Early Galaxy Nexus Impression
My initial impressions of the Galaxy Nexus is that it's a large phone. The 4.65" screen and 150 grams make this phone's size noticeably larger than my previous phone. That said the phone does feel good in my hand and is beautiful. I really like the grey side and back of the phone. The look and feel remind me a more of the Nexus One than the Nexus S. The phone also feels less plasticy since the back is textured. The phone does have a slight tear drop design that creates a little bump on the bottom. It might be a bit large for most people but the design is very appealing.
As appealing as the hardware in this phone is, the real innovation is in the software. Android 4.0, code named Ice Cream Sandwich or ICS, is the latest version of the mobile OS. The OS has been completely overhauled compared to the last phone version of the OS. The UI innovations seen in the Android 3.0 for tablets, has finally come to phones. In the past mobile phone manufactures have “skinned” Android devices to make them more user friendly. These “skins” would have custom app launchers, widgets and lock screens that hid native Android operations in favor of the specific phone manufacturer.
That should all change now with ICS because Google has finally built a quality competitor to these “skins”. The new app drawer in ICS provides the same access to your apps as it did before but now allows you to add widgets to your home screens. In previous versions of Android this was hidden away and not easy for most users. Now you can preview the widget and simply drag it to the home screen of your choice.
As in the Tablet version of Android, widgets are given a lot more flexibility in Ice Cream Sandwich. Google has built in several nice widgets for ICS making it easier to see pictures, bookmarks and email. These new widgets are also re-sizable now so you can customize your home screens to show the content you want to see.
The largest change most people will notice with the Galaxy Nexus is that the physical buttons on the face of the phone have been replaced with software buttons. The physical Home, Search, Back and Menu buttons are now gone and replaced with Back, Home and Tasks touch screen buttons. The Back and Home buttons act as one would expect. The Task button displays a list of your previously opened applications and allows you to easily switch to that application.
Brace yourself - the Search and Menu buttons are now only available in applications that enable those features. There is no more hidden menu options not visible on the screen. If there is a menu, you’ll see the menu button on the screen. Search is available on each home screen so you don’t have to hunt for it. Some people are going to absolutely hate this change. I’m not a fan that search is on every home screen. This is a radical change that is for the best.
So far I am happy with the button change in Android. I’m still getting used to the new task feature and the Home button is a little close to the space bar when typing but over time I expect I’ll get used to the change. If you absolutely hate this design then I suggest you vote with your wallet. Manufactures are going to be coming out with new phones running ICS and some way still have the physical buttons. You can always buy one of those phones. Fragmentation equals freedom of choice. Enjoy.
Overall I’ll have to see how the phone performs on calls, pictures and other items that come up. I have been very happy with the phone so far. I expect I’ll be very happy for a long time running the best Android phone available.
As appealing as the hardware in this phone is, the real innovation is in the software. Android 4.0, code named Ice Cream Sandwich or ICS, is the latest version of the mobile OS. The OS has been completely overhauled compared to the last phone version of the OS. The UI innovations seen in the Android 3.0 for tablets, has finally come to phones. In the past mobile phone manufactures have “skinned” Android devices to make them more user friendly. These “skins” would have custom app launchers, widgets and lock screens that hid native Android operations in favor of the specific phone manufacturer.
That should all change now with ICS because Google has finally built a quality competitor to these “skins”. The new app drawer in ICS provides the same access to your apps as it did before but now allows you to add widgets to your home screens. In previous versions of Android this was hidden away and not easy for most users. Now you can preview the widget and simply drag it to the home screen of your choice.
As in the Tablet version of Android, widgets are given a lot more flexibility in Ice Cream Sandwich. Google has built in several nice widgets for ICS making it easier to see pictures, bookmarks and email. These new widgets are also re-sizable now so you can customize your home screens to show the content you want to see.
The largest change most people will notice with the Galaxy Nexus is that the physical buttons on the face of the phone have been replaced with software buttons. The physical Home, Search, Back and Menu buttons are now gone and replaced with Back, Home and Tasks touch screen buttons. The Back and Home buttons act as one would expect. The Task button displays a list of your previously opened applications and allows you to easily switch to that application.
Brace yourself - the Search and Menu buttons are now only available in applications that enable those features. There is no more hidden menu options not visible on the screen. If there is a menu, you’ll see the menu button on the screen. Search is available on each home screen so you don’t have to hunt for it. Some people are going to absolutely hate this change. I’m not a fan that search is on every home screen. This is a radical change that is for the best.
So far I am happy with the button change in Android. I’m still getting used to the new task feature and the Home button is a little close to the space bar when typing but over time I expect I’ll get used to the change. If you absolutely hate this design then I suggest you vote with your wallet. Manufactures are going to be coming out with new phones running ICS and some way still have the physical buttons. You can always buy one of those phones. Fragmentation equals freedom of choice. Enjoy.
Overall I’ll have to see how the phone performs on calls, pictures and other items that come up. I have been very happy with the phone so far. I expect I’ll be very happy for a long time running the best Android phone available.
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