No Galaxy S5 Prime Release Date? Wait Instead for GS5 Google Play Edition: 4 Key Benefits to Watch For
Samsung has reportedly shot down any possibility of the Galaxy S5 Prime but Sammy fans ought not to fret as another GS5 build could be touching down soon - the vanilla Android-flavoured Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition.
But what are the chances of having the Galaxy S5 in pure Android and minus the heavy TouchWiz layering? Almost 100 per cent, many would say, pointing to the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition as the most solid proof.
Indeed, if the GS4 can take the form of a native Android phone in 2013 then why not the latest flagship from Samsung this 2014. And come debut time, the powerful device is expected to deliver the following advantages over the regular Galaxy S5:
Always the latest Android
The Galaxy S5 is out of the box with KitKat 4.4.2 and Samsung device users appreciate the fact that the Galaxy maker made great efforts to provide the freshest Android there is for the smartphone. But after some few months, the regular GS5 will surely lag behind, unable to keep pace with Google's regular patch updates for its mobile platform. That has been the case before and it will be the same this year.
The Galaxy S5 Google Play, however, is quite different. Its hardware is purely Samsung but Google takes charge of the software department. That means any upcoming patches will be sourced directly from Google, ensuring that the Nexus-like GS5 will enjoy the most recent Android the moment it hits the update pipeline.
Edge in security and stability
As mentioned above, Google Play devices are hardwired to chew in the latest Android build. While pure Android is far from perfect and suffers too from glitches, Google is fairly swift in responding to even the most minor OS issues.
So with ready access to Android updates anytime, the GS5 Google Play is poised to enjoy better platform security and stability all thanks to the device's hotline connection with Google. The circuitous update procedure that normally plagues branded Android devices is non-existent in the Google Play world.
Bloat-free Galaxy S5
In initial reviews, the 16GB Galaxy S5 is left with only about 8GB of usable space as the rest is gobbled up the Android-TouchWiz combo. But most experts point the blame on Samsung, which can't seem to eliminate many of the embedded apps in Galaxy devices that users hardly launch. The result is galore of bloatwares.
Workarounds are out there to offload unwelcome Samsung-authored apps from the Galaxy S5 but the best fix, no doubt, is opting for the Google Play render. The OS is raw Android, which means users will enjoy full control of the GS5 plus one key bonus - a bit more of storage space.
Network service flexibility
All Nexus and Google Play gadgets are designed to work with compatible networks in most part of the world and the GS5 Google Play is no different. As the toy is unlocked, users can simply slide in any SIM from telcos of their choice and the GS5 is ready to go. Now that is total control courtesy of the vanilla Android in the GS5.
Release date of the regular Galaxy S5 is set for April 11 so Android fans are expecting the GS5 Google Play to show off its wares in late June or July 2014, going live via the Google Play Store, shortly after this year's staging of the I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco, California.