Samsung to slap Windows Phone on Galaxy S4 hardware this April

If you liked the look of last year's Galaxy S4 but prefer to run Windows Phone, Samsung might have something that'll interest you. According to The Verge, the upcoming Samsung Ativ SE - which we've seen in leaks before - packs hardware that's similar to the Galaxy S4 i9506, and it'll run Windows Phone 8 out of the box.
 

Yes, apparently the Ativ SE will launch without Windows Phone 8.1 despite its impending launch at Microsoft's BUILD conference today. The handset will receive the update at some point after it goes on sale; an unusual situation for a Windows Phone, but not uncommon in the Android camp.
 
As the device is based on Galaxy S4 hardware, we can expect a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC inside plus 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot, and a removable battery. While the hardware isn't new or what we'll be getting in the flagship Galaxy S5, the Ativ SE should hold its own against top-end Windows Phones like the Nokia Lumia Icon and Lumia 1520.
 
The Samsung Ativ SE will reportedly launch sometime in April on Verizon in the United States. There's no word on pricing, or if we'll see the device outside the States.
 
~ Tim Schiesser