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Gizmodo - The long-awaited, much-hyped, Android 4.0 flagship is here at last. You already know we like Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but what about the first phone to bear it? We’ve talked software, it’s time to hit the hardware.
Note: Testing was conducted on the European version of the Galaxy
Nexus. When the US/Verizon version becomes available, we will update
where necessary.
Why It Matters
It matters because it’s a Nexus. Nexuses (Nexii?) are designed by
Google (and a manufacturing partner—in this case Samsung) to be the
standard-bearers, to show what’s possible from the Android OS. In this
case, it was designed specifically to show off Android 4.0 Ice Cream
Sandwich. Not only is it currently the only phone that has ICS, but it’s
probably one of the few phones that will ever have a pristine version
of Android the Fourth, unspoiled by manufacturers’ unpleasant skins.
Again, I just want to point out that this is a hardware review, not a software review. You can and should
read Mat Honan’s full review of Android 4.0
to hear all about the software. I’ll add a bit here and there, but as
much as possible—and it’s not entirely possible—I’m going to be
isolating the hardware from the software.
Using It
The phone is big, but surprisingly light—without feeling cheap. The
iPhone 4S feels tiny in comparison, like your fingers suddenly grew at
little bit. But don’t let that big 4.65-inch screen scare you. The
phone’s body is almost exactly the same as the HTC Rezound, which has
only a 4.3-inch screen. And actually, most of the time, the usable part
of the screen is the same as a 4.3-inch screen, with the bottom area
being used for a revamped set of navigation buttons that are no longer
separate from the screen. But switch on a video or a game, and the nav
buttons fade away leaving an awesome full-screen experience in their
place. There’s more metal on the phone than there is on a typical
Samsung device, which makes it feel more solid than usual. Also, despite
its size, it’s actually 5 grams lighter than the iPhone 4S (4.76 ounces
vs. 4.94). It’s thinner, too: 0.35 inches vs. 0.37.
The micro USB port is centered on the bottom, right where it should
be. But then—what the heck?!—the headphone input is down there too. The
bottom of the phone is actually its thickest part, and there’s a glowing
LED notification light down south as well (taking a page from the
trackball on the Nexus One). It’s almost as if you’re supposed to keep
the phone upside down in your pocket. The phone lacks a dedicated camera
button, which is profoundly stupid and drives me crazy.
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