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In case you’ve forgotten, Verizon is opening the floodgates for folks to give them their money early for the Samsung Galaxy S4. Due to launch May 30th on Big Red’s airwaves, the Samsung Galaxy S4 was thoroughly assessed in our review, one carried out by Mr. Krause himself. The verdict? Let’s just say users wouldn’t feel ripped off by dropping $200 for this thing (after signing a new two-year contract, of course) unless they had one of Samsung’s more recent flagships already.
Samsung decided to focus more on software and usability than specs in this puppy, with an updated version of TouchWiz that includes many useful features and applications. Samsung is banking on more motion controls, creepy eye-detection software, exciting new camera features and more to entice users to buy, and the easy mode will help ease new smartphone owners into the thing as if they were a child being dipped into a freezing cold pool.
Verizon provides the most lucrative playing field for Samsung right now, of course, considering 2013’s other hot commodity — the HTC One (read our review) — won’t be headed to the carrier. If you’ve decided on making this device your companion for the next two years you can make the tied knot all the more tight and official by pre-ordering one at Verizon’s site. Let us know if you’ll be grabbing one.
Anyone know if this thing will have a locked bootloader? (BTW I know this is probably a stupid question, given VZW’s past)
Verizon’s website was asking $250 for the phone this morning… Now it shows for $199 after $50 mail in rebate. Too bad it would drop my unlimited plan…
lol yep…..Verizon are kidding themselves if they don’t think people prefer to stay on unlimited plans.
I got an instant rebate of $50 on mine. $250 after $20 tax and $30 activation fee.
Waiting for the 32gb
Exactly !!!
not after all this!
http://m.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/04/samsung-galaxy-s-iv-reviews-are-great-htc-one/64523/
Does anyone else get confused by all the overloading of the buttons on the S3 and Note 2? I’ll stick to my virtual buttons.
I’m confused by your post. What overloading of what buttons?
Settings, Home, Back buttons. If you “long press” them they become Search, Recent Apps, and something else I forget.
I do wish they had the standard three android buttons, in capacitive touch form. But two functions per button is not confusing. Are you confused by a press vs a long press anywhere else on the phone, because that dichotomy exists everywhere in Android.
any speculation to when the 32 will be annoucned/released?
I had an iPhone 4S, got bored with it, and switched to the HTC Windows Phone 8X during its release in October. HTC DID NOT do a good job with the 8X. Mine crashes over 5x daily, suffers from frequent “SIM Card Error” messages (meaning the phone randomly stops detecting the SIM card), and, for those reasons, is a very unreliable phone. I’ve taken my 8X out of my pocket only to find it’s crashed and is powered off. Lame. OH, and to top everything off, the headphone jack itself is a piece! Whenever I want to plug in an AUX or headphone jack, I have to wiggle it around and find a ‘perfect spot’ in order for the 8X to properly send all the audio signal to the cable… Thanks a lot, Beats Audio.
I want to switch to Android now, as I’ve finally realized that it is the superior mobile OS on the market today. I don’t trust HTC after what I’ve experienced with their 8X.
As far as I’m concerned, the only advantages that the HTC One seems to offer over the GS4 are: Blink Feed, the ‘premium feel’ of the aluminum body, and Zoe Share.
Blink Feed is easily replaced by a widget from your favorite newsreader app such as Feedly or Flipboard. The premium feel of the aluminum body is great and all, but I ALWAYS have a sturdy case on my smartphone, so I wouldn’t see or feel the aluminum most of the time anyways. Lastly, Zoe Share… well, it’s an app. It looks great but I’m sure there will be an equivalent if not superior third-party replacement for it (if it doesn’t already exist).
Thoughts?
Front facing stereo speakers are a huge plus. Also, since the software update, low-light pictures are significantly better on the HTC One than the GS4. Zoey has gotten pretty stellar reviews so far from everything I’ve read. I’m actually up in the air between the HTC One and the Nexus 4(mainly because of price and stock android). Personally, I’m not really interested in the GS4.
yep but be aware they are forcing you to change over to tiered data plans when upgrading to the Samsung S4 –
Verizon tiered data plans…uhm just say
NO! –
http://blog.collins.net.pr/2013/04/verizon-tiered-data-plansuhm-just-say-no.html
Not me. ‘Course, I’m using an upgrade on one of my other lines.
Nope sorry, basically Verizon have stated NO Upgrades for unlimited plans. basically to get the 4g plan you HAVE to move over to a tiered plan. …..lol or just say no and move to sprint or tmobile
You have no idea what you are talking about. If you upgrade another line, they activate the phone on that line for about 1 minute(unless it’s an iphone), then they try after it to the unlimited line as a replacement device. Then reactivate the original phone on the upgraded line. Whole process takes a few minutes. Call ’em right now and they’ ll tell you.
That’s supposed to say “transfer it to the unlimited line.
cool, let me known after the 30th of May when you get it to work, basically I called this morning and they are refusing to allow a new 2 year contract on my current number.
basically saying all S4’s MUST be on tiered plans unless paid for in full up front.
yes thats correct. i preordered this morning and i had unlimited. i transferred the upgrade from another line to my line and sure enough, it makes you switch to the new data plan. luckily for me I use only 3gb at most per month. plus my wife doesnt use much.
ah ok I get what you are saying, basically you don’t mind paying for the phone twice because your wife doesn’t use the full value of her account.
You can always find someone to give you bad info. Look, I’ve already done this since they ended unlimited data with my S3. I’ve also consulted numerous in store and over phone reps and have gotten the same answer, but with some exceptions from reps who didn’t know how to do it and so said bit couldn’t be done. What was done with my S3 can be done with the S4, S5, and forever. You can’t upgrade the unlimited line itself, but you can bring your own device. Knowledgeable reps know how to make another line’s upgrade into a phone the unlimited line bis just bringing in. Call and say you want to upgrade your sister’s line, but then she wants to sell you that phone and you want to buy it from her and keep your unlimited plan. Then they can school you.
its not bad info, just not applicable to you as you don’t use the data plan enough to matter.
Uh, I use about 10gb a month. Not sure what you’re saying here.
I have two phones on my current verizon plan, an unlimited data for $30 and a 2GB for $30. My unlimited was up for an upgrade, So what I did was transfer my upgrade to my other phone with the 2GB plan and it let me keep that data plan, it said my plan after adding that device will be $30 for data, and $9.99 for the line. When I get the S4 I will put my unlimited SIM card in and be good to go.