I am currently reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus along with 5 other writers on GottaBeMobile. Yes, 6 writers from 1 site are collaborating on a review of the Verizon version of the Nexus. I actually purchased my Galaxy Nexus today rather than getting my hands on a demo later. So far, I love it. We’ve posted a good amount of goodness over on GBM so far, including Adam Mill’s First Impressions. I decided to go ahead an give my little love to the device over here for now. I have some other posts in line over there on the subject.
The Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus
That’s a mouthful there! The Galaxy Nexus landed in Verizon stores on December 15th, 2011 after a ton of delays. Some gave up waiting, some didn’t. The awesomeness everyone was waiting for was a phone with the newest version of Android dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich on a well built phone. It was worth the wait in my opinion!
Hardware
The hardware is absolutely to die for. Perfect size for big hands like mine. It feels very similar in the hand to the HTC Titan I love so much. The weight of the device isn’t too heavy, but it’s just heavy enough that you know it’s there. The screen is so close to the edges of the device that it feels like it’s much smaller than a phone with a whopping 4.65″ screen.
- The screen is 4.65″ of full HD goodness. The resolution is a true 720p (1280×720). It’s bright and very sharp. Icons and graphics are crystal clear.
- The body of the Galaxy Nexus feels really solid considering the materials used to build it. The body feels plastic, but not cheap.
- All the buttons are well made but I don’t care much for the placement. The volume buttons are on the left side, right where my thumb rests when I am talking on the phone. The power button is fine on the right side, but I would prefer it on the top of the unit. The sync/charge port and 3.5mm headset jack are on the bottom edge of the device.
- The rear battery cover is a pretty thin plastic that feels really cheap. I hope I don’t have to take it on/off often. I am afraid it might break. The surface of this cover has a kind of non skid coating to aid in grip.
The Camera - Although it’s only a 5 megapixel camera, shoots decent photos and full HD video (1080p). See my post on GBM for some sample images and videos.
Call Quality – I had a good 20 minute phone call with Matt Miller in Seattle. He was on a GSM Galaxy Nexus and I was on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. We both commented on how great the call clarity was. He has an issue with his speaker phone where the volume is very low but the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus I have is plenty loud outside, even with an air conditioner running behind me.
Device performance – No troubles at all. The only hang ups I had with the Android 4 stumbling was when I was downloading dozens of apps. Once I was done adding apps, I did a restart on the phone and ever since then, flawless. Navigating through the OS is fast and I haven’t encountered any hiccups.
Software
This is the bigger draw of the Galaxy Nexus. I know the hardware and big beautiful screen are desirable, but the big reason the Galaxy Nexus is flying off Verizon’s shelves is Ice Cream Sandwich. ICS aka Android 4 is the latest and greatest from Google. The Galaxy Nexus is the 1st device to run this new OS. You can also be assured that it will be the 1st to get future upgrade since it’s Google’s flagship device for ICS.
There are a ton of improvements and added features with this release, so many that I can’t list them all. You can check out another one of my posts over at GBM for some of the coolest tips and tricks I’ve discovered so far in my 1 day journey with this phone.
I’ve had a blast today taking the time to learn the new features and how to get around in ICS. I will share more about the software experience at a later date.
Conclusion
It’s way to early to form a overall, lasting opinion of the Galaxy Nexus right now. So far, I feel it’s the #1 Android Device on Earth currently. I could see a case being made for some other current Android phones like the Rezound, Droid Razr, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, and others if they were running ICS already, but they aren’t and this hardware is pretty hot. I have it neck and neck with the iPhone 4S and HTC Titan.
I plan to use this one as my DAILY DRIVER for a good amount of time.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus VS. HTC Titan
Screen
- 4.65″ HD(1280 x 720) Super AMOLED
- Contour Display (curved glass)
Size (mm)
- 67.94 X 135.5 X 9.47 (LTE)
Weight
- 145.5 g (5.1 OZ)
Data
- LTE/CDMA
- WIFI
- BLUETOOTH
Memory
- Storage: 32GB
- Memory: 1GB RAM
Camera
- 5MP continuous auto focus
- 1.3MP Front
- LED Flash
- Zero shutter lag
- Video recording in 1080p
Network
- Varies
USB
- Micro USB
Features
- BATTERY: 1850mAh
- OS: Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)
- CPU: 1.2 GHZ dual core processor
- NOTIFICATION: 3 color LED
- MICS: 2 Mics
- BUTTONLESS
- NFC
- ACCELEROMETER
- GYRO
- COMPASS
- PROXIMITY/LIGHT
- BAROMETER
Here are some articles that we’ve posted at GottaBeMobile already for further reading:
- 10 neat tricks and tips for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon (My Article)
- Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE Speed Test: East Coast
- Galaxy Nexus: 4G LTE Speed Test (San Francisco)
- Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE Speed Test [Midwest]
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus Photo and Video Samples (My Article)
- How to Setup Face Unlock on Android 4.0
- Flash Player Now Available for Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus: First Impressions and Performance
- How to Customize the Galaxy Nexus Favorites Tray
- How To Take Screenshots In Android 4.0 With The Galaxy Nexus
- 5 Things to Do When You Get Your Galaxy Nexus [Setup and Security]
