By 
This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, the Google Play editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are now available on Google Play. Hugo Barra himself tweeted the good news and although we’re not seeing them show up in our Play Store just yet, I’m sure they’ll be up any minute now.
In the meantime, it might behoove you to know that the HTC One “Google Edition” still retains it’s thumpin Beats EQ baked into the core OS, along with full stereo front facing speaker functionality. Unfortunately, some of the best Sense 5 features — along with those you’ve grown to love in TouchWiz — wont be making the transition. This is afterall, a vanilla Android experience.
Still, the prospect of receiving prompt updates (without carrier meddling) is enough for some to make these sacrifices, and if that sounds like you, jump onto Google Play where you can purchase the new Google Play Edition HTC One for $600, or the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play for $650. Both devices begin shipping on July 9th.
Question: Will these phone’s features (ex. HTC One’s MP camera and Front facing speakers quality) remain the same or will the fact that it’s running stock hinder it? Will it somehow include those drivers? I’m not getting either just simply curious is all.
For your health!
If you go to the device page it says that. It also stated that in the article that it’ll keep the stuff. LoL!!
If you can’t see the device page, let me copy what was stated…
“HTC One: The best of HTC.
Refined design. Rugged build. Inspired results.
Featuring a sleek aluminum body, zero gap construction and tapered edges that offer a slim but satisfying grip. Design without compromises.
Slim phone. Fat sound.
Dual front-facing speakers deliver high-quality, stereo sound, even at high volumes, so you can share the music you love. The addition of Beats Audio ™ makes your music pop even more, whether through the speakers or your headphones.
Capture vivid photos with more clarity and contrast.
Great for low-light settings, the HTC UltraPixel camera on the HTC One is engineered with larger pixels to capture 300% more light than most leading cameras.”
You’re right! That’s great
kind torn about that, in one way, yay for pure and proper updates, but yet, quite like the extra’s that come with the UI’s, wonder if side-loading wanted apps and widgets would work? since in this case they’d only be apps, and won’t affect anything underneath
Nah, most are tied to the framework but you never know what these ROM developer can come up (maybe something comparable).
When is Samsung releasing Pure Google for T Mobile S4 is what I want to know?
The S4 available (now/soon) is T-Mobile bands.
The One is only missing T-Mobile HSPA+ on AWS. (Areas that have not yet had AT&T bands added.)
Are you sure? The 1700 frequency is not listed for the S4.
Ships by June 9th, not beginning June 9th, probably the same thing though.
Wish they had the black version but ordered the white anyway. Nexus S … 2 in white.
You’re right! The current Play store info contradicts what I had read earlier.
1700 included on this spec: https://support.google.com/playedition/answer/3222967
Score for tmo folks if this spec is accurate. Also lists the 600 not S4 Pro.
I meant when is Samsung releasing pure google software for T Mobile S4. I think HTC already has it available on their website
typo on the Galaxy S4 product page showing cpu as: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro
…or is it? O_O
I caught that after I purchased it. Better be a typo.
Updated to S600!
Yes, this makes Android fans happy, but for $600+ is anyone going to actually buy any of these Google Edition devices?
ill stick with my trusty N4 :)
Honestly, you just can’t beat that price. I could buy a Nexus for me and my gf for the price of one of these devices…
exactly!
And also, i personally think HTC and Samsung did a great job with the software they included with each of these devices, its almost a shame to take that all away and throw on vanilla android
You could, but you won’t.
You’re right… already bought HTC One Developer Edition. :/
what made u get The One over the S3? just asking….
Yeah, but then you’d have 2 nexus 4’s which will probably be broken before the S5 comes out. Don’t be cheap. Buy a real phone.
yeah i could buy one for myself and your girlfriend too! Good point Chavez!
$700 plus after tax and shipping. Wayyyyy too expensive to be successful. Guess it doesn’t matter though. Not like they had to build a phone just for this.
If you don’t take the $150 down plus $20 a month at TMO under their current rules … it’s the SAME price. It is the cost … subbing is not the true cost so what’s the big deal? Seriously?
Plus, you could always pay more than the suggested EIP rate of $20/mo.
Some people just don’t have the money upfront, or the credit to afford it.
Yeah, I get that. And what I said wasn’t related to “can someone afford it” but what the actual cost is of these devices. It matters not to me if someone can afford something or not. If they can’t then they can’t. It’s not a right to own anything honestly. It’s how folks got in trouble over the last 30 years … the keeping up with the Jones way of thinking. Those who can grab one will .. those that can’t .. won’t. But to say it’s WAAAY to expensive with the other handsets cost the same if bought out right is just silly.
Google isnt mass marketing these devices. They have them solely for those that demand pure Android. Unfortunately for Google, these are the same people who expect the best but are unwilling to pay for it, so no, these won’t sell well.
My thoughts exactly.
Well seeing how the Nexus 4 went to Tmo, I can see Tmo probably getting these phones. If they do that they will sky rocket. EVERYONE will start going to Tmo. LoL!!
A lot of Americans are just spoiled by subsidized pricing. I was living overseas when the Galaxy S2 came out and paid around $600 for it but only paid $20 a month for 300 minutes, 300 sms, and unlimited data.
If you want to do something similar here, just buy a phone off-contract and switch to T-mobile prepaid where you’ll spend less than $40 a month for the phone bill. Paying low monthly bills helps to offset some of the cost of a phone. $600 is what most outside the US are paying for phones.
You are right though, because the N4 makes every phone seem like a rip-off. N4 is definitely the best bang for your buck.
One other positive to this release is that the roms on these will likely be usable for people that bought contract phone editions of the S4 and One with AT&T and T-mobile.
Still no CDMA,,,Uhhh
Unlocked CDMA (at least the way it’s done in the US) is more difficult, since you always have to contact the carrier to activate the phone. You then have to tell it which carrier it belongs to, etc.
GSM is easier since the SIM card does that for you.
Don’t expect CDMA devices direct from Google…. ever, most likely.
Moto X Possible
It won’t be unlocked. Maybe carrier branded for CDMA, but not direct from the Play Store.
What Chad said. Don’t expect anymore CDMA Nexus-related devices.
Not showing for me :(
Me neither. I don’t know what’s up :/
Maybe 3 PM EST
I can see them. I’ve been able to see them since about 1pm Central.
Weird. Maybe they are rolling out in sections? Lol.
Ditto.
I’m excited. But broke
same here.
It’s there. I can see them. Looking lovely too. LoL!!
мy coυѕιɴ ιѕ мαĸιɴɢ $51/нoυr oɴlιɴe. υɴeмployed ғor α coυple oғ yeαrѕ αɴd prevιoυѕ yeαr ѕнe ɢoт α $1З619cнecĸ wιтн oɴlιɴe joв ғor α coυple oғ dαyѕ. ѕee мore αт… ViewMore——————————————.qr.net/kkEj
Dual front-facing speakers deliver high-quality, stereo sound, even
at high volumes, so you can share the music you love. The addition of
Beats Audio ™ makes your music pop even more, whether through the
speakers or your headphones.
Yup. Mine finally updated a few minutes ago. :)
So both only support AT&T 3G, not T-Mobile 3G, from what I can tell…
Yep, unless you live in a re-farmed area.
Ah, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S 4 GPe version does have the 1700 band for HSPA+ on T-Mobile, according to AnandTech: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7107/htc-one-and-samsung-galaxy-s-4-google-play-edition-review-nearly-nexus It seems the HTC One version does not.
dam for $600 ill just get the Toshiba Excite Write with its tegra 4 processor, and all other cool specs, i cant see myself payin that much for a phone
Almost all high end phones nowadays cost the same price. I paid $700 for my Galaxy Note 2 at T-Mobile last year. (would have been $800 if I bought it at Best Buy)
oh i kno, i just cant pay that much off the back, its a phone, my laptop didnt cost that much, nor will my tablet, imma jus stick with contracts
US only bummer
not if you live in the US ;)
so i understand it won’t work on CDMA. But will it work on Verizon’s LTE? Or when they list “LTE” does that mean AT&T’s only?
That’s not their fault, it’s Verizon’s.
Verizon went with CDMA, opted not to use SIM cards for anything until LTE, and has not (nor has anyone else, really) implemented Voice-over-LTE. So if you did manage to use it on Verizon, you wouldn’t be able to place or receive calls.
So yeah it is, “the carrier of your choice, as long as they’re using GSM”, but that’s still AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Rogers and Bell in Canada, most EU carriers…
Notice that the clock is set to 4:30 (aka Android 4.3) on these new devices. Not really a surprise, but still worth noting.
Yeah, they’re all running Android 4.2.2 but apparently someone thought Android 4.3 would be out by now. Seems like it could have been delayed.
Still, the camera software from 4.3 made its way into these devices which is even more interesting…
At the bottom of the GS4 page I’m reading, “MicroSD card only compatible with select third party applications. Not compatible with Google Services”. I was hoping to load 30 gigs of music onto the MicroSD card to work in conjunction with Play Music. Is this not possible?
They both support 700MHz LTE… Hmm… I wonder what would happen if you stuck a Verizon SIM card in one of these phones. I know CDMA doesn’t have a chance. But, LTE?
Verizon doesn’t have SIM cards though, right?
Their LTE devices all use SIM cards.
i have a nexus 4 and i am not thrilled for several reasons…. I wished if only there would be Nexus with HTC ONE hardware – and here it is now but too late – I am on Note 3 bandwagon…..
“There’s some truth to the continual OEM refrain that “there’s a lot you need to do to Android to make it a phone for regular consumers.””
Actually, there is no truth to that.
Canada doesn’t belong to earth, it seems.