Samsung Galaxy S4 U.S. Release Date Is This Week As Source Code Is Already Available Ahead Of Time

Samsung has released the kernel source for three versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4, just days before the phone hits the U.S. market.

The GT-I9500 is the Exynos 5 Octa version of the Galaxy S4, released in many international markets in Asia, India and Africa.

The GT-I9505 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version of the Galaxy S4, about the land in the United States, the U.K. and most of Europe.

The SGH-I337M is the Virgin Mobile version of the Galaxy S4 that will be released in Canada.

The kernel sources will aid developers and modders in creating custom ROMs for the Galaxy S4, and the release precedes the availability of the official firmware for the device.

The dev community moves quickly these days, so it shouldn't be long before Galaxy S4 owners have new options for their phones. The HTC One bootloader was unlocked only a day after the source code was made public, and the Galaxy S4 is the most anticipated phone on the market, so there will be plenty of interest in tearing it apart and putting it back together.

This openness and opportunity for change is one of the hallmarks (and requirements) of the Android operating system. It has led to a robust and diverse environment that offers something for everyone.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a 1.6GHz eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor or a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor (depending on country), 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 1920x1080 Full HD AMOLED display at 441 ppi, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, internal storage between 16 and 64GB, an SD card slot that can accommodate an additional 64GB, a polycarbonate body, Smart Pause and floating touch tech and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Check back for the latest info on the Galaxy S4 as it becomes available.