Ah, Developer Editions, what would we do without you? Probably suck it up and buy the retail versions, since anyone who's actually in the market for a Developer Edition phone on Verizon doesn't have a choice of GSM carriers with unlocked phones. If you've been drooling over the Galaxy Note 4's high-end hardware but lamenting Verizon's locked bootloader policy, Samsung is ready to sell you an unlockable phone. That will be 9.99, please.

The Developer Edition of the Note 4 is identical to the Verizon retail version, up to and including the customized software build with Verizon's bloatware apps. The only difference is that, like most of Samsung's non-carrier devices, the bootloader can be unlocked via a fastboot command. This allows end users to load up a custom recovery (again, like most Android devices) and easily flash a Superuser package for root, various modifications, or a full custom ROM. While most high-end phones eventually get some kind of root method even if they have a locked bootloader, it's getting harder and harder, and buying a Developer Edition is pretty much the only way to make sure you can mess around with your new Verizon flagship device thanks to the carrier's semi-walled CDMA network. (It's also possible that a tool like Sunshine can unlock the bootloader on the retail version, but again, I wouldn't count on that.) Be glad of the opportunity, folks - not every phone gets a Developer Edition variant.

The Verizon Developer Edition of the Note 4 comes directly from Samsung with no subsidy option, and it's the same price as the non-contract retail version. ROM/root enthusiasts, remember that the Nexus 6 will be offered on Verizon, and presumably it will have an unlockable bootloader despite the carrier's standard policy, like the Galaxy Nexus from 2011.

Source: Samsung Online Store