Which S4 version to buy?

[bxdw01]

Hey everyone,

Long time lurker, but finally decide to join! I am currently settled on getting a Samsung S4 and I was wondering if I should get the Exynos version or the Snapdragon version. I am currently with AT&T in the middle of an iPhone 5 contract and I will most likely buy the phone off contract at full price. So here is the situation. I will be moving out of the US for work reasons in next couple months for about a year and I was wondering if AT&T does carrier unlocks for their off-contract S4s. Also, while I am abroad, will I be able to continue to receive the updates from AT&T or will my phone need to have the AT&T sim card in order for me to receive the updates? Since I will be buying the phones off contract, I am not sure if I should just pay a little extra and get the Exynos versions since I won't be able to get LTE while abroad anyways.

 

[SpookDroid]

Well, that depends.
1) AT&T (and any other carrier, for that matter) are obligated to provide the unlock code if you acquire the phone at full price or at the end of your contract if you got it subsidized. In some cases, they might even provide the code if you let them know you're traveling and need to use the phone with a local SIM.
2)You'll be out of the US for a very long time, so you need to know if AT&T's version will work where you're going (check the GSM bands). Also, the only reason to get AT&T's would be because of LTE support; if you're going to a country with no LTE network, the city you'll be living in has no coverage, or your destination's LTE band is not the same as AT&T's, you're better off with the international version, even if it's just 3G.
3) Whichever version you get, you'll still receive updates with or without a SIM. If you get the i9500, you'll get your updates first since they come directly from Samsung. If you get the i337 from AT&T, you'll get the updates once AT&T releases them. You can get them via WiFi even if your phone has no active SIM or line.