Galaxy Nexus Review by Joshua Topolsky. Mother of God....

[kdarling]

What's the worry about bloatware? At least you don't have to see it like on iOS

So-called bloatware (apps that are pre-installed) are sometimes useful, sometimes not.

However, on Android they only remain visible in the large app list which most people rarely see once they've set up their device homepages with icons for the apps they use most.

With iOS, there's no way to remove an "Apple bloatware" app you don't want to see on a homepage (e.g. Stocks). The best we can do is hide those apps in a undesirable extra homepage folder.

On Android, if you don't want to see an app on a homepage, just don't put it there. Leave it hidden in the all-apps folder. Heck, a few bloatware apps are nothing in comparison to the dozens of downloaded apps most people have installed in that list. (And on many devices, you don't even have to see it there, if you choose a "downloaded apps" view.)

Too much hyped ado about nothing. The only reason to get upset about pre-installed apps would be if they take up a huge amount of limited storage on a cheap device.

 

[Savor]

http://mobilesyrup.com/2011/11/19/galaxy-nexus-review-part-2-software-overview-and-final-thoughts/

Final Thoughts

The Galaxy Nexus is the best Android device ever because it’s the best all-round Android phone. Not only is the design almost flawless but the screen is sharp, the camera capable and the software *a huge leap forward. Considering it will have a software lead of at least three to four months on any new device being released with ICS, for many people it is reason enough to upgrade. Ice Cream Sandwich is the biggest leap in smartphone operating systems since perhaps iOS 2 to iOS 3 (or maybe iOS 4 to iOS 5, we can’t decide) but it fundamentally alters the way Android users interact with their phones.

Gone are the hardware-dependent capacitive touch buttons. Out are the design inconsistencies, ugly context menus and frustrating, stuttering performance. Google has proven that without embossing the Galaxy Nexus with the fastest everything it can easily compete, both in performance and enjoyment, with any device currently on the market. The Galaxy Nexus is fast because the hardware and software were designed to complement one another. We believe that it competes with, and bests, iOS 5 in many areas, though it cannot quite pull out the flawless victory card just yet. There are some lingering hardware and software issues that mar an otherwise perfect experience.

Be that as it may, Android will never be the same, and we’re so, so happy to be saying that.

Hardware Rating: 9/10

Pros:

- * * Stunning 720p screen makes graphics, text and media a pleasure
- * * Excellent performance throughout the OS
- * * Very good still camera quality, instant shutter a real boon to candid photography
- * * Build quality greatly improved over previous Samsung devices
- * * Design is perfect marriage between Galaxy S II and Nexus S
- * * Excellent sound quality from earpiece and headphone jack

Cons:

- * * Earpiece and speaker volume very low
- * * Video produces soft results; stills often out of focus
- * * Low-light shots quite grainy
- * * Battery cover quite thin and flimsy
- * * Disappointing battery life
- * * Lack of LTE will disappoint some users
- * * Auto-brightness too sensitive

Software Rating: 9.5/10

Pros:

- * * Incredible new design changes everything about Android
- * * First-party app improvements dramatically increase productivity
- * * New camera software makes Android photography fun
- * * Honeycomb features like re-sizable widgets and virtual many buttons implemented well
- * * Noticeable performance improvement in apps, games and general UI throughout OS
- * * Lock screen features legitimately useful
- * * New APIs such as People and Android Beam open doors to third-party devs
- * * Browser much faster than previous versions
- * * Unique style complemented by Roboto font
- * * Multitasking dramatically improved
- * * Data usage caps a potential money-saver
- * * Many more subtle changes, mostly for the better

Cons:

- * * Still buggy in places
- * * Overall “smoothness” can’t quite match iOS (though smoothness is highly subjective)
- * * Android Marketplace still unreliable
- * * App drawer cannot be set vertically
- * * Permanent Google search bar should be removable

 

[rydeordie99]

Anyone see this?

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/19/the-competition-nexus-s-brings-the-heat-beating-ios-5-in-browser-speed-tests-but-falling-in-opengl-benchmarks/

 

[nraudigy2]

"Each manufacturer can optimize for what their device uses."
They aren't optimizing good enough then. Manufacturers on WP7 don't have to optimize anything.

"iOS is fragmented too, and getting more so with each new device."

"iOS has multiple versions of GPUs, with differing capabilities. For example, the one in the 4S scores seven times higher in GL benchmarks than the one in the 4."

"iOS is not much different, with at least three different screen resolutions, multiple GPU capabilities, and different memory sizes and CPU speeds.

If you look at 4S with new PowerVR SGX GPU, even though it is 7 times faster, it's still a PowerVR SGX chip with backward compatibility and can still run all the games. If they had they gone with another chip like Tegra 3 on 4S would created fragmentation mess. WP7 uses only Snapdragon with Adreno GPUS and when they do update their Snapdragon SOC, games will still work. GPUs On Android they have PowerVR SGX, Adreno, GeForce GPU from Tegra 2, MALI 400 and Vivante GC800 from Rockchip. Who knows how many more are coming out. Fragmentation on Android is much bigger than on iOS and WP7 with hundreds of phones.

"Android Marketplace still unreliable" That sums it up in the review.

 

[mysterioustko]

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/19/the-competition-nexus-s-brings-the-heat-beating-ios-5-in-browser-speed-tests-but-falling-in-opengl-benchmarks/

Basically the iphone 4s' only advantage is the gpu...which really is neither here nor there since all the high end phone's gpu's are more than capable of running high end games just fine.

 

[Certinfy]

Was so keen on getting an iPhone 4S (and still don't know why I haven't got one) but this has gained my attention so much these last few weeks I don't know what to do!!!

 

[SR45]

I would be interested in a good Android phone if it had a 4 inch screen, the size of the iPhone 4 (dislike the large size of the ones available), and able to uninstall any darn app (I don't root anything) I did not like and was a pretty as the iPhone. Is that too much to ask ? Can't they build a smaller size as well and not just keep getting bigger and bigger ?

Or i'll have to wait for the iPhone 5 with the 4 incher

 

[nraudigy2]

Basically the iphone 4s' only advantage is the gpu...which really is neither here nor there since all the high end phone's gpu's are more than capable of running high end games just fine.

Galaxy Nexus is slower than Galaxy S2 in responsiveness, which is slower than iPhone 4S.

 

[vitzr]

Looks like a good phone. Too bad Android is made by geeks with little appreciation for design.

Actually I find the Samsung Nexus a very nice looking phone. That just goes to show you that we are all individuals with different tastes.

I respect yours, but fail to see what you've accomplished by being critical of the people involved and something as secondary as design. While it's always a factor, unlike something you wear, it's not fashion.

First is the functionality and feature set, all of which is stellar on this phone.

You'll notice that in my post here, I didn't need to bash or be critical of the iPhone in order to express my thoughts about the Nexus.

See how easy that is?

 

[mysterioustko]

Galaxy Nexus is slower than Galaxy S2 in responsiveness, which is slower than iPhone 4S.

And how exactly did you arrive at this conclusion?

 

[SilentLoner]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/19/the-competition-nexus-s-brings-the-heat-beating-ios-5-in-browser-speed-tests-but-falling-in-opengl-benchmarks/

Basically the iphone 4s' only advantage is the gpu...which really is neither here nor there since all the high end phone's gpu's are more than capable of running high end games just fine.

I don't have a good feeling that it will last with ics I do think the manufacturers are going to muller it to an inch of its life.

 

[nraudigy2]

And how exactly did you arrive at this conclusion?

Engadget impression said that Galaxy Nexus with TO OMAP SOC isn't as fast as Galaxy Note which has same Exynos SOC as Galaxy S2 except for the Tmobile Galaxy S2 with a Snapdragon SOC and Canadian Telus Galaxy S2 also with Snapdragon.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/google-galaxy-nexus-hspa-first-impressions-video/

 

[tablo13]

Love the phone and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. I think I'm going to get an android phone instead of an iPhone next year. iOS really needs some major revamping.

To me the key point of the Nexus is the buttons on the screen. I never realised how important this is until a few weeks ago when the home button of my iphone 4 started to fail. Now it makes my iphone experience a lot worse.

I was considering buying the Nexus just because of this. No hardware buttons = no problems in the long term. Having a one click button for muñtitasking is just brilliant. You cant deny that. So much easier, quicker and nicer to use than apples way.

I hope the rumors of the capacitive button on iphone 5 are true or I will buy an android next year.

Agree you on the buttons on the screen, so much better than the capacitive buttons on other Android phones IMO.

 

[SilentLoner]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Love the phone and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. I think I'm going to get an android phone instead of an iPhone next year. iOS really needs some major revamping.

Play with it first before you decide that. Android really does seem an os of broken promises and what ifs

 

[entatlrg]

Love the phone and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. I think I'm going to get an android phone instead of an iPhone next year. iOS really needs some major revamping.

What's broken, bad or needs "revamping" with the iPhone or iOS5?

 

[jvmxtra]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Droid for me next year unless iPhone 5 kicks ass next year.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

What's broken, bad or needs "revamping" with the iPhone or iOS5?

Screen size needs to go up to 4in. They need to open it up the OS a bit. Take the chastity belt off it and give some freedom of choice. iOS is like Iran while Android is like America. I know it's not like iOS to give the end user any freedom, but loosen up a bit.

 

[miggitymac]

Engadget impression said that Galaxy Nexus with TO OMAP SOC isn't as fast as Galaxy Note which has same Exynos SOC as Galaxy S2 except for the Tmobile Galaxy S2 with a Snapdragon SOC and Canadian Telus Galaxy S2 also with Snapdragon.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/google-galaxy-nexus-hspa-first-impressions-video/

Fast and responsiveness are two different things. All reports are saying that Ice Cream Sandwich is the most responsive and best hardware-integrated version of Android yet.

Benchmarks also show that the Galaxy Nexus is THE fastest phone out there in some respects, but is behind other phones for GPU performance. (Which really shouldn't matter that much in terms of most peoples' real-world needs/usage).

Also, your comparison between the Note and smartphones isn't really a fair one. The Note is pretty much a hybrid phone and tablet...of course it'll be more powered.

 

[Faux Carnival]

And how exactly did you arrive at this conclusion?

 

[nraudigy2]

Fast and responsiveness are two different things. All reports are saying that Ice Cream Sandwich is the most responsive and best hardware-integrated version of Android yet.

Benchmarks also show that the Galaxy Nexus is THE fastest phone out there in some respects, but is behind other phones for GPU performance. (Which really shouldn't matter that much in terms of most peoples' real-world needs/usage).

Also, your comparison between the Note and smartphones isn't really a fair one. The Note is pretty much a hybrid phone and tablet...of course it'll be more powered.

"* * Overall “smoothness” can’t quite match iOS (though smoothness is highly subjective)"

"Android Marketplace still unreliable"
http://mobilesyrup.com/2011/11/19/galaxy-nexus-review-part-2-software-overview-and-final-thoughts/

The review says it. Apps and integration are more important for me. I am still waiting to see how good it sounds through headphone as Galaxy S2 is terrible with that junk Yamaha DAC.

 

[Sensamic]

To me the key point of the Nexus is the buttons on the screen. I never realised how important this is until a few weeks ago when the home button of my iphone 4 started to fail. Now it makes my iphone experience a lot worse.

I was considering buying the Nexus just because of this. No hardware buttons = no problems in the long term. Having a one click button for muñtitasking is just brilliant. You cant deny that. So much easier, quicker and nicer to use than apples way.

I hope the rumors of the capacitive button on iphone 5 are true or I will buy an android next year.

 

[miggitymac]

"* * Overall “smoothness” can’t quite match iOS (though smoothness is highly subjective)"

"Android Marketplace still unreliable"

The review says it. Apps and integration are more important for me. I am still waiting to see how good it sounds through headphone as Galaxy S2 is terrible.

Where are you quoting from? The article I linked doesn't contain any of your quotes. Nor does the engadget article.

 

[mysterioustko]

Engadget impression said that Galaxy Nexus with TO OMAP SOC isn't as fast as Galaxy Note which has same Exynos SOC as Galaxy S2 except for the Tmobile Galaxy S2 with a Snapdragon SOC and Canadian Telus Galaxy S2 also with Snapdragon.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/google-galaxy-nexus-hspa-first-impressions-video/

Interesting that you quote a FIRST IMPRESSIONS "review", but completely disregard the quote from the very review that this thread is about. Well the FULL review on verge says "As far as phone performance is concerned, however, the Galaxy Nexus feels blazingly, stupidly fast to me. Touch response is excellent on the phone — everything reacts quickly to your movements. Homescreen scrolling was snappy, moving into and out of apps was instantaneous, swiping through long lists was stutter free, and web browsing (even on heavy pages like ours) was super speedy." So that would totally conflict with the quote you referenced. Can't accept one and not the other...especially when the other review is 10x's more complete and thorough.

 

[miggitymac]

Interesting that you quote a FIRST IMPRESSIONS "review", but completely disregard the quote from the very review that this thread is about. Well the FULL review on verge says "As far as phone performance is concerned, however, the Galaxy Nexus feels blazingly, stupidly fast to me. Touch response is excellent on the phone — everything reacts quickly to your movements. Homescreen scrolling was snappy, moving into and out of apps was instantaneous, swiping through long lists was stutter free, and web browsing (even on heavy pages like ours) was super speedy." So that would totally conflict with the quote you referenced. Can't accept one and not the other...especially when the other review is 10x's more complete and thorough.

I think the guy's making up his own quotes tbh...I couldn't find any of the things he put in quotation marks from the verge review, the engadget article or the 9to5 article.

 

[Cod3rror]

I don't know, frankly I'm not that impressed.

The icons look inconsistent, IMO there should just create a standard icon shape guidelines.

The rubber banding effect on lists edges is present in some lists, absent in others. Android's glow effect isn't really as good.

The background in the apps drawer should be changed to that blue gradient that is in the background of the Settings menu.

Folders look ugly.

Android is still quite inconsistent. And I've also noticed it still being jittery in some videos, even though it now has hardware UI acceleration.