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. 

If Verizon ever opens up a pre-order for a new flagship device that you are strongly considering or have already made your mind up on, jump on the pre-order. Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen pre-orders arrive early time and time again from Big Red. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is no exception, as pre-orders shipped at the end of last week and are now arriving as early as today to many. Readers of ours (as you can see by the image above) are now the “envy of everyone” they work with.

The device doesn’t officially launch until May 23.

Have you received yours? If so, we’d love to hear your initial thoughts on it!

Cheers Chris!

A couple of weeks ago, Dan Rosenberg announced that he had unlocked the bootloader of the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4, but that he wouldn’t release his method until Verizon’s variant was also out in case they tried to patch it. With Big Red’s version arriving on doorsteps of pre-orderees, Dan had a chance to test his method thanks to a “helpful tester” and came out successful. According to a Tweet sent by Dan this morning, he successfully booted a custom recovery onto the Verizon version of the device and that he is looking forward to a release. 

As if the brand new Galaxy S4 and last year’s best selling phone the Galaxy S3 didn’t already look enough alike, Samsung is looking to make the software as similar as possible as well. SamMobile has a leaked version of the Android 4.2.2 build that Samsung is working on bringing to the S3. Not only does it upgrade your device to the latest version of Android, but many of the new features from the S4 will be included as well. 

Take a look at what could very well be the first shots of the Galaxy S4 Active from Samsung. This device has been an interesting one to follow, ever since the first reports of a water and dust-resistant Galaxy S4 hit the web back in April. It’s been reported that the device could launch as early as July, and with no word from Samsung yet, it’s interesting that they are allowing buyers to still gobble up the Galaxy S4 without presenting them with options first.

The newest commercial for Samsung’s Galaxy S4 dropped over the weekend, a clip that highlights Smart Pause for video watching and the phone’s ability to answer calls while waving a hand. It’s clever, that’s for sure. You have features being tossed around, a setting that is familiar to all sorts of segments of the population, awkwardness, and comedy. Samsung has done a pretty brilliant job when it comes to promoting their products over the last couple of years, with 2013 and the GS4 campaign being no different.

Samsung will reportedly eclipse the 10 million sales mark for the Galaxy S4 in less than a month’s time, a number that is pretty remarkable even with what must be an almost unlimited marketing budget.

Last week, the vice president of investor relations for NVIDIA, Rob Csongor, spoke of the company’s mobile strategies moving forward through 2013 and beyond. Currently, Samsung and Apple make up exactly 50% of this year’s first quarter mobile sales, so according to Csongor, NVIDIA will look to partner with the “other half” of the market such as HTC, ZTE, Huawei and other lower-placed companies to push its line of mobile processor. 

Yesterday, readers reached out to inform us that their pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon were being processed and potentially getting primed for shipping. They weren’t messing around, as orders for many of them have begun to ship with estimated arrival times of early next week. The device was supposed to arrive around May 23 – at least that’s the new release date – but if they are shipping now, some lucky future GS4 owners could have their devices a day or so early.

Get ready! And be sure to browse through our Galaxy S4 review and 20+ tips and tricks video, so that you know all there is to know about Samsung’s new flagship.