Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition with unlockable bootloader ‘coming soon’ for Verizon customers

After being revealed last week, Samsung’s Developer Edition of the Verizon Galaxy S III now has a nebulous release date. The company’s site confirms a Pebble Blue version of the phone is “coming soon” to Verizon; it’s expected to cost $599, but the page reveals little other than the ordinary S III specifications and a 32GB size. The Developer Edition will come with a user-unlockable bootloader, making it easier to root and install custom Android builds. The standard Verizon S III, which starts at $199 on contract, has a locked bootloader, ostensibly because of Verizon customer experience concerns.

For most people, easier access to the phone probably isn’t worth a few hundred dollars. There is, however, one class of customers who may want to consider it. Users on unlimited data subscriptions can’t buy contract-discounted phones without switching to a metered plan, so anyone who’s serious about keeping that unlimited LTE will end up paying $599 for the standard 16GB edition anyhow.