Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB: 5 New Things to Know

Last week, in a rather silent announcement, Verizon finally debuted the Samsung Galaxy S4 32GB, a device that we said would be coming to shelves in the future. The device joins the Verizon Galaxy S4 16GB on shelves and instantly becomes a device that consumers should be taking a look at when buying a new smartphone. But what are the most important things to know about the Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB?

In March, Samsung debuted the Samsung Galaxy S4, a device that replaced the Samsung Galaxy S3 as the company’s popular flagship and one that has been available for quite sometime in the United States.

The 5-inch, quad-core, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean powered Galaxy S4 first hit carriers in the United States during the month of April, or about a month after Samsung took the curtain down from around it. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular were quick to announce it for their networks and several weeks ago, the five largest carriers in the U.S. all released the phone on their 4G LTE networks.

However, as we’ve seen, the saga of the Galaxy S4 didn’t end upon its release in the U.S. Recently, the company debuted the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the Galaxy S4 Zoom and the Galaxy S4 Mini, adding the Galaxy S4 brand name behind a several new devices. It didn’t stop there. More recently, the Galaxy S4 Nexus, also known as the Galaxy S4 Google Edition hit the Google Play Store and just a few short days ago, we finally saw another Galaxy S4 32GB go up for sale. And it’s the latter of all of these that has many people excited.

After weeks of silence, the Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB finally made its debut at the tail end of Friday afternoon, catching consumers a bit off guard. The device has joined the 16GB on shelves and Verizon is currently offering it to those that need some more internal space on their device.

The Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB is intriguing and here, we take a look at the five most important things to know about Big Red’s new Galaxy S4.

Ships By July 5th, Probably Won’t Ship Forever

The Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB is available through Verizon’s website right now with the retailer saying that it will be shipping the device by July 5th. This is actually two days later than when it originally said it would ship, meaning it could be impacted by the July 4th holiday or demand. As we saw before the announcement, there are plenty of people out there that want this device.

We don’t expect the shipping time to increase dramatically but it’s possible that stock of this phone could be much lower than the 16GB model meaning there could be some waiting in the first few weeks of its existence.

Verizon also could pull the cord on this device much sooner than the 16GB model. With the Galaxy S3, it pulled the 32GB model much earlier than the 16GB model citing weak sales and it’s possible that the Galaxy S4 32GB could disappear well before the Galaxy S5 launch as well.

Something for prospective buyers to know for the months ahead.

Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB is Expensive

Consumers finally got their wish, the Verizon Galaxy S4 32GB is indeed real. However, it probably didn’t come with the price tag that many were hoping for or expecting. Instead of offering it for $250 on-contract, the carrier opted to attach a much more expensive $299.99 on-contract price, making it $100 more expensive than the 16GB Galaxy S4.

That’s going to be a tall order for most people, particularly when the 16GB is suitable for most and the HTC One will likely arrive for $199.99 with 32GB of space, though, no microSD card slot.

In addition, AT&T offers the 32GB Galaxy S4 for $250 and Amazon offers it for $200. AT&T’s network may be smaller than Verizon’s but it has been making progress with its 4G LTE expansion and is currently available in a number of areas all over the U.S.

So, what consumers will need to decide is if that extra $100 is worth it in the long run. For many, it may not be.

Look for Price Cut Soon

Of course, there could be a price cut on the horizon thanks to retailers like Amazon. While it doesn’t have stock in yet, Amazon will likely have the 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4 model on hand at some point down the road with a price that is much more appetizing to consumers.

It currently carries the AT&T Galaxy S4 32GB for $200 on-contract and similar pricing could arrive with the 32GB Verizon Galaxy S4 down the road. Translation: It would be wise for consumers to hold onto their money for at least another week or two. Amazon won’t announce its arrival but it should show up.

No Sign of Other Carriers

At this point, AT&T and Verizon are the only U.S. carriers to offer the 32GB Galaxy S4. Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular have all left the door open for 32GB models in the future but there is no sign that they will be offering it down the road. This is different than the rhetoric that we heard from sources regarding the Verizon Galaxy S4 who suggested that Verizon was waiting for supply to calm down.

Will the other carriers offer 32GB models down the road? Our crystal ball says that it’s unlikely given that the demand for the AT&T and Verizon models is likely the greatest and therefore, it makes the most sense (cents) for them to offer two different variants.

Most Users Won’t Need 32GB of Space

There are a good number of consumers that need 32GB of storage space, in addition to the space provided by a microSD card. The Galaxy S4’s launch alone proved that as the device arrived with a ton of its space taken up by software. The microSD card also didn’t allow users to store certain file types.

Samsung issued an update that was aimed at trimming down the space eaten up out of the box but thus far, that update hasn’t landed for the Galaxy S4 models in the U.S. and it’s unclear if it ever will. Even after the update, users are complaining about not being able to move huge data files onto the microSD card slot. Despite the complaints, a 16GB Verizon Galaxy S4 will be more than enough for most people.

So gamers, avid mobile photographers and those who download large files may need the extra space to store their goods. This is a phone aimed at power users or those that think they may become power users However for most people, none of this will be an issue as 16GB along with a 64GB microSD card will be more than enough space for average users.