You have probably already read our reviews of HTC One and Galaxy S4. These are the best and brightest of the currently available Android smartphones on the market. These smartphones have the best display, processors, graphics options, memory, storage, and of course high price. They come with Android 4.1.2 and 4.2.2 respectively, with HTC’s and Samsung’s special skin on top of Android.
Google releases its Android OS and licenses it out to all these smartphone manufacturers, who decide to change the OS in the way they want and skin it up with their own designs. Although these designs are quite amazing, people are still pretty interested in Google’s own non-customized Android as found in the Nexus line. The latest Nexus device is LG’s Nexus 4 that has its own disadvantages, such as lack of LTE for one.
Now, however, you are getting an option to get a Nexus-like operating system on one of these premier devices, HTC One and Galaxy S4. Here are the Google Play editions of these smartphones. The Google Play edition comes with the regular, stock Android operating system, without any skin by these manufacturers.
Check them out in the Google Play store. The prices are $599 for HTC One and $649 for Galaxy S4.
One of the most notable differences in these phones is the Google special Android skin with a vermillion background. Physical differences between these two different editions are insignificant. Google Play editions are marked with a simpler design, without the external user interfaces added by OEMs, such as TouchWiz by Samsung and Sense by HTC.
Due to this reason alone, you will perceive a slightly faster, better performance from Google Play editions. After a while, after installing a number of apps, the difference in speed will be unremarkable, though.
Folks at the Verge did a minor camera comparison of these devices, and found the camera to be indistinguishably similar. Although they have made marked distinctions between both phones, they are quite trivial at best.
Hardware features, such as the processor, memory, storage, etc., are exactly the same, although you may see better battery performance due to the lack of clutter.
Why you need Play editions is because the phones will be without any kind of bloatware these OEMs tend to install. In Sense and TouchWiz, a lot of the phone’s hardware resources are utilized, without creating any better aesthetics than Google can originally provide.
It all depends quite a bit on the perception of a consumer. For me, personally, the Nexus line is far more beautiful than Sense or TouchWiz provide.
However, if you come from a tradition of Nexus phones, you may think TouchWiz and Sense are refreshing changes. HTC’s BlinkFeed is an amazing home page design feature that will be unavailable on the GP edition. It is one disappointment.
Other than the obvious aesthetic differences, there is nothing quite unique about Google Play editions of these phones. If you are a fan of Nexus phones, then you will definitely like them.
Google releases its Android OS and licenses it out to all these smartphone manufacturers, who decide to change the OS in the way they want and skin it up with their own designs. Although these designs are quite amazing, people are still pretty interested in Google’s own non-customized Android as found in the Nexus line. The latest Nexus device is LG’s Nexus 4 that has its own disadvantages, such as lack of LTE for one.
Now, however, you are getting an option to get a Nexus-like operating system on one of these premier devices, HTC One and Galaxy S4. Here are the Google Play editions of these smartphones. The Google Play edition comes with the regular, stock Android operating system, without any skin by these manufacturers.
Check them out in the Google Play store. The prices are $599 for HTC One and $649 for Galaxy S4.
Features
One of the most notable differences in these phones is the Google special Android skin with a vermillion background. Physical differences between these two different editions are insignificant. Google Play editions are marked with a simpler design, without the external user interfaces added by OEMs, such as TouchWiz by Samsung and Sense by HTC.
Due to this reason alone, you will perceive a slightly faster, better performance from Google Play editions. After a while, after installing a number of apps, the difference in speed will be unremarkable, though.
Folks at the Verge did a minor camera comparison of these devices, and found the camera to be indistinguishably similar. Although they have made marked distinctions between both phones, they are quite trivial at best.
Hardware features, such as the processor, memory, storage, etc., are exactly the same, although you may see better battery performance due to the lack of clutter.
Why you need Play editions is because the phones will be without any kind of bloatware these OEMs tend to install. In Sense and TouchWiz, a lot of the phone’s hardware resources are utilized, without creating any better aesthetics than Google can originally provide.
It all depends quite a bit on the perception of a consumer. For me, personally, the Nexus line is far more beautiful than Sense or TouchWiz provide.
However, if you come from a tradition of Nexus phones, you may think TouchWiz and Sense are refreshing changes. HTC’s BlinkFeed is an amazing home page design feature that will be unavailable on the GP edition. It is one disappointment.
Conclusion
Other than the obvious aesthetic differences, there is nothing quite unique about Google Play editions of these phones. If you are a fan of Nexus phones, then you will definitely like them.
