After being revealed last week, Samsung’s Developer Edition of the Verizon Galaxy S III now has a nebulous release date. The company’s site confirms a Pebble Blue version of the phone is “coming soon” to Verizon; it’s expected to cost $599, but the page reveals little other than the ordinary S III specifications and a 32GB size. The Developer Edition will come with a user-unlockable bootloader, making it easier to root and install custom Android builds. The standard Verizon S III, which starts at $199 on contract, has a locked bootloader, ostensibly because of Verizon customer experience concerns.
Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition with unlockable bootloader ‘coming soon’ for Verizon customers
Samsung has confirmed a Developer Edition of the Galaxy S III, which will feature an unlockable bootloader, is coming soon.
Samsung has confirmed a Developer Edition of the Galaxy S III, which will feature an unlockable bootloader, is coming soon.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
For most people, easier access to the phone probably isn’t worth a few hundred dollars. There is, however, one class of customers who may want to consider it. Users on unlimited data subscriptions can’t buy contract-discounted phones without switching to a metered plan, so anyone who’s serious about keeping that unlimited LTE will end up paying $599 for the standard 16GB edition anyhow.
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