When the Samsung Galaxy S4 “Nexus experience” device launches on June 26 for the questionably high price of $649 through Google Play, it will be available to U.S. customers only. According to CNET who spoke with Google on the subject of availability, for now, the device will be a U.S. exclusive. 

Google first unveiled their own version of the Galaxy S4 at Google I/O last Wednesday after being rumored the night prior. The device will run stock Android, receive timely updates like a Nexus, include LTE support on T-Mobile and AT&T, and has an unlocked bootloader. Keep in mind that running stock Android also means that it won’t have any of Samsung’s suite of software add-ons like Air Gesture, Air View, or the Samsung Camera. This is 100% pure stock Android running on the GS4.

We know that most of you are U.S. residents, but our international crowd seems to be growing. So U.S. readers, congrats – international readers, we’re sorry, for now.

Via:  CNET UK

Samsung Galaxy S4 “Nexus Experience” Edition Will be a U.S. Exclusive is a post from: Droid Life

The announcement during yesterday’s I/O keynote that showed off the “Nexus Edition” Samsung Galaxy S4 surprised a lot of people. It was as if Google listened to what we have been saying forever – we want great hardware with stock Android and we want it now! Of course, minds started spinning over the possibilities, but HTC quickly put on the brakes by saying they have no plans for a Nexus Edition One. 

In a statement to TechnoBuffalo, HTC said they are, “not currently planning a ‘Nexus Edition’ of the HTC One.” It is unfortunate, but makes sense considering that they already have a developer edition of the device that comes with an unlocked bootloader. That makes it fairly easy for you to throw on stock Android, but a Nexus Edition would have been exciting to see.

Via: TechnoBuffalo

Sad Day: HTC Not Planning on “Nexus Edition” One is a post from: Droid Life

Google, on stage during the I/O keynote, just announced that they will sell a Samsung Galaxy S4 directly through Google Play with an unlocked bootloader, stock Android experience, LTE support, connectivity on AT&T and T-Mobile, with a “Nexus experience,” and as a device that will receive updates promptly.

The device will launch June 26 on Google Play for $649.

If you wanted the Galaxy S4 as the clean phone you always envisioned, this is your chance to get it. 

Be sure to watch along as they unveil more during today’s keynote!

Google Announces Samsung Galaxy S4 With “Nexus User Experience” is a post from: Droid Life

One of the bigger surprises to come out of last year’s I/O keynote was the announcement of the Nexus Q. The spherical entertainment system was meant to bring Android and Google Play right into your living room, but for the price of $300 many weren’t sure if it was worth it for what it did. After only a month of sale, Google put the Q on hold indefinitely and now with I/O coming up again, rumors are contradicting each other over whether or not the Q might be given a second life. 

Today, AllThingsD published a story  that has sources familiar with the matter saying that the device will not be seeing any press this year. However, everything that we have been hearing from sources says that the Q will be getting some sort of re-vamp at this year’s I/O. Hints of a link to Google’s new Gaming service and maybe even a shape change could give the Q a second life if Google does it right, but we will have to wait until I/O to see.

What would it take for you to be interested in the Nexus Q?

Via: AllThingsD

Could the Nexus Q See a Rebirth at This Year’s I/O? New Report Says No is a post from: Droid Life

The white Nexus 4 has returned! Thanks to a new set of photos of the device posted by a Google+ user this weekend, the tech media world now thinks we are guaranteed to see this variant at Google I/O next week…with LTE…and 32GB of storage. While that’s certainly a possibility, the guy that purchased this is not some Google insider nor does he appear to have any knowledge of this device actually having anything to do with I/O. No, he bought it from a local “buy and sell website” while trading in his black Nexus. That’s it. He didn’t sneak one out of a back-alley I/O truck session or have lunch in a dark room with Larry Page. He bought it locally. 

But hey, it’s the white Nexus 4 again! Boy, do I wish I had one. Since first popping up back in late January and then re-appearing through a lengthy hands-on session, we have been crossing fingers, hoping for some sort of white N4 announcement from Google. Here we are four months later, and nothing has happened on that front.

We should point out in the past that Google has handed out special edition Nexus devices at Google I/O (like the white Nexus 7), which is happening this week. However, this is not a sign that attendees are getting one. This is just a lucky Android lover who found one at his local tech shop.

Via:  +Ervin Sue

White Nexus 4 Makes a New Appearance, Doesn’t at All Mean It’s Coming at I/O is a post from: Droid Life

In one line of a report by the Korea Times, the world is now jumping to the idea that Google has already pegged LG as the creator of the next Nexus phone. Since LG produced the Nexus 4, they could easily create the next Nexus. Hell, even Samsung produced two Nexus phones in a row in the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. The report comes as Larry Page stopped off to meet with LG CEO Koo Bon-joon in Korea to talk business. The report mentions specifically that the two met under low profile circumstances because “LG Group is working with Internet-giant Google to make another Nexus-branded Google Android smartphone.” So are they? 

Other than this report, we have no other leads that point towards LG producing the next Nexus, which many have already dubbed “Nexus 5.” One thing you should keep in mind, is the fact that we likely won’t see another phone made by Google until the end of 2013. Google has released Nexus phones during the holiday quarter for three straight years, so by no means do we expect to see a new Nexus phone at Google I/O in two weeks or at another time this summer.

LG certainly makes sense, though. The Nexus 4 has been a success if you consider that Google underestimated demand for it during the first few months of its release, leading to weeks and weeks of delays and limited availability. LG has also set personal records in terms of the amounts of smartphones it has shipped over the last quarter or so, thanks to innovative features and form factors of devices that match up nicely to what Samsung has been pushing. While we have a ways to go before we’ll know for sure if LG is making the next Nexus, they should stick on the short list of potential companies.

The meeting between Koo and Page reportedly also featured conversations about TVs and Google Glass.

Thoughts on LG producing the next Nexus? We know you’d rather have it be made by Motorola, but who would be your second choice?

Via:  Korea Times

Cheers Brad!

Rumor and a Half: Larry Page Meets With LG to Talk Next Nexus Phone is a post from: Droid Life

The new “milestone” release from the Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) is starting to roll out today. So far, we’re seeing builds available for most Nexus phones including toro (Verizon Galaxy Nexus), toroplus (Sprint Galaxy Nexus), mako (Nexus 4), and maguro (GSM Galaxy Nexus). We’re told that a post detailing the full changelog is in the works, but for now, you can expect changes to the nav/statusbar for tablets, “rewritten” RomControl, custom toggles, and a ton of bug fixes.

To grab the latest builds for your devices, hit up the source link below. 

We’ll update this post as soon as we have more details.

Update:  The announcement for this new milestone is live and includes a new release schedule for “builds.” In fact, the AOKP team is mostly referring to them as nightlies that will come out every four days going forward. There won’t be announcements for them, and they are mostly untested, so should you be willing to flash them, be sure to report back any issues. Also, milestone releases will likely happen on a monthly basis, assuming we get to a new month and the newest build is deserving of the “milestone” title.

And on a couple of related notes, AOKP has officially crossed the 1 million install milestone, which is quite the accomplishment. Last, they released an app called AOKPush [Play Link], so that you can keep track of all the latest builds.

Via:  AOKP [2]

New AOKP Milestone Releases Start Rolling Out, New “AOKPush” App Keeps Track of Newest Builds (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

The newest commercial from Google for the Nexus 10.

Video: Nexus 10 is Your Perfect Baby Making Companion is a post from: Droid Life

With tomorrow being the last day of the 5 Days of Nexus giveaways, we figured it would be swell of us to let you, the readers, decide which device you want most. You can either go for LG’s Nexus 4, the ASUS Nexus 7, or Samsung Nexus 10.

So, what will it be?

Poll: What Nexus Device Should We Give Away Tomorrow? is a post from: Droid Life

Earlier this week, Andy Rubin shot down rumors that Google was planning to open its own retail stores. This was sad news, no doubt, as many of us love the idea that we could enter into a Nexus wonderland and test all of the new toys that Google has released to our world. But Rubin brought up an interesting point through his comments, saying that consumers do not need to physically touch products anymore in order to make a buying decision.

I personally, haven’t entered into a brick and mortar electronics store or carrier shop to rub up on a device in some time before deciding to buy it. I’m the type that reads through dozens of reviews online and then finds the best deal the internet has to offer before pressing the “Checkout” button. Many of you may be different, though, so feel free to sound off in the poll and in the comments below.

Are you the type that needs to see a phone or tablet and feel it in person before buying or can you make a decision by reading about it online or hearing a recommendation from a friend?

Wednesday Poll: When Buying a Phone or Tablet Do You Need to Feel and Test Them in Person First? is a post from: Droid Life

Day 2 of the 5 Days of Nexus is upon us! Yesterday, we handed out a brand spankin’ new Nexus 4 (8GB) to one lucky reader in what turned out to be a massive contest. But we aren’t stopping there, no sir. We have four more days of giveaways to burn through! In today’s contest, and for the next three days, it’s all about the Nexus 7. We know how popular this tablet is, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that each and every one of you have had a chance to pick one up yet. Let’s see if we can’t change that, by rewarding another handful of DL readers will some awesome prizes. 

For today’s contest, and maybe many going forward, we thought we’d give Rafflecopter’s contest service a try. It allows you to enter multiple times and ways, keeps track of all of the entries for us, and in the end, makes choosing a winner much easier than our current manual methods. If you guys find it to be a nuisance, we can always trash it and look elsewhere. For now, give it a shot!

There are four different ways to enter, all of which give you a point for completing. The more points you rack up, the better chance you have at winning.

Contest

Update:  A winner has been chosen, please check the widget below!

Prize:  1 (one) Nexus 7 16GB tablet from Google Play.

How to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner:

Our winner will be chosen through Rafflecopter at 8:45AM Pacific tomorrow morning.

Day 2 Contest: Win a Nexus 7 16GB From Droid Life! #5daysofnexus (Updated: Winner Picked) is a post from: Droid Life

Welcome to the first of five contests for a week long series of giveaways we have dubbed the 5 Days of Nexus. With little interesting news coming out of Mobile World Congress, a stark contrast to years past, we thought it would be the perfect time to focus your attention elsewhere and reward the faithful Droid Life community with a bunch of free devices, all of which fall under the Nexus brand. That’s right, we are giving away nothing but Nexus phones and tablets to you, the DL reader. 

The first contest, today’s, will include a Nexus 4. After that we’ll hand out Nexus 7 tablets for a few days and finally top it all off with one last yet-to-be-determined device on Friday. It should be a fantastic week, especially for those who walk away one Nexus richer.

The contests will be easy to enter. Some will have ask that you partake in some sort of social media sharing, while others may simply ask that you comment in a post. We know that not all of you are down with Twitter, Facebook or Google+, so there will be options throughout the week for everyone involved.

Contest

Update:  Our winner is @jadam6118! Congrats, James!

Prize:  Nexus 4 8GB from Google Play.

How to enter:

1.  Follow us on Twitter (@droid_life) or Google+ (+DroidLife).
2.  Then do one of the following:

Tweet this message:

Follow @droid_life for a chance to win a brand new Nexus 4! http://goo.gl/5aTIq  #5daysofnexus #contest

or

Share the contest post on Google+

3.  Bonus points for commenting on this post.

Winner:

A winner will be chosen at random this afternoon at 4PM Pacific.

Day 1 Contest: Win a Nexus 4 8GB From Droid Life! #5daysofnexus (Updated: Winner Picked) is a post from: Droid Life

Not sure what else to say. Maybe next year it’ll be a phone.

A little late night discussion – take it wherever you please.

Google Finally Released a New Nexus With Verizon LTE, Except It’s a Chromebook is a post from: Droid Life

Can you imagine a time where the camera in your smartphone is good enough that you wouldn’t need a DSLR or point-and-shoot to take great pictures? It’s an interesting idea, and one that most of us have more than likely entertained a time or two over the last few years as smartphones have become increasingly important in our lives. It’s also obvious that smartphone manufacturers care, as each year, we see new camera tech and exciting new software features that are focused on snapping better images in low light and while on the go. But how far off are we from truly great smartphone camera pictures? According to Google’s own Vic Gundotra, it might be sooner than you think. 

Yesterday on Google+, Gundotra brought up the topic of traveling and whether or not he should take his DSLR or go with a much more portable option. He eventually came to the conclusion that he still needs his DSLR, which then prompted comments from his followers. One in particular hoped that a time when we wouldn’t have to worry about carrying around “heavy” cameras was in the future, and that our Nexus devices could do it all. Gundotra seemed to agree.

In his response, Vic said that Google is “committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras.” While that’s awesome news, it’s the end of his comment where he says “Just you wait and see” which has us excited. What could that mean?

Will the next Nexus have some sort of new camera tech that we have never seen before? Google already gave us some innovation on the software front with Photo Sphere, but there are still times that Nexus phones like the Nexus 4 struggle to snap a single shot with clarity. We would love to see a new focus on “insanely great” images.

He didn’t necessarily hint at this greatness happening in a future device or current, so we’ll try not to freak out too much. What we do know is that Gundotra just admitted to Google and the Android team caring deeply about enhancing the camera experience on your phones, and that’s exciting news.

Via:  +Vic Gundotra | Android Central

Vic Gundotra Says Google Committed to Making Nexus Phones Insanely Great Cameras, Tells Us to Wait and See is a post from: Droid Life

Not that finding a Nexus 4 is as difficult as it once was, but Google still wants the process to be simple, especially for those who want to buy the phone in person, rather than via Google Play. Through their newly launched Nexus Store Locator, users can search for both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7, to find stores nearby.

As one would expect, the Nexus 4 finder will only list T-Mobile stores for now, since that’s the only retailer currently selling the phone. For the Nexus 7, I came up with a bunch of Gamestop stores, though the device is available at other electronics dealers. 

Via:  Nexus 4 | Nexus 7

Google Introduces the Nexus Store Locator to Help You Find Nearby Nexus Devices is a post from: Droid Life