Pros Beautiful display. Very fast performance. Runs stock Android 4.2. No carrier bloatware, non-removable Samsung apps, or OS update restrictions.
Cons Expensive. Plastic build doesn't look like $650. Some of Samsung's apps were actually useful, and they're missing here.
Bottom Line The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play Edition isn't really what Samsung wants you to buy, but it's the purest form of Android on a phone anywhere—and that's a great thing.
By Jamie Lendino
If you're a fan of stock Android phones, raise your hand. OK, maybe that isn't all of you, but if you're reading this review, chances are that you may be one of them—or, at least, curious as to what all the fuss is all about. The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play Edition ($649), just like other versions of the phone, gives you five inches of beautiful 1080p display, a quad-core processor, a great camera, and a lightweight form factor. But unlike regular Galaxy S 4 models, this one also gives you Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean in its purest stock form—meaning without the unreliable OS update schedule, inconsistent UI, and carrier and vendor bloatware. It's a clear Editors' Choice for unlocked smartphones, even over the HTC One Google Play Edition.
Design, Setup, and Voice Calls
The Galaxy S 4 Google Play Edition looks just like any other Galaxy S 4, and on the hardware side, it works like one, too. For more details, please read our review of the T-Mobile version. In this review, I'll quickly recap what makes the Galaxy S 4 awesome, and then dive into the Google Play-specific stuff.
Much has been made of the phone's plastic build. But really, the end result is that it's lightweight and super-thin; you'll only be disappointed if you're looking for the feel of an aluminum phone, in which case the HTC One Google Play Edition is a better choice for you. The Galaxy S 4 measures 5.4 by 2.75 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.6 ounces. The 5-inch 1,920-by-1,080-pixel, 441-ppi Super AMOLED display is covered in Gorilla Glass 3 and looks brilliant and vivid. Beneath the display, you'll find a hardware Home button, plus capacitive Menu and Back buttons; the combination makes for easy navigation.
This is a powerful unlocked phone, with 4G LTE (700/850/AWS/1900MHz), HSPA+ 42 (850/AWS/1900/2100MHz), and quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz) support, and there's also 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and NFC. That means it'll work perfectly on both AT&T's and T-Mobile's networks, unlike the HTC One which lacks one of T-Mobile's HSPA+ bands. I tested the Galaxy S 4 with an AT&T SIM card for this review. Repeated, back-to-back Ookla speed tests confirmed that there's no difference between the Google Play Edition and other Galaxy S 4s with regard to data speeds.
Voice calls sounded warm and full through the earpiece; this is a great sounding phone even without Samsung's processing software. That said, this is one place where Samsung's missing custom EQ can help even more, as the carrier-subsidized version is one of the best-sounding cell phones we've ever tested. Transmissions through the microphone were clear, albeit with a bit more background noise than the regular model. This version still sounds great, though; good hardware is good hardware.
User Interface and Performance
Now about all that software. Samsung spends a tremendous amount of time talking up its endless array of software enhancements on the Galaxy S 4. Some of them are a lot of fun, while others are barely functional or even downright annoying. And all of it adds up to a cluttered, inconsistent eyesore of a UI design that's more intent on pimping the company's own media services.
All of that is gone with this version of the phone. Depending on your philosophy, that's either a great thing, or a not-a-big-deal thing. You can tell where I fall on this spectrum, but many Android smartphone owners just ignore any bloatware they don't like. Besides, you can install and run any of Google Play's 900,000 third-party apps, and install and use only the streaming media and a la carte services you prefer. You do lose access to Samsung's nifty pull-down notification bar enhancements and dual-window multitasking, but commonly accessed settings like screen brightness are just an extra tap away on the Google Play Edition.
I was wondering if benchmark results would tell a story between the two versions of the Galaxy S 4, but they actually didn't. All benchmark results were within the margin of error, with an ever-so-slight edge to the stock Android version. Samsung's software isn't slowing down the handset much on paper, it turns out, but moving around the UI, the stock handset responds more quickly and consistently. Regardless of the model, though, you'll be thrilled with the performance of the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor.
Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions
On the multimedia side, you get 16GB of internal storage (12.65GB user accessible, as compared to only 9.62GB on the Samsungged version), plus a microSD card slot that accepts 64GB cards. The battery blocks the card slot, so you'll have to pull it and reset the phone in order to swap cards, but that's the price you pay for a phone that's barely over three tenths of an inch thick, and the HTC One doesn't even have a card slot.
Camera performance doesn't suffer with the Google Play version. Test photos from the 13-megapixel sensor looked a little sharper, if slightly more pixelated; it's as if Samsung's own software was smoothing out the edges of things, at the expense of sharpness. It's a really slight difference, though. Recorded 1080p videos were smooth and crisp at 30 frames per second, just like with the carrier-subsidized Galaxy S 4. You do lose access to the regular Galaxy S 4's various photo modes, such as Dual Shot, Best Face, and Drama Shot. At least it has Google's Photo Sphere, which takes 360-degree panoramas. There's also a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats.
This brings us to the price, which is usually what kills it when it comes to unlocked phones. An extra $450 up front is a hefty price to pay for what amounts to a clean stock UI and access to some future OS updates. It's not like the current carrier-subsidized Galaxy S 4s are running an old version of Android, either; they've been shipping with Android 4.2.2 since launch. So really, this is about having the stock UI, future OS updates without excruciating delays, and zero preloaded bloatware of any kind.
If you want the best possible unlocked smartphone—or if the idea of a phone-sized Nexus 7 appeals to you—the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play Edition is the one to get. It takes Editors' Choice away from the Google Nexus 4, thanks to the Galaxy S 4's faster performance, larger and sharper screen, and vastly better camera. Anyone who prioritizes the look and feel of the phone hardware itself will probably like the HTC One better, thanks to its beautiful aluminum body; just know that with the HTC One, you're getting a slightly smaller screen, no microSD card slot, no removable battery, a weaker camera, and a display that is a little less bright.
As far as whether this phone is worth springing $450 for over the regular model, given the various trade-offs involved, for nearly everyone the answer is no. But I can only imagine how things would be different if they were the same price up front.
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