Sprint Galaxy Nexus For The Win! May 24, 2012

Reviewer:  TH3F3RN  (Castro Valley, CA, US) -

First things first. Pay no attention to the review by J.S. Stock Android has never included visual voicemail. Apparently he or she hasn't heard of Google Voice yet.

Onto the review. I have committed myself to only using Nexus devices when it comes to Android. I hate being held hostage to Manufacturer/Carrier update schedules. Why should I have to wait 6 months for my perfectly good device to get a half-baked update to the latest and greatest? I shouldn't. The Nexus phones do it right and receive stock Android updates developed by Google.

This phone is fast, it's lightweight, easy to hold in my hand and the screen is gorgeous. Tech outlets seem to be down on the pentile display, but it doesn't bother me. Call quality is great and speakerphone/the external speaker function well. Battery life has not been an issue for me and I am a moderate to heavy user. Although the device itself is about 6 months old, the fact that it runs pure, unadulterated Android helps it to keep pace with some of the newer phones. I had a tinge of envy when looking at the EVO 4G LTE's specs, but I have zero performance issues with this device and am 100% pleased with my purchase.

Do yourself a favor and get this phone. You'll be happy you did.

Best Android phone I've ever used. December 9, 2012

Reviewer:  M. Basta "mattbasta"  (California) -

The minute I got this phone, I was ecstatic. I've had a T-Mobile MyTouch and a Droid X in the past (both shortly after their respective releases) and have been let down each time. This phone was different, though. Some highlights:

- Buttery smooth. The phone was updated to 4.1 and immediately after the update, everything was incredibly smooth. The framerate is unbelievable. I've use the iPhone 5 and the animations and framerate during scrolling are sub-par compared to this thing.
- Holy crap Google Now. It's creepy good. I ask it questions and it gives me answers. "Where is the nearest Caltrain stop?" "What movies are playing tonight?"
- No bloatware from Sprint. The absolute last thing I need is some garbage apps that my carrier installed and I can't get rid of. This has none of that.
- Google Wallet. The NFC means that you can pay for your Starbucks without your credit card.

Some downsides:
- No Bluetooth 4 (not a huge downside)
- The screen on some devices (including mine) looks "splotchey" up close. If you're neurotic about perfect graphics, you might want to see it in person. I'm pretty paranoid about screen weirdness (back in the day I insisted on a CRT because I didn't want LCD's dead pixels) and I virtually never notices the splotches. They're only really apparent when the screen is completely black and the backlight is on high. You also might notice some slow response times for high-contrast screen updates, though this seems to have decreased as I've owned the phone longer (perhaps a 4.1 thing?).
- You can't use it to set up a wifi hotspot. Sprint cuts your 3/4g as soon as you do.
- Sprint's 4g network is WiMax(NOT LTE), which means that you'll hardly ever get 4g coverage on this phone. LTE is rolling out slowly, but it's not expected to be available in many places until well into 2013. I've stumbled into 4g zones, though, and the internet is literally faster than my cable internet at home.

Sprint Nexus 4 LTE January 23, 2013

Reviewer:  A. B. Davis "davisbr"  (Spokane WA) -

My wife and I have owned the Nexus on a family Sprint plan since last May.

History: We moved to the Nexus from LG Optimus S phones (on Virgin Mobile). Prior to that we'd had Sprint personal accounts since 2002 or so (with various non-smartphones through the years), and I'd had an AT&T account with an iPhone 3GS, via an iPhone 2G, and via a Palm Treo, on a business acount. I'm a systems administrative consultant with 30 years of industry experience. I do tech lol.

Usage: I can do things on the Nexus that I can't do on a PC. The Nexus is the cleanest of the Android platforms. You want it (of any version/carrier), if you're even mildly nerdy. Frankly, it - "it" being small, portable super-computers - doesn't get any better than the Nexus from the geek perspective.

You don't necessarily have to root it (after all: the main purpose of rooting is to give you the "pure Android experience" from Google that is designed into the stock Nexus). The whole purpose of the Nexus is as a reference hardware platform for Google Android. It's a brilliant success.

Features: It's fast. The display is brilliant (at really extreme angles). And bright (we were hiking recently in powder snow in open slopes on a clear day, and I was taking panorama shots, and after cranking up the display brightness (which I typically have at about the 20% level for most indoor venues: it's just that bright inside) to max, the shots were perfectly visible. As for everything else ...it still does more than I know how to ask of it. It's quick, and fluid. Lovely to use, really.

Battery: When we first bought these phones, the battery life just sucked with the stock battery. It was pathetic; even with light usage, it was pretty much touch-and-go by the end of the day. But after the Jelly Bean update rollout, the stock battery may now last me up to two days with moderate to heavy [non-voice] use (if I have a 3 hour support call, I'm going to want to charge it before evening ...which is a LOT longer than my old 3GS would last). So you can pretty much disregard the [perfectly legitimate] battery complaints from pre-Jelly Bean release reviews. The problem has been fixed. (Which is to say: the Nexus is no worse than any other smartphone of similar capabilities, and quite a bit better than some.)

Must have apps: First - Touchpal Keyboard & Touchpal Contacts. Then in no particular order: Kingsoft Office. Flipboard. Pulse. Amazon Kindle. Amazon Mobile. QuickPic. Pix'lr. AirCalc. Navigator. Mapquest. GPS Info. Wifi Analyzer. System. EFS File Explorer. Our Groceries. Pocket. Craigslist Pro (free or paid: both are great). Hotmail. Shazam. AirDroid. SplashTop. PocketCloud.

...and a ton more; that's enought to get started. And as I remarked earlier: the phone - via Android - does more than I *can* do on a PC, and more than I would have thought possible. Every week brings new learning experiences with this thing.

Sprint: I don't have a lot of good to say about any carrier. Including Sprint. The fees are all stupidly exorbitant.

Recommendations: The phone is still hot stuff, and you won't regret it. But. If I was buying now, I'd look very closely at the unlocked LG Nexus 4 on the Google Store site, which is a SIM card based Nexus (granted: they're always sold out). I'd just pay the full smack for the non-contract phone, and use it on one of the pay-as-you-go plans. You'll save significant money over the life of plan.

Five stars. No quibbles.

...I like the phone so much, I bought a Nexus 7 tablet a few weeks ago. I'm a huge fan of that device, too.

Best experience May 13, 2012

Reviewer:  Ramos "Dum Dum"  (LA) -

Upgraded from my two year old android, having a great user experience with ICS/this phone. There was initial activation issue with amazon/sprint, it was quickly resolved.

Battery charge life is very good, calls are much better handled in ICS (the keypad is automatically activated/visible if the phone is held away in-between calls), no bloat apps- its pure google. Did not try the NFC feature yet. You can build some cool profiles using NHC tags.

Good Device... battery not so much June 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Mórlóg 

This is my first real foray into the world of the smart phone. Overall I am happy with the phone. The calls sound good. The sprint service in my area has a weak signal, but that is the vendor not the device. Even with the weak signal in my home, calls have a good quality sound to them. I don't miss calls, and they don't drop either.

I really dislike the battery life. I am not sure if I was simply spoiled by my Samsung Rugby phone that I could talk for a couple of hours and have it stand by for a couple of days without charging it. The galaxy I get approximately 12 hours from fully charged to completely dead. That is with making calls totaling less than two hours, and receiving regular notifications. When I use the phone heavily for internet, sending/receiving emails, talking, and texting, the phone will only last about seven hours. Again it may be that I was spoiled by my old phone, but I just don't feel that the battery life is where I would like it to be.

The other issue I have is with integrating the phone with my office Exchange. The setup works fine, but the device will not authenticate with the server. I have not found a good solution to this problem yet, aside from buying a third party app to get the mail exchange to work.

The apps that the phone runs are great. I download from both Google play and the Amazon app store. I am able to access my amazon kindle library on the device which is also nice. I have not had trouble with apps crashing, or the phone locking up. I use quick office pro, and I like the screen size when it comes to viewing PDF and Word documents.

I gave it a four star rating because I do think that it is an above average device. I really would like to have given it three and a half stars due to the above mentioned problems. I am hoping that with updates that at least the exchange issue will be worked out. I would recommend this device.

Best Android Phone to date August 14, 2012

Reviewer:  Just R  (Charleston, SC) -

I've gone through a lot of phones and I would have to say that this is the best Android phone on the market(even better than the SIII). The reason I say this is because of the Android operating system itself. In most other android phones the carrier and phone manufacturer add their own style to android and completely change the user experience. If you want to experience true Android, the way Google intended it, then buy this phone. Batter life could be better, but for style, ease of use, and functionality, this phone is a clear winner. Also, Sprints unlimited data is awesome!

waste of money. March 2, 2013

Reviewer:  Pen Name 

Waste of time and money dont know what Samsung was thinking when they make this phone. 80% of the time it doesnt work and drops the call everytime with full bars. Every morning you have to pray for it work, 80% of the time it is a dead phone and poor poor battery life. Never again!

Great Phone October 2, 2012

Reviewer:  Aja 

Always recommend going with a Nexus device. By far the best experience for mobile phones. Software is top notch with ICS 4.1 and the hardware is very good as well.

Great phone but terrible reception. Galaxy SII still a better option June 8, 2012

Reviewer:  Michael Pinheiro 

I purchased this phone at the Sprint store a couple of weeks ago after my old phone died. This phone has the potential to be a great phone. The hardware is fast, the Android 4.04 is great, the screen is incredible and the camera is awesome. However, I had to return the phone because it fails at the vary basic function of a mobile device: data and phone connection.

Let alone the fact that this is a 4G LTE phone, a service Sprint does not yet provide, the 3G connection is horrible. Aside from perhaps two spots in a 30 miles radius, I was constantly getting <200kbps data rate. Often as low as <100kbps. This is all in areas in which according to Sprint's coverage map the signal is supposed to be strong. Call reception wasn't much better either. I rarely had full bars.

After visiting two Sprint stores and talking to their tech support on the phone the only solution offered was to swap the Galaxy Nexus for another phone. So I picked up the Galaxy II Epic Touch which uses 4G WiMAx which is a service Sprint currently offers. It's like night and day. I am very happy with everything about the SII. Well, except for the fact that it hasn't received the ICS update yet. But that is supposedly in the works.

Perhaps once Sprint implements 4G LTE all over the country this phone will be worth it. For now however, go with a WiMax phone (or try another 4G LTE phone) and you will be a lot happier.

Please enter a title for your review: September 20, 2012

Reviewer:  KingCeltics  (Lawrence, MA) -

Upgraded from an Epic to a Nexus and this baby blows my old phone outta this Galaxy ;) **** cuz battery life sucks donkeys, but functionality is flawless...phone highly recommended

GREAT PHONE! May 21, 2012

Reviewer:  roe 

Squirrel does not know what he's talking about. The SGS3 is not much more of an update than this phone. I waited for the announcement of the SGS3 and did not think it was worth the wait. It's a nice phone, but not leaps and years above the Galaxy Nexus, plus you forget that the USA version of SGS3 will be dual core not quad just like the USA version of the HTC One X.

but if you want to talk about Obsolete the Galaxy Nexus will be running the newest and greatest Android 5.0 later this year, while this time next year your SGS3 will STILL be on ICS, just like my SGS2 is still on GB 6 months after the release of ICS.

Pure Android love November 26, 2012

Reviewer:  Yeong 

I've used different android phones, windows phones and an iphone before. I have to say out of all the phones I've used the Galaxy Nexus is the best one.

Pro
latest android updates, no need to root or tinker with the software. The phone never lags.
Been using heavily for 6 months, dropped it many times, however no crack or scratches on the screen!
Easy to hold
Screen size is perfect for my hands.

con
Its no longer google's flagship phone.

NO NEED TO BUY ANOTHER PHONE FOR AT LEAST 2 MORE YEARS! August 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Antwain R. Gentry  (buffalo,ny) -

Let me first start off by saying that the GALAXY NEXUS LTE is the best phone out there and i just paid $49.99 when SPRINT wanted $149.00 anyways. I have had it for 2 days now and the battery is awesome i played with it for about 4hours before it died then it took almost 6 hours to charge fully. i played with it all day today and its about halfway gone so to say the least the fully charged battery lasts about 5 hours of straight play time,apps,music,games,etc. I had it at work all day and it was still at 70 percent after 10 hours of sitting in my pocket.The screen it so smooth and glossy its easy to "streak,swipe" across it. I have no 4G or LTE in my area yet so i cant comment on that subject. But feature wise it is loaded with apps and extras.**************I would Recommend this phone!*************

Galaxy Nexus + Google + Amazon = Great Experience January 10, 2013

Reviewer:  James1 

I was initially interested in the Galaxy Nexus back when it debuted. I waited for the Nexus 4 to come out and was disappointed that it lacked CDMA and LTE functionality.

What made me decide on getting the Galaxy Nexus phone was the time and effort Samsung and Google put into making this product perfect.

Pros: Excellent screen, great feel, lightweight, speed!

Cons: Battery life

Where does Amazon fit? The amazing customer service! My Galaxy Nexus suffered a hardware failure right out of the box. A Sprint Repair Center told me it was dead and needed to go back to Amazon. My questions were answered quickly by Amazon and my replacement phone was sent no problems.

I should add that this phone DOES NOT have a history of hardware failure. I tell you my tale of misfortune because it would not prevent me from buying another Samsung product (Helllllo Note II) or dealing with Amazon. My previous phone is the Samsung Nexus S. That poor phone runs Android 4.1 with only 512mb of RAM. It really is a testament to the quality of these phones.

Mostly good, but... December 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Casysdavid 

For the most part, this is a good phone. Mine is running Jelly Bean, which has some quirks all its own, but for the most part, this phone is good. Google Search works well and I run Big-Buttons keyboard which suits my stubby fingers for typing functions. No removable memory - this bugs me, but good internal memory and pictures automatically backup to Google, so not as big a deal as I originally thought. The phone is lightning-quick and has a great screen. The narrow body and elegant curve to the glass fit comfortably in the front pocket, but removing it to answer a call has shown about a 20% chance of disconnecting because of accidentally pressing the side button. The camera isn't quite iPhone 4, but pretty good, and it takes excellent videos in well lit areas. For me, it's a big step forward compared to my previous Optimus S - the Nexus is so much faster and better at nearly everything. I can't comment on battery life, because I tossed the Samsung supplied battery on day-1 in favor of a higher capacity model from eBay, which has no trouble making it through most days. I bought this to avoid signing up for another 2 years with Sprint and am pleased with the purchase.

i luv this phone :) December 18, 2012

Reviewer:  happygurl34 

i have had this phone for 7mths and i luv it. i had the htc evo i was wait for the new evo 4g lte to come out but then i was looking at the galaxy nexus i need more space, i luv google so i am always using it. but the only bad thing about it is the battery, but i just deal with it.

Meh... gonna look into sending it back January 6, 2013

Reviewer:  Marc L. Soloff 

Got this for myself and the s2 for my wife and i love everything about the s2 and am less than impressed with the nexus. And its just the little things that make the s2 better imo. The s2 has a restart button, i like the power controls on the pull down menu, the messaging interface is cleaner. I got the nexus for the 32 internal and thats pretty much it, feel like i blew it.

sigh July 29, 2012

Reviewer:  alexosti 

So first of all I'll start by describing myself and taste in phones.
I am an ex Bestbuy mobile salesman and enjoy all phones and os' now I work for T-Mobile and get an insane discount but regardless I wanted to buy this phone just because of jelly bean. (Yes I know the unlocked version is available for tmo, I just didn't want to pay $400 compared to a penny on sprint ) plus lte and unlimited data. I should be happy.
However this phone has not been what I have expected
When i purchased the phone the announcement for jelly bean was mid July not aproching August and the only update I've gotten removes my ability to have local search. Lte has not worked and not to mention the worst battery I've ever had in a phone. And that includes evo dell streak and others
I would say that the only plus to this phone so far is that for the 3 that it is charged, its smooth and responsive
Idk I'm torn because I love vanilla and the phone was basically free, but free isn't Always good.
Who knows maybe amazon will send me a new device and I may change my mind. But overall the battery is so bad its none enjoyable and where is my lte?

question November 22, 2012

Reviewer:  joel 

good morning friend would like to know if the phone is released and I am in the U.S. if I buy it there is no problem to take him to my home country

Too many software issues with this Phone. August 5, 2012

Reviewer:  G. Martinez  (USA) -

First, I bought this phone cause the speed of the new Sprint LTE network to process a faster internet interface and many apps from an android phone. The firs few weeks was working great with all the process that it was design to do and suddenly the battery started to discharged. I call the service provider to check on this issues and it was repair by Samsung in a matter of days the problem with the phone was the software that it was not processing in how to tell the battery to charge. By the time the phone was ready to be use all the data was deleted from the phone including the pictures and apps. Make sure to open a Google account and do a back up of all your contacts and pictures cause they will delete all the information from your phone. Then, the phone stop sending texts and I talk to my service provider again to fix the phone which they try again and they told me to pay more to replace the phone since this one continue to stop working. Now, I have two options one to pay to get another phone which was going to be a refurbish phone since that is all they can offer or send it to Samsung to be repair and I decided to send it to Samsung and still waiting to get my phone back;( I will not pay an additional $40 to get a refurbish phone since I pay full price for a new one. I'm not recommending to buy this unless you're ready for the software problems with a new OS software bugs that will come up with new phones when they are properly tested.