An introduction to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus with the new version of the Android operating system

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the latest Google Nexus smartphone and the second to be manufactured by Samsung. Usually released as a showcase for the latest versions of Google’s Android operating system, the Nexus series has enjoyed a decent level of popularity since the first installment, the Nexus One.

In this article, I’ll provide an overview of its key features, so you can decide if it’s the right smartphone for you.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus offers virtually the best technology available in all aspects of its hardware. The display is advanced, with Super AMOLED capacitive technology providing a responsive and intuitive means of navigating the interface and applications. It’s a pretty big screen, too, at about 4.65 inches, so it beats out many competing phones like the Galaxy S2 and HTC Sensation. But the highlight of the screen has to be its resolution; At 720x 1280, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to enhance Apple’s “retina display” found in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. This is, of course, great news for those who like to view photos, watch videos, play games, and browse the web on their phone. There’s plenty of storage space available for files like these, with 16GB and 32GB versions available. The phone lacks a microSD slot, but this shouldn’t be a problem for most users as the internal storage is likely to be ample. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a competent camera phone. Although it’s only 5 megapixels (2592x 1944 resolution), it still has all the features you need to shoot good-quality still images and even 1080p HD video. Autofocus and LED flash are included along with face detection and a front-facing camera (1.3 MP) for video calls and self-portrait photos. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has the specifications to provide very fast Internet browsing. 3G coverage allows users to transmit data at speeds of up to 21 Mbps, putting it on the same level as the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is generally considered the benchmark smartphone in this regard. It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity and even a Wi-Fi hotspot feature that allows users to use the phone to provide Wi-Fi to other devices like tablets or laptops.

Software

As mentioned, one of the main functions of Google Nexus smartphones is to display new versions of Android and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is no different. The long-awaited version 4, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, makes its debut on the phone. While not much is known about it yet, it will certainly include the same level of versatility and customization, as well as the opportunity to browse thousands of apps for download, that we’ve seen in previous versions. Of course, the full list of social media integration, web browsing, GPS, media player and many more apps are included as standard, making it a functional device out of the box, like most Android smartphones.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is, in my opinion, the closest thing to the perfect smartphone yet. Features like its screen resolution really set it apart, and with new software, there are likely to be many more who share this opinion. Many will be surprised by the 5-megapixel, where the standard for new smartphones seems to be 8-megapixel these days, but you can’t argue with its 1080p HD video capture.

If you are looking for an alternative to the iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be my recommendation.