Samsung Galaxy Nexus, one of the hottest items with the Android operating systems. What it should do it does very well and what it can do is simply amazing. That said it is not without its flaws. But should you buy it?
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| Galaxy Nexus Box |
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
16GB
Unlocked GSM
USB Charger
AC Adapter
USB Cable
Stock Earphones
Manuals
Hardware
It is available now on the Google Play Store for GSM network users for $399 (Google Play Store). The GNex is Google's current flagship phone and does it live up to it title. Specs-wise, it may not be the strongest phone available, but what makes special? The Samsung Galaxy Nexus
is the next iteration of Google flagship phones and does some things better
than before. Though there are those noticeable kinks in which pull it back
from being the star phone, it does perform extremely well at a price you'd
expect. But the debate is how much good is good enough or how much do you
really use. My analogy is if you have the best phone with all the best features
under the sun but you only really use it to call friends, what use is it
really?
Battery
If you’re looking to
last a whole day with regular use, this 1750 mAh battery works well. Actually
my tests with regular checking for updates and quick calls you can last for 2
days with Wi-Fi and GPS constantly on and display brightness set to automatic.
It is strong enough to accommodate your usage and more some. But
don't expect to be playing games the whole day at work on a single charge.
Though a battery charger can help with this, you may find lugging an extra
device in your bag cumbersome. The power saving effect of Ice Cream Sandwich
does help a lot with background processes and the removal of tasks from the
recent app manager is a quick way to kill apps that eat up your battery.
Build
The feel of this phone
in your hand really is nice. The textured back does help calm your worries of
it slipping. Also it fit perfectly in your hand, not too big that it feels neither
bulky nor not too tiny. Basically the back sits nicely on your fingers and palm
allowing your thumb to reach parts of the screen nicely. Lightness is also one
of the Galaxy Nexus' strong points at 135g but the weight is achieved by the
slightly plastic-y feel of the back. The edges feel strong but the battery
cover can feel bendy.
Camera
This is a nice 5MP camera
with flash for people who want to snap a quick photo and upload it to Twitter.
But this does not count as a professional grade camera with quality that
matches that of DSLRs. But of course why use a phone to take vanity shots, though
it could have been convenient if it was. The lack of quality is offset by the
fact it has minimal shutter lag so speed is a big factor. It also has a
panorama mode which is nice especially if you want make Facebook timeline
pictures. Also 1080p videos on this are nice and quick. If you prefer speed to
quality, it’s not going to really bother you.
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| Home Screen |
With your standard array
of connectivity features you’d expect from a phone such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
GPS, and HSPA+, it provides user with everything for more than standard use.
The lack of LTE does disappoint but unless you watch Netflix in HD intensively
on the road, in a hotel without Wi-Fi (which is uncommon nowadays), the
bandwidth won’t hold you down.
CPU
This 1.2 dual-core CPU
may not be the best CPU out there, but it is the perfect balance between maximizing
what the phone software demands, the performance the applications need, the
battery life, and the price per performance. Graphically it supports HD video
and games with great ease. You may want more power but you may not necessarily
need it with applications already operating very quickly.
Display
The colors on this 4.65”
screen are vivid and the 1280x720 resolution depict real life colors. Though
not perfect in all outdoor conditions it is very good. The response and
sensitivity of the multi-touch screen is brilliant. There have been reports of
the display being easily scratched despite it being tempered glass; I myself
have yet to experience this.
Memory
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| Voice Actions |
The 1GB RAM is perfect for multitasking,
it is a current standard across phones these days and it works because you’re
not really looking for more RAM. The storage is the most disappointing part of
the whole package. With only 16GB of flash memory, it’s not going to hold your
whole music library, vacation pictures and some video clips all at once. I have
a relatively small music library and I’m at more than half of my limit already.
Taking HD pictures and 1080p video is not going to make things better is it?
The lack of expansion with a micro SD card is very inconvenient.
Mic
The microphones on this
are beautiful and the noise cancellation works brilliantly. Calling and voice
messaging is quite clear and you’ll come to appreciate it especially if you
live in an urban jungle or at Wall Street where the difference between the
person you’re calling hearing “buy” or “sell” amongst the hustle and bustle is
crucial.
Speaker
The ear speaker does
compliment the quality of the microphone, but the loudspeaker on the other hand
really is a different case. The loudspeaker is quieter than your average phone,
so playing music at the back of the bus won’t be as cool. You won’t hear the
music whilst singing along in the shower neither. Loudspeaker calls do work
well and you won’t be asking “Can you say that again?” often.
Software
Software
The Ice Cream Sandwich
version of the Android OS is the focal point of the whole package and I'll tell
you what, it works perfectly. Change is usually for the better when upgrading OSs
and some areas are extremely well thought out from the new font to the software
button while some modifications may leave even Android veterans baffled. That
being said, Ice Cream Sandwich showcases the future of Android and sets an
example of how many small and convenient features can make the overall
experience even more effective.
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| Google Play App |
Backed by the full
support of Google services such as the new Google Drive and Google+ and the
popular Facebook and Twitter apps, it provides enough capabilities to your
phone to not leave you looking for more. The newly rebranded Google Play Store,
which is where this particular phone is available in, supports a plethora of
apps, books, movies and music. Though not as extensive as other ecosystems, it
really provides more than enough content to satisfy.
Input
The screen as I said a
while ago is very responsive and does sense your every move. It does accommodate
quick texters and the suggestions for predictive texts are nice and convenient
for long word. The voice action commands really hear you out and make searching
for things or calling numbers quick. The voice commands are a bit rigid with
preset formats to dictate such as “Call ….” Or “Navigate to…”. It’s a con but
also a pro since the preset formatting does help limit choices in its speech
recognition. Example is if you say “call” the recognition system can limit the
following words to either numbers or names from your contact list, or if it can’t
find it, it then searches online.
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| Recent Apps View |
Email and text messaging
are very convenient and the apps which manage them have fluid interfaces,
albeit some of the important icons do take getting used to since not all of
them have descriptions underneath. Dictation with voice actions is very good
since if it senses a word it may have misunderstood, it highlights the word or
phrase and clicking it shows more choices of recognized speech.
Features
The most notable change is
the replacement of physical front buttons with three software buttons. The back
and home buttons are fairly well known in Android phones but the addition of
the recent apps button is the key change here. It acts like a quick way to
switch between apps and a simple task manager where you can essentially close
an app with a swipe.
Several other new features fill this new version of
Android and they help a lot. The notification bar is one of the bigger changes
where you can remove individual notifications by the swipe of a finger. Also
the settings can now be accessed here as well. The option to also send a quick
response when receiving a call so that you can reject it with text messages
like “I’m busy”. You can even preset your own messages. Also another fun
feature is face unlock which allows you to unlock your phone with your face.
Though it may not be a very secure feature since it has been fooled with
pictures it is a fun alternative to the classic slide to unlock.
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| Google+ App |
With Google wallet integrated with this package, it is a glimpse of what the future of payment systems could be. But that's just what it is, a glimpse of the future. The only setback is that it is technology ahead of its time. Undoubtedly though high density areas like New York would probably have dozens of shops that have the wireless adapters for wireless payment. Although in other areas, shops haven't updated their card terminals. The offers ability though does serve great use especially if you like discount. And the rewards cards do make it interesting if all your annoying membership cards could be in just one play. The only setback is the lack of support both from shops with rewards programs and the credit cards which you can add directly and not use the prepaid Google Wallet card.
Uses
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| Unlock To Camera Option |
Though listening to
music is quite enjoyable, neither the quality of the headphone jack nor the loudspeaker
is up to expectations of those who appreciate 320kbps music files. Some app can
rectify these setbacks but you don’t get an exceptional experience out of the
box.
Movie Goers
Netflix and Google Play
Store offer quite an extensive array of choices to download and stream video.
It may not be the theater experience you’re looking for but if passing time at
the airport is your cup of tea, this device is good for that. Just don’t expect
blazing fast speeds without the LTE but HSPA+ does serve the phone justice.
Photographers
If you’re the type to snap quick pictures and upload them on the go, this is the phone for you. Though quality may suffer, traveling around and being able to take a quick snap of something that’s not going to wait for you may be important (Oh look, a flock of birds).
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| Google Wallet |
If you like shopping with wireless payments Google Wallet can help you pay quickly and even tract your purchases. Though finding an area where almost all the terminals accept wireless payment is quite rare, soon it won't be. It only accepts Citibank Mastercard as a direct credit card for now but news mentions that Visa has licensed it protocols for Google Wallet. The future is coming so be ready.
Video Gamers
The graphical powers of
this phone are particularly good with a very fast CPU. Don’t expect it to last
you very long on the battery but it is not to say that performance will suffer.
Those graphical qualities such as resolution may be good but not perfect; the
games are what make the experience enjoyable not the looks.
Workaholics
Long calls throughout
the day may drain the battery before works over, but the call quality is
fantastic and conversations become more about what you’re saying than “what did
you say?”. The video chat feature of Google+ may also be useful but don’t
expect to be hanging out with the board of directors.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a phone that can do everything, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Though it may not do anything particularly brilliantly it is the jack of all trades of phones. Your average everyday smartphone user will feel at home here with small things that make the experience even more brilliant. The price point as well is very good especially since you're getting an unlocked phone.
Scores
All pictures are screenshots taken on Samsung Galaxy Nexus and are property of .COM/MOTION.
Image of Samsung Galaxy Nexus is scanned and property of .COM/MOTION.
Image of Samsung Galaxy Nexus is scanned and property of .COM/MOTION.
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