The Google Play Edition Samsung Galaxy S4 offers a pure stock Android experience with no catch. You have no carrier bloatware, and direct updates from Google without any middle man involved. With that said, the handset is pricey, ranging in prices of up to $630. If you purchase on a subsidy, you can find the S4 for $99 at local retailers. So why not purchase the TouchWiz version and install stock Android yourself? With a bit of persistence, you very well could.
CyanogenMod (better known as CM) has held the crown as top Android rom for a few years now. With every new update comes a new build of CM, the latest being CM10.2, which utilizes 4.3. Our recommendation would be to hold off on 4.3 until it is a bit more user friendly as a daily driver. We have tested it for a few days now and have concluded that CM10.1 is far more stable as a daily driver. So what does CM10 offer that the Google Play Edition build does not?
Customization’s, and plenty of them. From the notification bar, to the quick settings, all the way down to the scaling of icons on the home screen, everything has the ability to be customized. After reverting back to the Google Edition 4.3, we found ourselves bored with the lack of any true customization’s. CyanogenMod has taken an already superb experience and made it that much better.
You have various lock screen shortcuts that you can add or remove. There are options to add toggles to the notification center, making the use of a power widget obsolete. App drawer options allow you to remove the blue indicator below the apps, or remove the secondary widgets drawer. You have the option to adjust system settings such as the power menu, and can even alter the way your LED light reacts to notifications.
Personally, I am not a fan of haptic feedback on the capacitive buttons of my phone. CM10.1 allows you to disable it. You can also enable a flashlight within the toggles in the notification bar, which makes for easy access if you’re stuck in a cave with wild blood thirsty bats. Aside from an extreme example like that one, there are a multitude of reasons why these various customization’s come to good use.
Did we mention that it’s also blazing fast? If you thought stock Android was fast on your S4, wait until you use this beast. The transitions are instant and multi-tasking allows you close out of all apps at once (not available on stock). We ran tests showcasing the speed in which we can open and close apps, and it was literally functioning faster than our touch. Just an absolute screamer and no doubt the fastest iteration of Android we’ve used to date.
Stock Android only allows for a row of 4 icons vertically. Without ever having to download a third party browser, CM’s trebuchet launcher allows you to change the amount of home screen icons per row. You can also add more dock icons. One of my good friend prefers to have 6 icons in his dock, and with CM10, it’s possible.
Theme’s are also a unique aspect of CyanogenMod. You can download free themes from the Play Store that alter the entirety of the OS. There are TouchWiz, Sense, and LG themes. You also have the more simple themes like blue, red, or black. They change the look of the dial pad, messaging application, notification bar and quick settings panel, and more. There are plenty available so check them out, do some trial and error, and pick the one you like the best.
We definitely recommend CM10.1 Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the Samsung Galaxy S4. We have always been fans of CyanogenMod team’s effort into creating the best iteration of stock Android. They have taken an already solid build and created an even better user experience. You can find CM10.1 for your respective S4 carrier at XDA-Developers
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