Considering the arm and two phalanges that you may have to pay for the new Galaxy Nexus, it’s a good job that you can unlock the phone by simply smiling at the screen. Once the Google-endorsed smartphone has been unlocked, there are plenty of slick features to reassure you that your hefty investment has not been entirely in vain.
There’s been a lot of talk about the new Android 4.0 operating system – largely on account of its maverick moniker: Ice Cream Sandwich. The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to be graced with this new improved OS. It features a freshly-designed Google font, is compatible with both tablet and mobile devices, and the Gmail service that’s incorporated into it has also been improved, including features such as the ability to search for content in emails while offline. In saying that, let’s not get away from the fact that the biggest USP of Android 4.0 is that it’s called Ice Cream Sandwich. Apple’s equivalent – iOS 5 – just can’t compete in the naming stakes.
A welcome array of customized home screens on the Nexus can be grouped and stacked – just like a real club sandwich. Pictures and icons of friends, family and work contacts can all be categorized and displayed according to every conceivable social network going these days. While Facebook, Twitter and Google+ groups update you on what’s happening in your work, domestic and social milieu, the speech-to-text feature enables you to bark orders at your phone, obviating the need to toil over the pesky touchscreen keyboard. The Nexus also features a quicker camera than that of its rivals, delivering photos in real time without the lag that accompanies lesser digital cameras. There are also a plethora of basic editing options to keep amateur snappers happy, including red eye removal, filters, cropping and the ability to shoot 1080p video.
With the sheer number of new smartphones currently on the market, competition is fiercer than ever. The new Galaxy Nexus looks more than capable of holding its own however. When it comes to intelligent business and social networking features, the Nexus ticks all the right boxes. Its smart interface design, as well as little quirks such as face recognition and instant photo saving immediately after snapping should give the Nexus the edge. As fast as the Galaxy S2, and with 1GB memory, this slimline smartphone belies its svelte size, delivering a lot of bang for your bucks – which is a hell of a lot, considering just how many bucks the Nexus will set you back. Moreover, the increasing range of applications now available for Android-equipped smartphones enables proud Nexus owners to kits the handset out with every gadget, widget and game they could ever wish for.
Perhaps the strongest rival to the iPhone in the current smartphone market, the new Nexus is a true force to be reckoned with. Aside from all its nifty features, referring to the phone’s OS as an Ice Cream Sandwich does make it even more enticing, it must be said. The new Galaxy Nexus then: suck it and see.