Galaxy Nexus
The Galaxy Nexus (GT-I9250) is a touchscreen Android smartphone co-developed by Google and Samsung Electronics.[16] It is the third smartphone in the Google Nexus series, a family of Android consumer devices built by an original equipment manufacturer partner. The phone is the successor to Google's previous flagship phones, the Nexus One and Nexus S.
Codename
Google and Samsung Electronics
Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy
17 November 2011
135 g (4.8 oz)
Original: Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich"
Last: Android 4.3 "Jelly Bean" (4.2 for Verizon's Toro variant)[2]
Texas Instruments OMAP 4460
1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9
1 GB
None
4.65 in (118 mm) diagonal HD Super AMOLED with RGBG-Matrix (PenTile)[9]
1280×720 px *(316 ppi)
16:9 aspect-ratio
Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, A-GPS, barometer, 3-axis digital compass, proximity sensor, dual microphones for active noise cancellation
M4[15]
The Galaxy Nexus has a high-definition (1280 × 720) Super AMOLED display with a Dragontrail curved glass surface, an improved camera, and was the first Android version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device.[17][18] The name is the result of co-branding between the Samsung Galaxy and Google Nexus brands of Android smartphones. The device is known as the Galaxy X in Brazil, however, due to a trademark on the "Nexus" brand.[19]
The Galaxy Nexus was unveiled jointly by Google and Samsung on 19 October 2011, in Hong Kong. It was released in Europe on 17 November 2011.[20] It is one of the few phones recommended by the Android Open Source Project for building Android from source.[21] The Galaxy Nexus was available for sale on the Google Play Store until 29 October 2012, when it was succeeded by the LG Nexus 4.[22]
History[edit]
Google's plans to continue the Nexus series and bring a third-generation Nexus to market were confirmed by Google's senior vice president of mobile platforms Andy Rubin in May 2011.[23] Samsung mobile put out a teaser video[24] for its "Google Episode" of Unpacked on 11 October[25] but later postponed (to 19 October)[26] the product announcement out of respect, following the death of Steve Jobs on 5 October.[27]
Before the official announcement, it was also referred to as the Google Nexus Prime by the general public and the media.[28] There had been repeated leaks containing almost accurate details about this device.[29] The phone was officially announced on 19 October 2011, in Hong Kong, revealing the official name as "Galaxy Nexus".[30]
Hardware[edit]
The Galaxy Nexus hosts support for MHL through the use of its USB hardware 2.0 port,[31] allowing the Galaxy Nexus to output up to 1080p Audiovisual content (through HDMI) to any supported external display such as a HD Television.[32] USB port supports both host and devices modes (OTG); as a note, its successor Nexus 4 supports only the device mode. The Galaxy Nexus has no physical buttons on the front, but instead features on-screen soft keys embedded into the system software (part of Android 4.0). Beneath the soft keys, a multicolored notification LED is featured, a feature missing from the Nexus S.[33][34][35] There is no SD card card support.
The device was originally only available in black, developed under the codename "Tuna". A white version (with the front-panel in black[71]) was made available in February 2012.[72] There was a special edition released to Google employees with a unique back cover.[73]
Because the device was designed to work with carriers utilizing different network technology, there are several hardware variations of the Galaxy Nexus:
Accessories[edit]
The official Samsung accessory range includes a Desktop Dock with an HDMI port, a Desk Stand with a 3.5 mm jack, a stand with a charging port for a second battery and a car dock that will let users turn their Galaxy Nexus phone into a SatNav replacement. The phone featured a set of pogo pins for connectivity with some accessories, including the car dock. All of the Samsung accessories feature a USB hardware port so the phone can be charged while it is being used.[76]
Reception[edit]
The Galaxy Nexus generated a high level of anticipation,[77][78] and received very positive reviews upon release.[79] Engadget's Myriam Joire praised the phone's speed, feel, display and battery life. Joire concluded that at the time of writing, the Galaxy Nexus is "the best Android phone available today" further concluding that it's "possibly even the best phone available today, period".[80] Ginny Mies of PCWorld echoed the previous statement, while saying that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is "a superb phone, and a great vehicle for introducing Android Ice Cream Sandwich to the world". Despite writing that Android has "a long way" to go, in terms of progression, the tweaks and updates Google has implemented throughout the operating system substantially improves the efficiency and ease of use of the operating system.[81]
In their review, Mobilesyrup lauded the phone, saying "there is no going back". They praised its aesthetics, noting that the Galaxy Nexus combined design elements of the Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S II. Although the Galaxy Nexus's OMAP SoC was clocked lower and used a last-generation GPU while pushing a HD (720p) screen with 40% more pixels, compared to the Galaxy S II and other competitors powered by the Snapdragon S3 with lower resolution screens (typically qHD (540p)), the Galaxy Nexus showed no slowdown or app instability while frequently outperforming contemporary smartphones in both benchmarks and real-world usage.[82] They also praised its software, as the "experience is just that much better", declaring the phone as "the first best Android device ever."[83]
Engadget's Darren Murph, described Ice Cream Sandwich as "smooth as ever" further saying that "without question, this is easily the slickest, most polished version of Android yet".[84] Murph was overall "thrilled with how the first Ice Cream Sandwich handset has turned out." with its "understated, sleek, beautiful" continuing with lauding the phone's display.[85] Vincent Nguyen, from Static Media noted the fast performance of Android 4.0.1, the tight integration between the operating system and the hardware and concluded that "this is the best Android phone around today".[86] J.R. Raphael of Computerworld, stated "The Galaxy Nexus [...] is an exceptional phone, arguably the finest Android handset to date", saying it is "sleek and attractive, with a thin, light body and a beautiful HD display". Raphael ended the review writing that the Galaxy Nexus is "screamingly fast [...] delivering what may be the best overall performance of any mobile device available".[87]
In a T3 review, Thomas Tamblyn noted the primary (rear-facing) camera was "quicker than many digital cameras", and praised the phone's experience to be "very fluid" and that "it feels like a version of Android that is already very polished."[88] The Verge's Joshua Topolsky stated the phone is one of the "best smartphones ever made, and with a couple of minor tweaks (particularly to the camera), it could be the best smartphone ever produced."[89] Charlie White, at Mashable, described the screen as "gorgeous", offering "an exquisitely sharp view", and describing the hardware design as "a spectacular success", concluding the Galaxy Nexus "is by far the best Android phone I’ve seen yet".[90]