the radio in the N4 does support LTE. It's apparently disabled in software. I suppose you could go SIM only - they have some reasonable* tariffs. *It's all relative.
- veeti 13y agoThis is amazing news. The S4 has amazing hardware but the Samsung stock software is absolutely terrible in almost every aspect.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- jff 13y ago"Google's take on Android"? Don't they mean just "Android"? Because the shit that comes on a regular S4 is "Samsung's take on Android", no matter how Samsung would prefer to define things.
- cryptoz 13y agoNo, they mean Google's take. AOSP is Android, the Nexus experience that is shipping on the N4, the new S4, etc is "Google's take".
- wmf 13y agoWhat's the difference between AOSP and the Nexus experience?
- shitlord 13y agogoogle apps come by default, which you'd normally call "bloatware"
- CrazedGeek 13y agoOn top of that, the AOSP web browser and a few other apps aren't included.
- untog 13y agoI'm not sure it's fair to call the base Google apps like Gmail and Maps "bloatware".
- shitlord 13y agoWell, some of them are not actually bloat for most people (because some of them like Gmail are actually useful). But nobody I know uses G+ or the Movies app (this one requires you to pay, which is a lot like the typical Norton "bloat"). For Nexus devices, it's not as bad as the crapware that comes with a typical phone. You can still remove/disable apps. I had an old Samsung Galaxy phone where you couldn't even remove some of the garbage that came with the phone (some app about the Inception movie, Facebook, etc.)
- recoiledsnake 13y agoDoes Google make any money by selling this or is it just Samsung? Does this mean no new Nexus phone for Google I/O? And Motorola continues to bleed a ton of money.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- liquid_x 13y agoMore or less what you pay for a regular S4 without contract (at least in Sweden)
- gurkendoktor 13y agoNot only Motorola, but probably also HTC, LG, ASUS and whoever else is/was trying to sell Android phones. I honestly don't get it - do they want to actively kill off internal competition among Android manufacturers?
- maskedinvader 13y agodoes this mean stock android will eventually get to use the smart gesture and motion features of S4 ? I would hope Samsung has contributed their code and future iterations of similar hardware will be supported in android ! for once let there be a good marriage between competition and a common open mobile operating system (aka Android) amongst manufacturers
- dtrizzle 13y agoToo expensive. For $649, get an iPhone.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- maskedinvader 13y agosure if the following features are not important to you, 1080p display, removable battery, expandable memory slot, NFC, new touchscreen tech allowing you to use the screen with gloves, optional wireless charging and arguably the most popular mobile operating system edit: removed ' future updates ' as a differentiating feature since iPhone has the same guarantee
- pyre 13y ago| guaranteed updates for the near future Don't iPhone users get iOS updates? How is 'OS updates' a differentiating feature?
- maskedinvader 13y agoYou are correct, I think I got a little carried away :)
- murkta 13y agoAnd most importantly, the ability to do whatever the fuck you want with your device without an evil corporation curtailing your freedom, enslaving you and draining you of your money and soul.
- sbuk 13y agoTone down the rhetoric for pity's sake. My freedoms haven't been hindered once by Apple. My privacy has been by both Google and Samsung. Samsung are one of a group of nasty, if not the absolute worst, chaebols in Korea. That you've posted twice does lead me to think that you need to disclose more...
- fein 13y agoHilarious moment in the session when he announces the GS4. "Here's the Samsung Galaxy S4, its a great phone, and you can get it for $650 on the Play store!" ...crickets.
- BaconJuice 13y agohaha yea I noticed that too. Must have been very awkward for him.
- jimmar 13y agoI have an S4. Does anybody know if I'll be able to remove Samsung's software and go completely google? I'd be happy to ditch touchwiz and the junk Samsung put on the phone to get the full Google/Android experience.
- tuananh 13y agoyou could flash a new rom. it's rather easy.
- jimmar 13y agoI don't just want any old rom. I want the one Google is using for its version of the S4. Is this likely to be available? (Apologies if this is basic stuff for the Android experts--I'm still figuring things out.)
- dguaraglia 13y agoI have one myself and I don't know if that'll be possible. The problem is that different devices, sold by different carriers, require different radio drivers and so on. Take for example the S2 and S3s sold by AT&T and T-Mobile: they are marketed under the same name, they look the same externally but they are completely different model numbers. In other words, I'm not sure Google's version of the S4 will be an exact copy of AT&Ts. I hope it is, I can't wait to get rid of Samsung's crappy version.
- mekpro 13y agoIt's possible. At first you'll have to make your device's bootloader unlocked, this is the hardest step of all since the method to do this is different to each variant of device and usually require root access. The second step is installing a recovery ROM which will allow you to install custom ROM. Finally, you find the custom ROM that suits your need and install it. Cyanogen Mod and AOSP provide almost if not the same as pure Google experience. Please note that S4 is very new so custom ROM may not be perfectly stable yet. You should find more information at forum xda-developers where developers are actively work on it.
- mikevm 13y agoDamnit. Makes me regret buying a Nexus 4 two months ago.
- intactfile 13y agogreat news!
- julianozen 13y agoIt's interesting how with each nexus, samaungs brand gets stronger. Google Nexus S, Google Galaxy Nexus, now Samsung Galaxy S4 with stock Android
- mekpro 13y agoI'm still worried. The Nexus way had invented 'no-physical-button' experience for 2 generations. Now, with Galaxy Nexus S4, will we have the physical button back again ? Will this cause fragmentation in android ecosystem ?
- laacz 13y agoIsn't this just a way to reassure customers, that there are no problems between Google and Samsung? Also, I am huge fan of Nexus softkeys, which move as I rotate screen and are not physical. And how about softkeys other than home? Back is on the wrong side (well, wrong is opposite of what i've used to), and second is context sensitive menu.