Barra announced that it will be selling the Galaxy S4 with stock Android instead of Samsung’s TouchWiz software. This version of the Galaxy S4 will come with all the features one expects from stock Android, and it will receive updates directly from Google.

More importantly, Google’s own version of the Galaxy S4 is sold unlocked, and can be activated on AT&T and T-Mobile. It’s the first official LTE phone to be sold on Google Play. As expected, the bootloader is also unlocked.

Those expecting a subsidized Google Play price are going to be disappointed though. Barra announced that the stock Android Galaxy S4 will be available on Google Play for $649 on June 26.

YouTube personality raredrr saw this glaring hole in Samsung’s testing regimen and took matters into his own hands with his latest test to see if the S4 can survive being shot with a 50 cal sniper rifle. Short answer – no. Long answer – don’t expect the Galaxy S4 to stop incoming bullets.

As a bonus, here’s ratedrr shooting the Galaxy S4′s main competition – the iPhone 5 – with a 50 cal rifle. It holds up a little better:

[h/t: Kotaku]

But Samsung has decided to kill it again. At a Galaxy S4 launch event in India, the smartphone makers tapped Bollywood star Ranveer Singh to lead a Gangnam Style reimagining that replaces most of the lyrics with Galaxy S4 spec praise. Why, oh why?

[FIlms of India]

The move is meant to make it easier for customers to tell Samsung‘s laptops apart, but it could ultimately end up being just as confusing. While the renaming of the ATIV Smart PC and the ATIV Smart PC Pro to the ATIV Tab 5 and the ATIV Tab 7, respectively, isn’t too much to think about, The Series 5 510 and the Series 3 370 will both now share the name ATIV Book 4. And while Samsung’s all-in-one laptops will be rebranded as ATIV One laptops, devices that weren’t previously branded Smart PC or all-in-one PC are now branded ATIV Book devices with a corresponding number.

The confusion continues ast the numbers will be shifting from previous brand names. For example, the Series 7 Chronos will now be the ATIV Book 8, the Series 3 300 will be the ATIV Book 2, and the Series 5 Chronos will – you know what? Just have a look below at the renaming chart Samsung has provided. And make sure to keep it handy in case you find yourself in the market for a Samsung laptop.

“Samsung has been the fastest growing PC brand for the past three years, in part because of our commitment to developing solutions that meet and exceed the ever-evolving needs of our customers,” said Mike Abary, SVP of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Our expanded ATIV brand and the introduction of solutions like SideSync create the necessary synergy between our mobile and PC lines to create real ease of use for consumers. These synergies enable us to maintain our momentum and continue to offer our customers innovations that enhance the way they live and work.”

Today, Samsung released a new TV ad that the Korean company will use to try and sell the Galaxy S4 to consumers. The ad, which can be seen below, is fairly straightforward, much like the ads for the device Samsung has already released. It briefly highlights the phone’s larger, clearer screen and thinner profile before moving on to highlighting the software features Samsung has created for the device.

Actually, the ad is rather boring compared to Samsung’s ads for the Galaxy S3. Last year, the company focused on going after the competition directly, implying that Apple loyalists are sheep and making fun of those who wait in lines at the Apple store for new products. There’s little doubt that the ads increased Samsung’s profile in the U.S. and helped the Galaxy S III ship over 50 million units, and the return to boring feature-heavy ads is a bit disappointing.

The carrier expects to have the devices available online and in Verizon Wireless stores on May 30 – long after other carriers will have the device. However, launch dates have become a bit less definite lately, after Samsung issued a statement making it clear that supplies of the Galaxy S4 will be stretched thin throughout the world for weeks.

T-Mobile was originally touting the fact that it would be the first U.S. carrier to sell the Galaxy S4, on April 24, but the carrier yesterday pushed back its launch date for the smartphone to April 29. AT&T’s launch date is currently April 26.

Android fans who want one of Samsung’s new flagship Android devices within a few weeks of its launch will probably need to pre-order with their carrier of choice. The recent popularity of the Galaxy S phones has propelled Samsung into the role of Apple’s main competitor, and not even Samsung’s large manufacturing infrastructure can keep up with the demand.

Now, it seems that T-Mobile’s supply difficulties were a sign of things to come.

Samsung has issued a statement to Bloomberg making it clear that supplies of its new flagship Android smartphone will be short for weeks after its release.

The statement:

“Due to overwhelming global demand of Galaxy S4, the initial supply may be limited. We expect to fulfill inventory to meet demands in the coming weeks.”

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S4 are already being taken by AT&T, Sprint, U.S. Cellular and some retail locations. (Consumers might want to steer clear of pre-ordering at Best Buy, though, as the store has a history of overbooking smartphone pre-orders.)

Over the past two years, the Galaxy S series has begun to dominate the Android landscape as the only Android smartphones that regularly put up sales numbers even in the ballpark of Apple’s iPhone sales. Being unable to meet high demand is a challenge that Apple has dealt with for years now, and one that Samsung will have to contend with now that it is Apple’s largest rival. Though Samsung is the largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world, even its prodigious manufacturing capabilities can’t keep up with demand for the next Galaxy-branded smartphone.

T-Mobile had originally announced that Samsung’s latest flagship Android device would be hitting its online store on April 24 – two days before the smartphone hits AT&T’s network.

Now, the “un-carrier” (as it is now branding itself) has revealed that it is pushing online availability of the Galaxy S4 back to April 29. The move was due to what T-Mobile is calling an “unexpected delay with inventory deliveries.”

T-Mobile’s statement, in full:

We know customers are really looking forward to getting their new Samsung Galaxy S 4 soon. However, due to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries, the Galaxy S 4 will not be available on www.T-Mobile.com as planned on Wednesday, April 24. Instead, online availability is expected to begin on Monday, April 29. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working with Samsung to deliver the device to T-Mobile customers as soon as possible.

The date change does not seem to have affected T-Mobile’s pricing options for the smartphone. The Galaxy S4 will be available on the carrier using the company’s new pricing scheme, which requires only $150 upfront, plus monthly payments until the full cost of the device is paid off.

Well, indulge your curiosity as the first scratch test has emerged on YouTube. Romanian YouTube user Szabolcs Ignacz got his hand on the Galaxy S4 and put it through seemingly every kind of abuse that could possibly scratch or damage the display. Check it out:

If you’re too lazy to watch the video, just know that the screen holds up like a champ. That’s because the Galaxy S4 uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 in its display. Gorilla Glass 2 was already pretty much scratch proof, and the third iteration of Corning’s super tough glass only proves once again that it’s the gold standard in mobile device displays.

[h/t: Droid Life]

Here’s the fun NMA Taiwanese animation take on the story: