Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Date: Verizon Pushed Up To May 23 For $200 After Rebate

Good news for eager fans awaiting the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4: the release date has been pushed up a week, to May 23.

The Galaxy S4 will be available both online and in Verizon retail stores. Originally, Verizon planned to release Samsung's flagship phone on May 30, more than a month after some of its competitors.

In general, Verizon doesn't partake in the race to be the first to offer new phones, secure in the knowledge that it is the largest carrier in the country and that its customers will wait a few weeks for new tech.

The Galaxy S4 will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract, though that price includes a $50 mail-in rebate, so the upfront cost is actually $249.99. For now, the Galaxy S4 comes in black or white, though a blue version has been spotted overseas.

Verizon's delay may have paid off. The other major carriers jostled for bragging rights at the end of May, but supply shortages meant customers were disappointed by broken promises. Verizon has underpromised by a month, so even this release, a full three weeks after the other carriers, feels like a bonus to Verizon loyalists.

Even with the delay, the Exynos 5 Octa version of the Galaxy S4 still isn't available stateside; like the other carriers, Verizon is offering the Snapdragon 600 version.

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.