Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition arrives to the UK, is it too late?

Phones 4U customers in the UK can now purchase the Samsung Galaxy S4 Black Edition, faux leather wrapping and all. The S4 Black Edition began rolling out earlier this year with Russia and South Korea having a go at it. True to the promise of further roll-out to “select markets,” folks in the UK can now get their hands on one.

The Galaxy S4 is Samsung’s flagship device from 2013 which comes well equipped with a 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera, 16GB storage and 2600 mAh battery.

The first S4 Black Edition came with no changes from the original S4, save the black faux leather wrapping. It is unclear if the UK S4 Black Edition will have any further upgrades, but it is good to note that the South Korean LTE-A edition was bumped up to the Snapdragon 800 processor.

It is great to see Samsung following through with promised devices and offering a somewhat premium version of their popular products. Of course, they are now only a few short weeks away from first sales of their 2014 flagship device, the Galaxy S5. The S5 was announced at MWC in February for sale in April. Due to the premium nature of the Black Edition, I would not think the timing to be of great concern, until we consider the price tag. Currently, the S4 Black Edition is going for £499.89, the upgraded specs in the new S5 are expected to sell for as little £500.

Interested Galaxy S4 Black Edition buyers can get their hands on the beautiful stitched faux leather device straight out for £499.89, take £10 off by purchasing a minimum top-up, or the ever popular 2-year plan takes it as low as £29 per month. Snag it from the Phones 4U website.

Will you be splurging on a bit of premium styling, or will you hold off on the Galaxy S4 Black Edition for the Galaxy S5 next month?