Its closer to two years out of data and the Nexus 10 is the latest Samsung Nexus

Traffic accidents make up ~32,000 deaths per year, that means they don't make that list (Albeit barely)

CDMA2000 is on its way out even vzw and sprint are moving to gsm with LTE. At this point you can only do data and only in areas with lte service but eventually lte service will provide voice and will be pretty ubiquitous.

Just thought I'd link to a tutorial on having fallbacks http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-have-your-cupcake-and-eat-it-too.html I don't think adding permissions not in v1.5 are an issue. Android 1.5 would just ignore them while newer versions with support for them would properly utilize them.

Strangely enough it's actually $649 you seem to have found a vendor on amazon who is inflating the price... (or perhaps thats a 32gb model?)
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=samsung_galaxy_s4&feature=device-featured
the htc one is a mere $599 for their 32 gb model....
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=htc_one&feature=device-featured

Interestingly enough the nexus phones aren't sold without profit, in fact the nexus 4 has ~$150 profit. They just aren't sold at ridiculous levels of profit... Note that price is based on a tear down and the price of components.

interestingly enough there is a way to target 1.5 yet use 4.2 features if they are available, you just fall back to lacking functionality on devices without those features.

I wish I had internet access that didn't have inbound port blocking, no caps and 1gigabit speed all for $70 a month. Instead I have internet access where I'm not even allowed to vpn in to work, tons of port blocking inbound and outbound, 300gb a month cap and only 50mbit speed down with 10mbit speed up, all for $70 a month. Mind you my isps restrictions on servers isn't just TOS but actual port blocking, port 25 outbound is blocked, port 53 inbound is filtered, port 80 inbound is filtered plus god knows what else.

Arent the european networks avoiding LTE at the moment? so it should be
Compared to European vendors...
AT&T - Expensive. Unreliable.
Verizon - Expensive. Unreliable.
TMobile - Expensive. Unreliable.
Sprint - Expensive. Unreliable.

So the price points samsung announces come from the carriers? Your proof isn't proof, all it is is proof that the manufacturers have a MSRP and not a monopolistic contract demanding the carrier set the price. MSRP is just a suggested retail price.

What? since when? where do you think the carriers get their unsubsidized prices from?

Ah you're right and it looks like the providers have decided on charges like $35, must be some hella cheap smartphones. Further they must specify that fee in the contract beforehand so its not like they're going to be able to promise you $35 then jack up the fee later, they have to tell you how much it will be then stick to it.

If the carrier sets the price higher than apples then apples price takes effect, its whoever is lowest.