The best pure Android phones right now

Well, the wait is over, two of the most popular android phones, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One, are now available directly from the Play Store running an unadulterated version of the OS. And Google says they’ll start shipping by July 9. The so-called Google Play Edition S4 and One can now be purchased without their respective manufacturer customizations for $649 and $599, respectively. So today, I have collected a list of Pure Android phones sure to tempt your inner Android purist.

1.  HTC One Google Play Edition

The current king of stock Android smartphones I think is the HTC One, not Nexus 4. The HTC One Google Play Edition's metal design is gorgeous and as everyone knows, the phone's hardware and components are top-notch. The clean Android Jelly Bean UI is refreshingly simple, and Google promises a stream of fresh updates as they happen.

The bad: The HTC One Google Play Edition comes with 32GB of non-expandable storage.

2.  Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition offers the most powerful hardware specs of any Android phone without any carrier bloatware, and with an elegantly simple Jelly Bean UI. The phone also packs a removable battery and SD card slot for extra expansion, things the HTC One lack.

The bad: Google's Galaxy S4 removes a lot of Samsung's neat software and photo features and the device cost you more than other devices.

3.  LG Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 made a great success despite the production problem. The competitively priced LG Nexus 4 delivers a pure and polished experience with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, it's powered by a snappy quad-core processor, and it's packed with new photo-editing and camera features. Thanks to its powerful specs and reasonable price, it obtained a lot of Nexus 4 enthusiasts.

The bad: The Nexus 4's construction is solid but uninspiring, its call volume is too low, and it lacks 4G LTE.

So I am curious about which pure Android phones are your favorite? Welcome to leave your comments.

Whoa! Google's Selling a Pure Android Samsung Galaxy S4 on Google Play

Exciting news for all Android and Google lovers, Google just pulled out a Samsung Galaxy S4 on the Google I/O stage, unlocked, with Stock Android, on Google Play starting June 26. It has an unlocked bootloader, and supports LTE. The device runs on both T-Mobile and AT&T's LTE networks and comes with 16GB of storage.

News said the new Samsung galaxy s4 hit 4 million shipments between April 26 (release date) and April 30, and had reached 6 million units sold by May 10. On the S4, the handset features a 1080p screen with 441 ppi, a 13 megapixel camera, and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or octa core Exynos chip are among its most impressive pieces of hardware. So should you buy Google's $649 Galaxy S4 or Samsung’s phone?

Familiar hardware, different software
The appeal of this new GS4, of course, depends on your take on Samsung’s and Google’s software. If you want the most features, you’re probably still better off with the standard Samsung version. It gives you most of Google’s features, plus a huge goody bag of TouchWiz features. But if you’re all about pure Google – no manufacturer UIs for you – then this is the new Nexus phone to own.

But Unlike the Nexus 4, which starts off-contract at $300, the GS4 Google Edition won’t come cheap. The GS4 Google Edition starts at US$649 (off-contract, of course) exclusively from Google Play, so you'll be paying a pretty penny for that bigger 1080p screen, LTE, and other goodies.

The Google Edition of the Galaxy S4 will be available starting on June 26. For more information about the standard version, you can check out our Galaxy S4 review and then choose the winner between these two devices, the Google Edition of the Galaxy S4 or Samsung’s galaxy s4. Welcome to leave your comments.

Phone Plan: Google Now, Exclusive Nokia , Samsung Soon or Apple Later?

If you are in the market for a high-end smartphone today, which phone would you choose? Android smartphone, Windows 8 phone or iOS devices? Every platform and manufacturer has its partisans, but the three front-runners are clearly the Google Nexus 4, Nokia Lumia 920, the soon-to-be released Samsung Galaxy 4 and (at the moment) the iPhone 5. Adding to the confusion about the decision is the uncertainty of the release date of the next iPhone, likely called the 5S, which could drop any time between June and November.

For the sake of clarity (at the expense of the full, mind-numbing complexities that these questions imply), I will isolate each of these three products in terms of its most essential proposition about what you value in a smartphone and let you reach your own conclusions.

Google Nexus 4

If you are a true lover in the Google platform, Nexus 4 is for you. The Nexus 4 comes with the latest version of Android and gets updates directly from Google, so you’ll always have the fastest, most up-to-date software on your phone. Although the Galaxy 4 ships with the latest version of Android and will support Google Now—the jewel of Google’s software crown—the Nexus 4 is assured of maintaining current Android status with firmware updates, while Samsung may fork its TouchWiz user interface further in its own direction. Contentious competition with Apple means that the Nexus 4 is and will remain the best way to have the full Google experience, if that’s what you are after.

• See also:  Battle of the Androids: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. LG Nexus 4

Samsung galaxy s4

In terms of pure hardware specs, the Galaxy 4 beats the other current competitors and perhaps even the forthcoming iPhone 5s. If you want the biggest, brightest screen, latest smart features such as Air View, Motion control, eye-tracking and the most connectivity options, the Galaxy 4 is for you. And if you are going to buy a Samsung SmartTV in your future, the Galaxy 4 will be the device most integrated with that line. It integrates with TVs, a Fitbit-like scale and its own HomeSync personal cloud, but it is not clear that its software and services are as top-of-the-line as its hardware.

Nokia Lumia 920

Tired of Android or iOS? Love the look of Metro's live tiles? Then the Nokia Lumia 920 is your wise choice. Running on the latest Windows Phone 8 operating system, Lumia 920 features a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ display, LTE, 8.7MP PureView camera, 1.2MP front camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, wireless charging, 2000 mAh battery,1GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory , Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia City Lens. There is no doubt that Lumia 920 is the best windows 8 phone until now.

iPhone 5 and 5S

Unlike Microsoft's Windows Phone and Google's Android, Apple does not license iOS for installation on non-Apple hardware. Apple makes both the hardware and the operating system for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, everything is designed to work together. So apps take full advantage of hardware features such as the Retina display, the Multi-Touch interface, the accelerometer, the three-axis gyro, accelerated graphics, and more. FaceTime is a perfect example. It uses both front and back cameras, the display, the microphone, and your Wi Fi connection.

It’s getting harder, perhaps, to justify the leadership position of the iPhone in the face of these high-end Android devices. But beyond the inertia of Apple’s first mover advantage, iOS still has a considerable edge as an app platform. The iPhone is still the starting point for most high-quality app developers because its users have repeatably been shown as more engaged than their Android counterparts. So if you want to access to the latest and greatest apps, the more advanced mobile operating system, iPhone is obviously your choice.

The circuit of software created by Google Now, Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail and the Chrome browser may well be the best overall platform, but it can’t be completely executed on Apple devices because of the companies’ Punch and Judy show.

• See also: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One vs. iPhone 5, Will Samsung Continue to Rule the Universe?

Battle of the Androids: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. LG Nexus 4

According to the latest news, Samsung highly-anticipated galaxy s4 will be available for pre-order on April 16 for AT&T customers for $249.99 with a new two-year agreement, but there's still no word when the phone will actually hit shelves. That is to say, if you've been waiting eagerly to buy Samsung's Galaxy S4, you'll have to wait at least another month. Can you wait until that time or maybe you can pick other superphone like the Nexus 4, which have always been Google’s pure, untarnished vision of its platform. Today we compare the specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Nexus 4.

Size

Compared to Samsung galaxy s4, the nexus 4 is a bit shorter, narrow and thinner. The size differences here are pretty minor.

Display

The Galaxy s4 features a 5-inch screen, larger and sharper than the Nexus 4, the device which have a display of 4.7-inch. The Galaxy S4’s Super AMOLED has blacker blacks (technically no light comes through black pixels) but hyper-saturated colors. The Nexus 4’s IPS display, meanwhile, leads to better viewing angles and more accurate color reproduction.

Processor

The Nexus 4’s Snapdragon S4 Pro chip is a beast. Ditto for both versions of the Galaxy S4: the North American version’s quad core Snapdragon 600 and the international version’s octa core Exynos chip.
So In terms of benchmarks and experience, the galaxy s4 is going to beat the Nexus 4.

RAM

The two devices are tied up, each with 2 GB of RAM.

Storage

In this aspect, Samsung galaxy s4 have a big advantage than Nexus 4. Storage options of Galaxy s4 are provided in the form of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, while Nexus 4 only comes 8GB and 16GB. At the same time, only the Galaxy S4 allows you to expand its storage with a microSD card.

Cameras

The Galaxy S4 has a 13 MP camera, and sports several new camera software features. Dual Camera combines video or images from the front and back cameras, under a variety of templates. Also included is Drama Shot, which takes bursts of shots and combines them automatically into a collage. Nexus 4 packs a 8 megapixels camera, but you don’t have to worry about the Nexus 4’s shooter. It takes great shots, and can easily replace a point-and-shoot.

Wireless

There’s no LTE for the Nexus 4. It does support HPSA+, which offers faster than 3G speeds ... but LTE it is not. You’ll also need to sign up with a GSM carrier for the Nexus 4, as CDMA (that's Verizon and Sprint in the U.S.) networks aren’t supported.

Battery

Although Galaxy s4 powers with a 2600mAh battery while Nexus 4 only packs with a 2100mAH battery. Does that mean the Galaxy S4 – with more capacity – will get better uptime? Maybe, maybe not. Still now, we have no answers.

Software

The Galaxy S4 will ship with the latest version of Android, 4.2.2, runs its own operating system. Samsung is increasingly hiding its Android roots under a heavy layer of “TouchWiz” – complete with a bevy of crazy features (facial-recognition scrolling, fitness tracking, photos with accompanying audio clips ...).

Meanwhile, the Nexus 4 – like all Nexus devices – runs “pure Google,” or stock Android. What you see is exactly what Android’s creators and designers intended - and nothing more.

Though the two phones run the same version of Android right now, that may not last long. Without manufacturer skins or carrier clayware, the Nexus 4 will be first to receive future Android updates. Samsung has improved its support for updates, but GS4 owners will have to wait much longer for Key Lime Pie (or whatever the next major version is called) than Nexus 4 owners will.

So will you buy the Nexus 4 or wait for the Samsung galaxy s4? Welcome to share your opinions below.

See also:  Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One vs. iPhone 5, Will Samsung Continue to Rule the Universe?

Which would you choose, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or the Google Nexus 4?

Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the smartphone-tablet hybrid from Samsung Group, which was launched in September, is said reached the impressive 5 million sales in 2 months, The Korean technology giant said in a statement (Google Translate) on November 26. Although the Note 2's sales are far behind that sells of the Galaxy S3, which Samsung sold 20 million of its flagship smartphone in the first 100 days after its launch, but it indicate that the high-end smartphone with top-of-the-line features is in great demand. Can it outsell the LG Nexus 4 which offers better operating system, price tag and often sold out in a short time?

Today, we take a look at the Nexus 4 versus the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in terms of features, price and more to help you decide which one to buy.

Addition: One of the unique features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the device’s S-Pen, a stylus that benefits from some unique software that Samsung has included on the Galaxy Note 2. With the new S-Pen, Some of those applications include Air View which allows users to hover over things like e-mail, calendar or an image to get a preview of the content before actually having to open it, a feature called Easy Clip which lets users crop content on screen including images to save for later use, and finally, the ability to use the S-Pen to draw out Quick Commands for tasks like email. So you will feel so convenient to use the phone even it has a large screen.

So which phone do you like more?