PHOENIX - If you haven’t noticed, there are a gazillion Android smartphones! HTC makes them, Samsung makes them, LG makes them, etc, etc, etc. Once a year as Google prepares to release a major update to Android it works hand in hand with one phone manufacturer to create the perfect phone to launch its new version. They call it the “Nexus”. The newest model, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, went on sale on Thursday on Verizon Wireless. Here’s my breakdown:
Hardware
The Galaxy Nexus is a giant. Literally, it’s a huge phone. The 4.65” screen is one of the largest I’ve seen yet on a phone. It uses Super AMOLED technology which means it looks great and colors pop. At a resolution of 1280x720, it fits the bill as a true 720p screen. The screen is covered in slightly curved glass. The back is plastic. In fact, it feels a bit “plastic-y”. I wouldn’t say it feels cheap, just not as solid as some other slim phones like the Motorola Droid RAZR (that I reviewed last week. ) There is a power button on the right side of the phone and a volume rocker on the left side. What you won’t find are any buttons under the screen. Google has decided to integrate the bottom buttons into the new version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0. So there is still a home and back button but it's on-screen instead of under the screen. This makes for a very clean look without any buttons on the front face of the phone.
Inside the Galaxy Nexus is a 1.2 gigahertz dual-core processor. It keeps the phone running smooth and is on par with other phones on the market.
Camera
Surprisingly, the camera packed on the back of the Galaxy Nexus is only 5 megapixels. Almost every major Android phone released over the past few months has been packing an 8 megapixel camera, including the new iPhone 4S. I posted a few pictures taken with the Galaxy Nexus on Flickr so you can judge for yourself. It shoots video up to 1080p and it looks great.
Network
The Galaxy Nexus runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. I am blown away by the network speed I’m seeing on this phone. Verizon 4G isn't perfect, the signal can be weak in some spots. For example, in my home in the East Valley I can only get 1 bar on 4G. At ABC15 in Phoenix near the airport it’s a similar situation. When you don’t have a 4G signal, the phone hops on Verizon’s 3G network which works great. Even with my single bar of 4G coverage at home I am getting download speeds of 7,142kbps! That’s faster than many DSL connections. The upload speeds were less than impressive at 578kbps. In good coverage, Verizon 4G LTE zips! With full bars in Tempe I easily got a download speed of 22,518kbps and an upload speed of 7,850kbps. Those speeds are amazing! If you have solid Verizon 4G LTE coverage where you live and work, expect this phone to fly.
Software
The Galaxy Nexus phone is a great piece of hardware but the true spotlight here is the newest version of Google Android, 4.0, labeled by Google as Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It is easily the biggest rewrite of Android since its launch back in 2007. The entire look and feel has been revamped including a slew of new features. Some of the most notable include:
Face Unlock
Unlock access to the phone by simply looking at the screen. It works surprisingly well but personally I think it would get old after a few weeks. It’s cool and a great demo but I’m not sure it’s something I would use on a regular basis.
Improved Multi-tasking
A new button on the bottom right of the screen shows screenshots of the most recent apps and allows you to simply scroll through them to go back to an app. If you want to clear it out of memory, simply swipe it to the side. This is a slick interface that addresses some of the multi-tasking complaints of previous versions of Android.
NFC “Beam”
Browsing a webpage that you want to share with a friend? Hold the back of your Galaxy Nexus up against theirs (or any Android 4.0 phone with NFC support) and you can beam the page to their phone instantly. You can do the same with apps and contacts. This is simple to use and downright impressive. If you’ve used apps like Bump then you have an idea of what this feature is like. It’s even better when it’s cooked right into the operating system.
Voice to text
You can talk to your phone and it will transcribe what you’re saying while you say it. This works surprisingly well and is a great option to avoid texting while driving. Having it as part of the Android operating system means it works in any app on the phone.
Camera improvements
The camera takes pictures in an instant with almost 0 seconds in lag time. We’ve all missed those great shots because our cameras on our smartphones take a good second or 2 to actually snap a pic. Not so on the Galaxy Nexus. There’s also a built-in panorama mode that works pretty well. Third party apps like 360 , Photaf and 360 Panorama offer better solutions but it’s nice to have something built into the camera app.
These are just a few of the improvements on the
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