To all my American readers the long awaited Samsung Galaxy Nexus can be yours on Verizon, but this phone is not for everyone. Yes! it will be the biggest baddest phone anyone will talk about this holiday season. Yes! I do think it will be the best phone on the market until probably a Nokia Windows Phone device hits market. Read on to see why I am not recommending this phone to the masses.
Before I get too in depth let's talk about some of the basics. The Nexus brand means this is the approved developer device for Google. This specific version of the Nexus will be the first to debut Google's next version of Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" (v 4.0 also known as ICS). This is the phone Google will woo developers into buying because it will have all the latest and greatest features for them to help write existing and future applications. Let's talk about what Google and Samsung put under the hood to make the Galaxy Nexus stand out.
- Super AMOLED 720x1280 pixel at 316 ppi
- 4.65" contour display
- Software keys (home, back, recent apps)
- 1.3 MP front/5 MP rear camera (with flash)
- textured back
- dual core 1.2GHz cortex-A9
- dimensions: 135.5 x 67.9 . 8.9 mm
- weight 135g
- CDMA/LTE bands for Verizon Wireless only in the US
- 1 GB RAM
- 32GB of internal storage
- sensors: accelerometer, compass, gyro, barometer, proximity
- A-GPS
- 1850 mAh battery
- NFC embedded in battery
HARDWARE
Looking at these specs here is what we can assume. The screen is big and beautiful, and I mean really big. I personally believe the AMOLED screens are the best in the business. Using LED's to light the screen allows you to get true blacks and possibly consume less power. The only thing I don't like about the AMOLED display is the slight cold temperature you can sometimes notice with white backgrounds giving the phone a blue hue. Many of you will never notice the color difference I just mentioned, so don't let it persuade you to not buy this phone. Honestly if anyone looks at this screen they will fall in love with the phone, until they hold it.
Just to compare, most of you are familiar with the iPhone which measures 114 x 59 x 9.4 mm. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus measures 21 mm taller and 8 mm wider, but it amazingly is the same thickness as the iPhone 4 and adds the LTE antenna that Apple has yet to cram into their thin device. Compared to some of the other big boy LTE devices on Verizon, it is quite similar in size to the likes of the Rezound and RAZR, just a few mm taller than both mentioned. It has a cheap textured plastic on the back which actually feels much better than the normal smooth plastic Samsung usually uses. The thinness really helps offset some of the height this phone seems to bulk up on. Now for most functions the size is fine, and I did not mind throwing in my jeans pocket. What I don't like is not being able to stretch my thumb to all corners of the screen. Typing one handed requires some skill, so unless your Megan Fox expect to use both hands a lot (she has freakishly long thumbs).
One big thing I am not a fan of on this phone is the camera. It is a bit disappointing that Samsung did not use the same lens as the Droid Charge or Amaze 4G. On this device Samsung decided to revert back to a similar camera they had on the Fascinate. I guess they wanted to cut down on cost a little, but this is supposed to be the phone that will usher in a new generation of smartphones. Don't get me wrong the camera is still fine, but it will in no way stack up to the likes of the iPhone and N8 dominance we see in phone cameras.
So that's enough about the hardware. Really, Samsung did not do anything too revolutionary with the hardware other than a brilliant screen. What is interesting about the Nexus is the software loaded on this bad boy. Android 4.0 loaded with an all new UI, software buttons, new widgets, new task manager, menu system, and a spiffy face recognition unlock that many of you will probably never use.
Let's all dive in to what we really care about on the Nexus. The video below is one minute and fifty five seconds of sweetness.
Now that the video is out of the way let me tell you what I like and don't like about the new OS.
USER INTERFACE
I love the black backgrounds and font called robo. Coming from a Windows Phone 7.5 device I absolutely love that Google followed Microsoft's lead here. With the new screens Samsung is putting out, black backgrounds make the OS really pop. In addition to the amazing screen, the software is smooth as silk. I have seen no lag whatsoever in any task I have performed. For Android, this is a huge step in the right direction. It seems as if the hardware has caught up to the software to make a perfect symphony.
To get a little more deep I also was impressed with the Widget integration into the app drawer (as seen above). Now you can see the widget before you add it. Before on Android you were forced to long press on the home screen, click widgets, and choose from a list of items with no idea what they were or looked like. Now, just click the app drawer icon at the bottom, press widgets and take your pick.
Also, there is a very attractive data app that allows you to see how much data you have consumed. You can choose to make a hard limit say 2GB for all those that are worried about overage. In addition, below the data grid you can see what apps are hogging the data. Worried about how much data Netflix just blew threw? Look no further, it's right in your settings now. (screenshot to the right)
In the camera Google has added a nice feature other phones have already included in one way or another, panorama capture. It is a bit different than what I have seen in other phones. Most panorama will make boxes or indicators when to take the next shot. In Android 4.0 Google wants you to shoot like a video camera, just start your shot and pan to the right. Below the shot it will show a progress bar letting you know if it's about to reach the 360 degree limit. A nice touch, but I kinda like the way other apps will just guide you to the next shot one box at a time.
On a side note taking a picture is virtually instant. I don't know if I really like it or not, but it's there. It could cause more blurry photos because you are going to move the phone when you take the shot. Use your timer for a more precise shot.
Speaking of cameras Google+ integration is both charming and necessary on this phone. It is time for users to stop updating Facebook and start networking on Google+. The hangout feature allows you to video conference up to 10 people at once or just chat as a messenger if you want.
STORAGE
As much as I love Google services, I hate that Google is forcing you to use them now. Cloud storage is ruining the consumer freedom we once had, and let me explain. There is no SD memory in this phone. You get a very big storage space in this device, but gone is that nice little slot where you could transfer your old memory cards and bring over all your media. Now let me introduce you to the cloud. Meet Google Music, Google+ (for pictures), Gmail (for contacts, email, calendar, books, and apps), and I'm stopping there. Now some of these cloud services for things like contacts can immediately bring down your info say if you ever replace your phone or have to wipe your data out. However, other services like apps and pictures you may have to re download yourself or wait up to 24 hours for it to start pushing back to your phone. Meanwhile please don't ever forget which email you used or your data will be lost for ever. I can't tell you how many people I have seen lose their contacts or have to repurchase an app because they forgot their Gmail account. I digress, please stay with me.
I never thought I would say this, but I miss Blackberry's excellent backup/restore ability through their desktop manager. You could connect through USB backup everything in a few minutes and restore it just as easily to a new device. Now, pray the cloud did it's job and don't ever forget your log in ID.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENTS
Other than the backup options here are a few other items I wish Google could improve on.
- Go back to a vertical menu for apps. I hate having to scroll from screen to screen. It is harder to find what you are looking for, and takes longer.
- Make the software buttons (home, back, tasks) stay on the whole time you are using the phone. I will be using an app and all of a sudden the bottom of the screen goes black forcing me to poke around for the home or back button. FAIL! Force the app to use that screen real estate or keep the back light on for the buttons.
- keep the menu icon consistent. There are three little dots for the menu button now on the screen. sometimes on top of an app, others on the bottom like in all the menus. Keep this consistent so it is easier to find.
- please please please put a shutter button on the devices. Windows Phone requires it, and it is so nice.
WRAP-UP
Positives: awesome screen, smooth OS, LTE speeds, Verizon's huge network
Negatives: Google cloud services, poor battery in LTE mode, many apps don't work yet (newest version of Android to be blamed here)
Overall: Buy this phone if you want to be cutting edge.
