Hello giant rumor, but this one comes from Russell Holly over at Geek.com, an individual I believe would not post such a rumor just for the sake of getting the internet all riled up. According to Russell’s tipster, the “Google Edition” Galaxy S 4 is pretty much exactly what it sounds like…Galaxy S 4 hardware with stock Android software, right out of the box. The device is being developed as a way to address a group of users out in the wild that prefer stock Android on a smartphone that isn’t a Nexus.
The device is expected to be available sometime next month and available with…wait for it…drum roll…T-Mobile bands. In fact, T-Mobile is specifically stated in the source article as the carrier of choice:
This Google Edition S4 is expected to be made available starting in June and will be available on T-Mobile bands.
There’s no clear picture as to who will sell this and where, or for how much. It’s true that you can accomplish stock Android on the Galaxy S 4 with a simple install of CyanogenMod, but there’s still a niche willing to shell out the cash to get stock Android right out of the box.