Is this edition worth getting if I don't want to mod/root?

[RavenSword]

Here's the thing, I really don't care about air gestures, eye scrolling, camera mods, pause playback that tracks my eyes or whatever, so this edition should be perfect for me you'd think. But honestly I'm not sure.

Not only does this photo editing cost way more upfront than the subsidized version, but I'm not sure if Frankenstein in stock Android in this thing is the right thing to do. I basically feel like I'm paying two e as much for a faster nexus 4. I do get LTE (but I'm going to tmobile soon anyway so LTE isn't a factor for me yet), bigger/removable battery, and a better screen. I assume the tech is also faster than the nexus 4.

So I'm not sure if it would just be better to pay the 150 up front on tmobile and 20 dollar monthly payment for the way the phone was originally designed to be. Or pay the 650 up front for timely updates, maybe more responsiveness in the OS compared to touch wiz, and does away with all the bloat ware.

Does anyone else think it would feel weird having a device with a ton of tech and features you couldn't use? Or is the hardware specs itself worth it?

 

[RayMabry]

Here's the thing, I really don't care about air gestures, eye scrolling, camera mods, pause playback that tracks my eyes or whatever, so this edition should be perfect for me you'd think. But honestly I'm not sure.

Not only does this photo editing cost way more upfront than the subsidized version, but I'm not sure if Frankenstein in stock Android in this thing is the right thing to do. I basically feel like I'm paying two e as much for a faster nexus 4. I do get LTE (but I'm going to tmobile soon anyway so LTE isn't a factor for me yet), bigger/removable battery, and a better screen. I assume the tech is also faster than the nexus 4.

So I'm not sure if it would just be better to pay the 150 up front on tmobile and 20 dollar monthly payment for the way the phone was originally designed to be. Or pay the 650 up front for timely updates, maybe more responsiveness in the OS compared to touch wiz, and does away with all the bloat ware.

Does anyone else think it would feel weird having a device with a ton of tech and features you couldn't use? Or is the hardware specs itself worth it?

I've been wondering this too. I don't want to root my phone and am intrigued by having a high end device that has pure Android.

I can't really justify purchasing it outright though. Especially when it lacks the features. I find most of the features that come with the GS3 to either be useless, impossible to use consistently, or too taxing on the battery to justify its use. But having said that there are always one or two that end up being useful.

I suppose I could tolerate the loss of a the features. But it still seems like that's the whole point of getting a GS4 in the first place.
Then once you get past that, you have to ask yourself are the updates worth it, especially when there aren't major changes such as going from ICS to JB.
I think people make a big deal about wait times, but only because they want something new. Sure, I like JB but could I see myself paying extra money so I could get it early? No.

For me, I think the IDEA of a high end device with pure Android is nice. But I don't really see why I should purchase it. I can disable Samsung/AT&T bloatware, I want a 32 GB storage space (It is my understanding that the GS4:GE only comes in 16 GB), I could make use of a few of the features that will come with the phone, and I'm patient and can wait for OS updates.

I'd also probably get tired of it and want a new device within a year and a half. So spending all that money for something I will replace within a relatively short period of time doesn't seem right.

I could use that money to buy a laptop and have that far longer.

And even for those who will be putting roms and whatever else on it, I fail to see the point even more. (shrugs)

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[blitz118]

If you are worrying about cost, then just get the Nexus 4.

 

[RavenSword]

I have a nexus 4. But I kinda wanted a more up to date phone soon.

 

[Sweet Pikake]

Here's what I have in mind, I bought the AT&T Galaxy S4 version 32GB for $670.00 + taxes. I already have downloaded the OEM OS just in case I want to go back to it. If and when the pure Android OS comes out for the S4 Google Edition, I was hoping I'd be able to flash it to this 32GB AT&T variant, then I'd have a 32GB Galaxy S4 with Google Edition software. No guarantee this idea will come to fruition, just hoping.

 

[Dreamliner330]

I have a nexus 4. But I kinda wanted a more up to date phone soon.

You own the newest Nexus phone that exists.

 

[thebizz]

This phone is absolutely worth the money in my mind I didn't purchase the regular s4 due to touchwiz, but I like the s4 hardware. The addition of lte, a sdcard, 1080p screen, larger battery, etc all make up for the extra cost over the n4 and keep in mind the n4 is still a 500 dollar device Google is just subsidizing the phone. I just need to figure out were I'm going to cone up with the 700 bucks to buy it now.

 

[haillyl]

If you're just a fan of nexus experience, don't really need those s4 features , and want a better spec than the nexus4, I would say most probably the next nexus is just couple of months away.

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[csattler]

My current phone is a Samsung galaxy S 4g (Vibrant). I bought it less than two years ago. It is still running Android 2.3.4. I don't know how long Google will keep pushing updates out to vanilla android devices but I'm willing to bet it is longer than Samsung will push updates of touch wiz to their phones. Also I have replaced the battery on my phone already because it started failing to hold a full charge. I did the same thing on two of the three other phones of the same model that I bought at the same time. (Got the same phone for everyone in the family) I'm looking to upgrade my phone soon. Based on my experience, replaceable battery and some hope for updates well into the future are what is driving my decision. I plan to keep my phone for a few years. I'm on T-Mobile and LTE is coming to my area soon. That and the replaceable battery make the S4 a better choice for me over the Nexus 4. I bought a Nexus 7 tablet as soon as it was available and I still use it a lot, especially now that my T- mobile account has free tethering.
With regard to the cost of the phone, its a master of party now or pay later. Unless it's a subsidized Google product you are going to pay around 600 dollars for the latest phones. When I bought my 4 Samsung Vibrant I paid $60, but had to pay $120 in sales tax because the phones list price was $400 each. I paid those phones off over the next 18 months. When T-Mobile announced their new rate plans I called then and they let me move to the new plan, even though I had 6 months left on the contract. They did that because they already had gotten their money out of me to pay off the phones. The fact that they didn't make me continue to pay the old plan's prices until the end of the contract made me a T-Mobile fan, plus I really like the way they have the new plans structured. So I plan the buy the S4 Google edition when it is available next week, and just transfer the sim card and 32 GB micro SD card from my old phone to the S4 and away I go.
I am hoping that eventually there will be some apps that take advantage of the new hardware sensors in the S4 or that they will be supported by stock Android, although most of the sensors have been supported for some time.

 

[donm527#IM]

When Key Lime Pie comes out then you will have the most up to date phone out there

Right now the only plus over my Nexus 4 on the GE is a better camera and LTE... and I don't think it's worth the premium over dumping my N4 right now. I'll save my money in hopes of the next Nexus upping the specs with a snapdragon 800 and LTE and hopefully a better camera. (no info to say they will... again, just hoping).

 

[Droid4Core]

I would definelty get this over a nexus 4. Don't get me wrong the nexus 4 is a great phone with a huge community but everything about it pales in comparison to the ge s4. I actually have the Att one with Google edition ROM on it so I've experienced it first hand. And I can say that blows the nexus 4 out of the water providing your not using one with touch wiz cause that crap blows. The screen and speed were two determining factors that made me get the s4 after using my n4.

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