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chumawumba

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 9, 2012
471
1
Ask the NSA
I think it is a real game changer, with awesome hardware, and the pure android OS experience, it would be a great phone, still, it costs alot at 649 (then again it is unlocked). What do you guys think, anyone getting one?
 

SR45

macrumors 65832
Aug 17, 2011
1,501
0
Florida
I think it is a real game changer, with awesome hardware, and the pure android OS experience, it would be a great phone, still, it costs alot at 649 (then again it is unlocked). What do you guys think, anyone getting one?

Log onto the Nexus forum for that information. I'm getting the iphone 5S and the reason I am not posting on the Nexus forum for feed back on an Apple product
 

chestvrg

macrumors 65816
Dec 13, 2010
1,176
75
Sorry to rain here on your post, but as you can see most of use here are iPhone users and you will get a bias recommendation if not you'll even get offended by other iPhone iOS users who feel insulted :D and so on...

Anyway, where did you hear of this Nexus S4? Can you post an externals I so I can see this thing?
 

2298754

Cancelled
Jun 21, 2010
4,890
941
Sorry to rain here on your post, but as you can see most of use here are iPhone users and you will get a bias recommendation if not you'll even get offended by other iPhone iOS users who feel insulted :D and so on...

Anyway, where did you hear of this Nexus S4? Can you post an externals I so I can see this thing?

Go on engadget....
 

CandyRedNinja

macrumors member
Mar 25, 2013
67
0
Austin
Sorry to rain here on your post, but as you can see most of use here are iPhone users and you will get a bias recommendation if not you'll even get offended by other iPhone iOS users who feel insulted :D and so on...

Anyway, where did you hear of this Nexus S4? Can you post an externals I so I can see this thing?

There is no "nexus s4" it's a s4 with stock android.
 

skratch77

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2013
1,241
5
There is no "nexus s4" it's a s4 with stock android.

its technically a nexus gs4,its sold in the GOOGLE playstore and will get updates direct from google and not any carriers.Is coming with an unlocked bootloader and unlocked sim along with pure android,how is it not a nexus device lol

its 100% a nexus device
 
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kenypowa

macrumors 6502a
Oct 16, 2008
711
79
somewhere
its technically a nexus gs4,its sold in the GOOGLE playstore and will get updates direct from google and not any carriers.

its 100% a nexus device

It is AOSP, not Nexus. They are 98% similar but there is a difference. S4 w/ AOSP is not a Nexus device, but does have stock Android.

One distinction is that AOSP has its own browser, whereas Nexus has Chrome as the default browser.
 

skratch77

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2013
1,241
5
It is AOSP, not Nexus. They are 98% similar but there is a difference. S4 w/ AOSP is not a Nexus device, but does have stock Android.

One distinction is that AOSP has its own browser, whereas Nexus has Chrome as the default browser.

did you not watch the keynote? the google edition gs4 has purebread android made for its hardware directly from google and will get updates from google and the web browser on the gs4 google edition is the same exact one on the nexus,its using the latest chrome browser
this is not some patched port from the nexus device,its a pure rom made by google for the hardware on the gs4!

sgs4-google.jpg


that looks like chrome to me on that pic!
 
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ZombiePete

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2008
2,410
1,253
San Antonio, TX
It is AOSP, not Nexus. They are 98% similar but there is a difference. S4 w/ AOSP is not a Nexus device, but does have stock Android.

One distinction is that AOSP has its own browser, whereas Nexus has Chrome as the default browser.

AOSP isn't "Google's" Android OS; it comes with the stock Android browser because it's not licensed to have Google Play and related services bundled. The S4 with Google's stock Android is the exact same thing you'd get with a Nexus phone.

You're right that it's not a Nexus per se, but that doesn't mean it's AOSP either. Frankly, this is for all intents and purposes a Nexus phone without the branding, though. Kind of a smart move on Samsung and Google's part; why bother building and branding a derivative phone to be a Nexus when you can flash the latest version of Android on an S4 and sell it unlocked to Google fans?
 

bozzykid

macrumors 68020
Aug 11, 2009
2,481
535
It is AOSP, not Nexus. They are 98% similar but there is a difference. S4 w/ AOSP is not a Nexus device, but does have stock Android.

One distinction is that AOSP has its own browser, whereas Nexus has Chrome as the default browser.

As was stated earlier, AOSP doesn't include any Google Play services so the Google version of the Galaxy S4 is not pure AOSP. The device will be treated like a Nexus device and get updates directly from Google. But it is not officially a "Nexus" device.
 

MuffCabbage

macrumors regular
Nov 11, 2012
197
23
So one could realistically buy a Carrier subsidized S4, sell it, and buy this unlocked for barely, if any, more $.

Wonder if that will be a trend or not, as people could put their money where their mouth is.

Theoretically, if you could spend the same amount, would people forego Samsung "features"
 

siurpeeman

macrumors 603
Dec 2, 2006
6,321
24
the OC
So one could realistically buy a Carrier subsidized S4, sell it, and buy this unlocked for barely, if any, more $.

Wonder if that will be a trend or not, as people could put their money where their mouth is.

Theoretically, if you could spend the same amount, would people forego Samsung "features"

i think the majority of people don't really care that their phones come with touchwiz or sense or whatever.
 

maxwelltech

macrumors 6502
Dec 29, 2011
423
104
Irvine, CA, USA
I would love to see a Nexus-like HTC One that runs stock Android and gets updates on time. I loved my HTC One, but I am a bit concerned about HTC's ability to deliver the updates on time.
 

sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
The big question is this:

If you buy a touchwiz s4 and unlock the boot loader (suppose), can't you just flash the system image of google edition s4 to yours?

That could save some $$$$.
 

skratch77

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2013
1,241
5
The big question is this:

If you buy a touchwiz s4 and unlock the boot loader (suppose), can't you just flash the system image of google edition s4 to yours?

That could save some $$$$.

In theory yes this should be easy to get to work on the reg gs4 but Google and Samsung might have some type if kernel checker that is hardware dependent but I'm sure people will crack what ever Samsung has done.

Last year all the gs3s came with unlocked bootstraps except the Verizon one and now all the gs4s came locked up so its a sign that Samsung wants its reg s4s for the reg people and the geeks to get the Google version to mod it to hell and back with modified kernels and drivers and what not
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
I am actually quite excited about this. I actually started another thread because I didn't realize this one was on the same topic (Google didn't call it the Nexus S4 in their IO). Anyway, I think this can be a wonderful start to OEMs allowing is to run stock Android on our devices out of the box. I am really hoping they take it to the next level and just allow us to choose which version we want to install from the getgo (I realize there can and will be carrier limitations here).

A question about the price, where did we get the $650 from? Is that soemthing that is confirmed? That's interesting as that is what the touchwiz s4 retails, no? So samsung is essentially selling just the hardware, in both cases, and their touxhwiz is just a "free" add-on, assuming you decide to go that route?

----------

Trust me, Touchwiz is just a bunch of useless bloatware

Nobody (here) is arguing against that. I think the point is that a ton of people who buy the galaxy phones don't know better either way. They don't know it is useless bloatware (although I don't like to presume what features one person may or may not find valuable in touchwiz).
 

sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
In theory yes this should be easy to get to work on the reg gs4 but Google and Samsung might have some type if kernel checker that is hardware dependent but I'm sure people will crack what ever Samsung has done.

Last year all the gs3s came with unlocked bootstraps except the Verizon one and now all the gs4s came locked up so its a sign that Samsung wants its reg s4s for the reg people and the geeks to get the Google version to mod it to hell and back with modified kernels and drivers and what not

I hate when companies lug geeks with stock android and normal people with skinned crap.

Look some of us use smartphones without hacking, but would want the cleanest and smoothest android experience. That does not make us geeks.

Google really needs to get this in their heads.

Luckily, all GS4s in Canada have unlocked bootloaders. Hopefully that means no need to buy the GE edition and simply keep getting the latest update through straight ROM ports. That would be amazing!
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,877
10,987
Trust me, Touchwiz is just a bunch of useless bloatware

Speak for yourself, I'm pretty happy with Touchwiz and prefer it over stock. And I'm far from being an inexperienced or uniformed user. It's cool to have the option either way, but many will still choose Touchwiz when given the choice.
 
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