News - Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition is a US exclusive

[HEXUS]

No stock, vanilla or pure Android version of the Galaxy S4 coming to the UK, for now.

Read more.

[dangel]

Doesn't matter - ROM gets dumped and used in the UK in days I'd hazard.

[ZaO]

Doesn't matter - ROM gets dumped and used in the UK in days I'd hazard.

Haha exactly. That is the nature of Android. It will literally be available for everyone to use within days!

[crossy]

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.

Hmm, I'd be more than willing to give up the "smart" stuff and S-Voice in return for Nexus-style updates. TBH, S-Voice is annoying - sure it works okay, but it's full of little quirks like not switching to the headset if you use it for a voice dial. TouchWiz I actually quite like - certainly a lot more than Sense!

I thought "timely updates" were a keystone of Nexus devices, so surely if the S4Ge gets them then it's a Nexus in all but name - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Must really get around to debloating my S3 sometime - especially as the last update seems to have made it run very slow.

[3dcandy]

last update not good for me either :-(

[directhex]

Doesn't matter - ROM gets dumped and used in the UK in days I'd hazard.

Assuming the radios are even remotely compatible. And the kernels, given the 4-core-vs-8-core split of S4 devices

[outwar6010]

let me guess no micro sd slot i love nexus phones but thats a big negative for me

[Agent]

let me guess no micro sd slot i love nexus phones but thats a big negative for me

Yes it does - it's in the article

[Neostar]

damn if only i had the monies

[Biscuit]

Hmm, I'd be more than willing to give up the "smart" stuff and S-Voice in return for Nexus-style updates. TBH, S-Voice is annoying - sure it works okay, but it's full of little quirks like not switching to the headset if you use it for a voice dial. TouchWiz I actually quite like - certainly a lot more than Sense!

I thought "timely updates" were a keystone of Nexus devices, so surely if the S4Ge gets them then it's a Nexus in all but name - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Must really get around to debloating my S3 sometime - especially as the last update seems to have made it run very slow.

Touchwiz over sense? are you mad?

Perhaps you are used to an older version of sense but in my experience there is no comparison, touchwiz is just the worst.

[mikemikemi]

Assuming the radios are even remotely compatible. And the kernels, given the 4-core-vs-8-core split of S4 devices

According to Engadget Google version uses the Snapdragon processor:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/16/s...ock-google-io/

[3dcandy]

Touchwiz over sense? are you mad?

Perhaps you are used to an older version of sense but in my experience there is no comparison, touchwiz is just the worst.

Not used a Sony and/or SE phone then

[crossy]

Touchwiz over sense? are you mad?Perhaps you are used to an older version of sense but in my experience there is no comparison, touchwiz is just the worst.

Nope, my Sense experience was with an HTC One S - which I would have thought was a fairly recent version of Sense. No what I hated about it was that, although it was quite fast to use, it seemed to be a horrible hybrid of modern and pre-ICS methods. So you did things expecting to get the ICS behaviour (because it looked right) only to have them fail.
Not that I'm saying for a millisecond that TouchWiz is perfect, because it manifestly isn't, but it suits me better and I find it's closer to that "stock" Android feel. And judging by the number of hits you get for "remove htc sense" I'm not the only Sense-naysayer.

Of course, the S4GE (is it just me, or does that look like "sage"?) has the stock Android experience so that's going to suit a lot of people. For all my liking of TouchWiz I'd like a stock experience more, but just CBA'd to deWiz my S3 at the moment. Although if Samsung's updates keep slowing it down then I'll be tempted.

Not used a Sony and/or SE phone then

Erm, yes, SE Xperia X10 - and found the UI after the ICS upgrade to be pretty reasonable albeit a bit on the "oh-my-god-why-won't-you-do-SOMETHING" slow side. And I liked their UI (UXP?) more than Sense too.

[ZaO]

Hey you guys that have S3's - we have a 2 year warranty on these things right? I'm just waiting for the warranty to run out before I root mine n all. Only had it about half a year so far though...

[dangel]

Assuming the radios are even remotely compatible. And the kernels, given the 4-core-vs-8-core split of S4 devices

And assuming that the community can't cherry pick and port what isn't yes - but the principle stands since Android is 'open'ish. And that's if you really want stock versus a million other custom ROMs but meh, thanks for the information, i'm sure i'll upgrade my gnex someday..

[iamlorro]

I'm quite disappointed that it's not more widely available.... but as I only upgraded this year anyway, I wouldn't get it if it was in the UK.

Really want another HTC to do a nexus device though.