Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint Review

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Posted: 07 May 2012, 07:41, by John V.

Categories: Sprint Sprint Samsung Samsung Android Android

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Performance:

Almost perfect for conversations, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus delivers the goods on both ends of the line with its clear and distortion-free calling quality. Despite some slight echoing heard with its speakerphone, we’re still able to hold conversations without much difficulty.

Strange to say, but just like Big Red’s version, this one is plagued by low signal strength. In fact, it typically delivers a signal strength of -93 to -100 dBm in places we tested it out in the greater Philadelphia area. Thankfully, it didn’t drop any phone calls, but still, it’s concerning because it’s probably affecting battery life as well.

Moving right along, its 1,850 mAh battery leaves us desiring for more, since we’re only able to get by approximately 15 hours of normal usage – and that’s with 3G connectivity only! Imagine what it’ll be like when it hits the waves with LTE connections…

Conclusion:

First and foremost, if you’re a Sprint customer who simply can’t wait any longer to experience the bountiful features associated with Ice Cream Sandwich, you should no doubt check out the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However, bear in mind that the handset is brandishing a $200 on-contract price, which seems normal at first, but considering that it’s essentially a 5-month old model, we actually would’ve liked to see it come in at a lower price point. To tell you the truth, for the same amount of money, you might as well wait to check out the upcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE, which seems to be a logical move since it’s the newer and fresher device. Finally, it’s a bit of a shame that you can’t make use of its 4G LTE connectivity, since the network is sparsely available in test markets for now.

Software version of the reviewed unit:
Android Version: 4.0.4
Kernel Version: 3.0.8-00007-gf16cc11
Build Number: IMM76D.L700FD02

Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint Review:

Pros

Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box
Still has an attractive display
4G LTE enabled

Cons

Sluggish performance
Choppy web browsing
Poor quality video recording
Poor battery life
Low signal strength

PhoneArena rating:

7.5

User rating:

8.3 7 Reviews

How we rate

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1. a1000smiles4u posted on 07 May 2012, 08:00 0

Does Nexus still has screen problems...???

12. NexusKoolaid posted on 07 May 2012, 09:29 0

Not like the Nexus One, if that's what you mean. I own the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus One - the G'Nex screen has been problem free for me.

2. kshell1 posted on 07 May 2012, 08:08 1

So even though the VZW edition had same problems it got a much higher score? Biased

3. johamsandwich posted on 07 May 2012, 08:10 3

Well this is probably being compared now to the S3 and the One X...

4. kshell1 posted on 07 May 2012, 08:11 4

Good point. Sorry wasn't thinking there. But yeah this thing will get killed by the S3 and already has by the forthcoming Evo LTE

7. PhoneArena Team posted on 07 May 2012, 08:22 2

http://www.phonearena.com/howdowerate

Release date: A phone released a year ago and rated as excellent should not be compared to a device that has just came out and has received the same rating. As the technology evolves, it is logical that the new models should meet higher expectations

8. kshell1 posted on 07 May 2012, 08:26 2

refer to my comment above i said i wasn't thinking.

14. sorcio46 posted on 07 May 2012, 11:25 1

I understand this but how about:
Sluggish performance
Choppy web browsing
in a GALAXY NEXUS with the last 4.0.4 update, when these problems weren't in the first version some months ago, maybe a malfunction in your unit?

Please remove the ratings from the reviews !

5. becazican posted on 07 May 2012, 08:12 1

yes kshell1 i dont understand how verizon's version could get such a high score and sprint's version drop 2 points. they are identical. i agree phone arena has lots of biases.

13. threeline posted on 07 May 2012, 10:56 1

Maybe becaue VZW has an actual LTE network. I have the Sprint GN and I'm happy with it but I'm also not a power user. It has everything I need, I love the screen and it's fast enugh for me and I also enjoy the fact I will be getting updates pretty quick. #fingerscrossed

16. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 07 May 2012, 21:42 0

Keep waiting....I got the Verizon GN on launch day back in Nov and I am still on 4.0.2.

15. CX3NT3_713 posted on 07 May 2012, 18:50 0

Wow.. The score on the at&t x are high?

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