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Samsung Galaxy Nexus review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £506
inc VAT

A massive screen, dual-core processor and fantastic camera make this new flagship Android worthy of the title, but it's Android 4.0 that's the real star of the show

Specifications

Android 4.0, 4.7in 720×1,280 display

http://www.box.co.uk
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You also don’t get a load of pre-installed apps chosen for you by a network operator or phone maker which you can’t uninstall – Android 4.0 adds the ability to remove these apps in any case. It’ll be interesting to see what software is bundled on future non-Google phones running Android 4.0 – HTC’s Sense and Motorola’s Motoblur add refinements such as automatic contact matching, for example. On the Nexus, you have to edit a contact and then choose the Join option to find duplicate contacts.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus
The camera is decent and you can access it directly from the lock screen

We liked the little touches that showed more of an awareness of user behaviour, like the fact that the clock stays on the screen once it’s locked, so that if you just want to check the time you don’t have to unlock the phone – you just have to press a button to turn the screen on. You can also unlock the phone straight into camera mode. The ability to drag apps onto each other to create folders will unclutter most Android home screens dramatically, and browser sync between the phone and Google Chrome on the desktop means you can take saved passwords and bookmarks with you.

The Galaxy Nexus is a superb and desirable handset, and Ice Cream Sandwich brings definite improvements. It’s the slickest Android experience yet, and only the slightly plasticky construction and fairly dim screen hold it back. If you’re after the best Android handset currently available, this is it, but you may want to see what the competition comes up with before you buy; the superb Motorola RAZR, for example, is rumoured to be getting the Android 4.0 upgrade early next year.

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Details

Price £506
Rating *****
Award Ultimate

Hardware

Main display size 4.7in
Native resolution 720×1,280
CCD effective megapixels 5-megapixel
Flash LED
Video recording format MP4
Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, NFC
GPS yes
Internal memory 16384MB
Memory card support none
Memory card included 0MB
Operating frequencies GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Wireless data EDGE, HSPA
Size 136x68x11mm
Weight 135g

Features

Operating system Android 4.0
Microsoft Office compatibility none
Email client POP3/IMAP/Exchange
Audio format support MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC3, OGG, FLAC
Video playback formats MP4, H.264, H.263, WebM
FM Radio yes
Web Browser Webkit
Accessories headset, data cable, charger
Talk time 8.3 hours
Standby time 11.3 days

Buying Information

SIM-free price £506
Price on contract £31-per-month, 18-month contract
Prepay price £500
SIM-free supplier www.box.co.uk
Contract/prepay supplier www.buymobilephones.net
Details www.google.co.uk/nexus

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