The Galaxy S4 was finally announced a few short hours ago and the internet is full of questions and concerns, mainly regarding the crazy software features and availability. If you look at the Galaxy S4 from the outside, then you won’t notice many differences at all. Walking down the street, it will be nearly impossible to tell whether someone is using a Galaxy S4 or Galaxy S III. The software, however, is revolutionary. The Galaxy S4 is the first device to ship with the latest version of Android, Android 4.2.2 and it’s much more than just Android. Samsung has tweaked the operating system to the max and added an incredible amount of innovative features.
But, here’s the thing. Google I/O is just a few short weeks away. At the search-giant’s annual developer conference, the next version of Android is usually unveiled. Given that Android 4.2 was such a minor change from 4.1/4.0, it seems likely that the next iteration of the operating system will be a major upgrade. What many speculate to be Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will most likely be available to Nexus devices soon after Google I/O. This means that, assuming the device launches in late April, Samsung will only have a few short weeks to market it has having the latest version of the Android operating system.
For all we know, what Google shows off with Android 5.0 could completely overshadow the new TouchWiz features, leaving Samsung with a problem. If Nexus devices receive a quick update to Key Lime Pie with a plethora of new features, what will Samsung market? The Galaxy S4 doesn’t have many new hardware features that are marketable to the general consumer. It’s the same problem Apple ran into with the iPhone 4 and 4S. Siri was the main selling point of the iPhone 4S and when Samsung announced S Voice and Google announced Google Now, the Cupertino company had nothing to market to consumers.
In fact, many people speculate that Google is more scared of Samsung than Apple. Samsung has built a huge empire with its TouchWiz overlay and Galaxy brand. Could Android 5.0 be a way for Google to gain back some consumer attention towards Android itself and not Samsung? What do you think? Will it be a problem for Samsung when Android 5.0 overshadows the new TouchWiz features? Let us know down in the comments!