While we still haven’t heard an official announcement from Verizon, a 32GB Samsung Galaxy S4 is on the way to the nation’s largest 4G LTE service provider in the future. Here, we take a look at the five most important things to know about the 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4′s arrival.
Back in March, like the other major carriers in the U.S., Verizon announced the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone and a replacement for the Samsung Galaxy S3, a device that arrived in the summer of 2012 for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. The Galaxy S4, unsurprisingly, came with a bunch of big name features, improvements over the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Read: Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB Confirmed.
The Verizon Galaxy S4 will come in 32GB form in the future.
Samsung’s new flagship boasts a 5-inch 1080p display, powerful Snapdrgon 600 quad-core processor, 13MP camera sensor, a slim and lightweight design that features a removable back, and of course, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with the new TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0 over the top of it.
While other carriers started announcing release dates for this powerful specimen, Verizon opted to remain silent on the matter until shortly before the arrival of the other devices. The carrier announced a release date of May 30th which fortunately was moved up to May 23rd, a date on which Verizon finally released its version of the Galaxy S4.
Like other carriers, Verizon, thus far, has opted only to carry the 16GB Galaxy S4, even telling us that it had no plans to ever offer a 32GB Samsung Galaxy S4 model. Yesterday however, things changed.
As we exclusively reported, Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Tami Erwin confirmed the 32GB Samsung Galaxy S4 for arrival on Verizon’s network at some point in the future.
In an email to an inquiring Verizon customer, Erwin stated that “Verizon plans to offer this option and is currently working w/Samsung to confirm the date in which this model will be available on-line.”
This is a rather big development as one, AT&T is the only carrier that offers a 32GB model and two, the Galaxy S4 currently comes with around 45% of its internal storage space eaten up.
With Verizon changing course, it’s now time to take a deep dive into the 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4 as we explore the five most important things that consumers should know about Verizon’s upcoming device.
Release Date is Unknown
While we have been able to confirm that a 32GB Samsung Galaxy S4 is indeed on its way to Verizon’s network, we are unable to confirm any other details in regards to the device. Verizon officials told us that they did not have anything else to add to Erwin’s statements about the device, but did confirm that the information was legitimate.
What this means is that the Galaxy S4 32GB release date is upcoming on Verizon, but it’s still unknown, something that could meddle with the plans of those trying to decide which smartphone to buy.
The 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4 is without a release date.
We did see AT&T push the 32GB Galaxy S4 out a few weeks after the 16GB model so it could be that Verizon will do something similar. At this point though it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, and hopefully, Verizon releases the device sooner rather than later to appease consumers.
It Will Be More Expensive
We haven’t been able to confirm the price of the 32GB Galaxy S4 on Verizon but we imagine that it will be more expensive as devices with more internal memory are typically more costly.
So how much will it cost? If we had to guess, we’d say that Verizon will end the $50 mail-in rebate on the 16GB Galaxy S4 and simply drop the price down to $199.99 on-contract. If it were to do that, it could offer the Galaxy S4 32GB starting at $250 on-contract, the same price that AT&T attached to its 32GB model.
Of course, we could also see Verizon opt to charge $300 for the 32GB option but given AT&T’s pricing, that seems unreasonable. At the very least, consumers should expect to pay a premium.
Opens Doors for Other Carriers
AT&T and Verizon could be joined by other carriers.
While the confirmation of a 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4 is good for those looking to snag a 32GB model on Verizon, consumers should know that it’s also a good thing for those looking to buy a 32GB model on other carriers.
Back when Verizon exclaimed that it would not be carrying a 32GB Galaxy S4, T-Mobile Sprint and U.S. Cellular were far less firm, declining to say whether they would ever offer it in the future.
What this means is that if Verizon changed its mind, it’s possible that we could see the other carriers change their minds as well and start offering 32GB models to their customers.
Its Release Could Frustrate
Of course, not everyone is going to be pleased with the arrival of the 32GB Galaxy S4, particularly those that already committed to a 16GB Samsung Galaxy S4. Because Verizon has yet to announce the device, or a release date, it’s unclear if users are going to be able to return their 16GB model for a 32GB model.
If not, users who got stuck signing a contract for a 16GB model, but wanted a 32GB model, are likely going to be up in arms. Of course, it’s also possible that Verizon will be generous (and smart) to allow those who simply want more space to upgrade but until a release date is announced, we can’t be sure.
Consumers in the market for a new Galaxy S4, who don’t want to run the risk of getting stuck with a 16GB model, should know to simply wait for the 32GB announcement.
Not Everyone Needs 32GB
Finally, consumers should know that 32GB isn’t entirely necessary, despite the lack of on board storage space and despite the limitations of the microSD card.
For many consumers, 16GB, a microSD card and the cloud will be enough to store all of their content. Those who don’t play a lot of games, don’t watch a lot of content and don’t take a lot of photos and video should be alright with the 16GB model.
However, those who do take a lot of photos and video, play games and consume content will more than likely want to opt for the larger model just to be on the safe side. There is nothing more annoying than running out of space and having to shift files around to free up space.
