Google Edition of Samsung Galaxy S4 rumoured to be unveiled at Google I/O

With Google I/O just around the corner, rumours are flying in about a possible new variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4. According to Geek.com, which cites “reliable sources”, Samsung is preparing a “Google Edition” for its flagship handset, the Galaxy S4. According to these sources, the new handset will be unveiled during the keynote speech that is set to happen later tonight.

The Google Edition of the S4 will be based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), which means that it will be running on stock Android – the same version of Android that Nexus devices run on. Despite this, however, the phone will not be a Nexus device. Instead, it is aimed towards those who want an ultra high-end device but without Samsung’s TouchWiz UX. Right now, the only way to get rid of the UX is to root the handset and use something like the latest version of Cyanogenmod, which is custom ROM based on AOSP.

The Google Edition of the S4 will run on AOSP instead of Samsung's TouchWiz UX

The handset is expected to hit store shelves in June and is said to be available through T-mobile. It isn’t clear whether the phone will be getting a global release.

The Galaxy S4 was announced back in March and the leading smartphone maker in the world has once again married top-of-the-line hardware and unique software experience overlaid on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version of the OS.

Here are the key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S4:

The Galaxy S4 comes with a 2600 mAh battery, which should ideally take you through the day with moderate use. Of course, real-world battery performance would vary from user to user.