The only interesting hardware related piece we saw from all of yesterday’s Google I/O announcements was the unveiling of a Samsung Galaxy S4 which featured the “Nexus user experience” i.e. a stock Android OS. Starting from 26th June this bootloader-unlocked, vanilla Android smartphone is to be made available exclusively on Google Play with no contract for $649. This smartphone will support both T-Mobile and AT&T LTE networks in the US. It turns out it’s not just exclusive to Google Play, it’s exclusive to Google Play in the US, as Google have told CNet that it will be a US-only device at launch.
Only for Uncle Sam
Many Android smartphone veterans are keen on the stock Android experience which offers a smartphone which works in exactly the way Google intended it to, fresh from the box. A stock Android device with a Nexus user experience will also offer owners the best in usability and security as updates are “prompt” straight from Google.
However this means that you might miss out on not just the custom interface skins companies like Samsung install on their devices but also many bespoke system apps which some people may find to be useful to have installed as default. Samsung has put a lot of effort into trying to differentiate its smartphones with various “life companion” software capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition vs Samsung Galaxy S4
So what are the key differences between the Samsung Galaxy S4 “Google Edition” (let’s call it the S4GE) and the regular Samsung Galaxy S4? Firstly the S4GE doesn’t have TouchWiz, S Voice, smart-stay or smart-scroll for instance. This has a knock on effect on the storage used on your brand spanking new blower fresh from the box; the S4GE should have significantly more user memory area. Samsung has been accused of misleading the public by advertising the 16GB Galaxy S4 as such when by default it has roughly half of that storage space left available, even when powered up for the first time. In addition Google has said that the S4GE will get “timely” updates just like the Google Nexus devices.
Click for a biggie
Regular Galaxy S4 to get bloat reduced
While this S4GE is available only to US residents at the end of June, there is some good news regarding software bloat for UK Galaxy S4 owners/buyers. Turning away from its previous position of defending the use of so much storage space to facilitate “more powerful features” Samsung has told CNet UK that “we are reviewing the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimisation”. Furthermore the S Korean electronics giant said it is “committed to listening to our customers and responding to their needs as part of our innovation process”. The Galaxy S4 does allow users to expand available memory with a built-in micro-SD card slot but apps and games have to reside in the internal memory.
