<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1063.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5708 alignleft" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1063-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>

I received my Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Friday, so I've been using it solidly for a little over 4 days as I write this. I'm loving it, and it's lightyears beyond previous versions of Android. For perspective, my history among smartphones goes back to a <a title="Cingular 8125" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Wizard">Cingular 8125</a>, progresses to a Verizon <a title="Samsung SCH-i760" href="http://www.gigatrike.com/i760.jpg">Samsung SCH-i760</a>, takes a bold leap to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_pre">Sprint Palm Pre</a> (WebOS was robbed!), a lateral move to a Sprint <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Evo_4G">HTC Evo 4G</a> (which became a true upgrade once I discovered <a href="http://www.cyanogenmod.com/">CyanogenMod</a>!), and finally a very satisfying step forward to a Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Here's my "first weekend and two workdays" impressions:<!--more-->
<h3>Highs</h3>
<ul>
	<li>Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich</li>
<ul>
	<li>New browser app (more on this later), new launcher with a handy shortcut to the Android Market, the notification pulldown lets you swipe to clear individual notifications and has a shortcut to the Settings app, the app launcher now shows a gallery of widgets. The settings app also has quick shortcuts to toggle the Wifi and Bluetooth radios.
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-19-54-02.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5681" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-19-54-02-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-18-25.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5689" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-18-25-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-04-00.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5691" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-04-00-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-50.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5686" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-50-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-10-12.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5687" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-10-12-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-04-06.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5692" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-04-06-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Search button move</li>
<ul>
	<li>Technically this is part of the Android 4.0 bullet above, but it's worth calling out on its own. The traditional Android 4-button setup (Home, Menu, Back, and Search in varying orders) has changed in Android 4.0. There are now 3 fulltime buttons (Back, Home, and a dedicated multitask switching button) and a fourth Menu button that appears on an app-by-app basis. Additionally, there is now a fulltime Google search box on the home screen (and on every page of your home screen). This effectively makes the usable screen size much larger. Apps like Youtube go true "full screen" and even cover the Home button when you rotate the phone (the buttons reappear when you tap on the screen). Apps that used to hide functionality under the Menu button now display a vertical ellipsis (...) as an indicator that more functions are available.
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-13.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5682" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-13-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-18.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5683" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-18-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-36.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5684" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-09-36-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Multi-tasking button</li>
<ul>
	<li>This might be my favorite new feature. On-screen at all times, this buttons triggers a scrollable overlay list of all the apps you have open on the phone displayed in the order you last used them. What's even better is the way it displays thumbnails of each app's last state so you can quickly identify the one you want.
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-27-25.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5693" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-21-27-25-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Beautiful high-res screen (720x1280 in 4.65")</li>
<ul>
	<li>It's OLED, it's huge, and pretty. Leaving the brightness on "auto" leans just a tad dim for my taste, but for now I'm leaving it on in the interest of battery life.</li>
</ul>
	<li>32GB of storage</li>
<ul>
	<li>I was actually pleasantly surprised to see so much internal storage space. I think this was a smart move on Google's part since it offsets the sticker shock of paying $299 for a new on-contract phone. $299 puts it at price and storage parity with the 32GB iPhone (except Verizon isn't getting the 16GB model and there isn't a 64GB). There's also a nice visualization of how you're using the space (iTunes has had this functionality for iPods and iPhones for years).
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-10-23.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5688" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Screenshot_2011-12-19-20-10-23-168x300.png" alt="" width="168" height="300" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Accurate digitizer</li>
<ul>
	<li>My Evo had a large screen (4.3") but the digitizer had a learning curve before I was able to accurately tap small things on-screen</li>
</ul>
	<li>Quick sharp-focusing camera with rapid shooting</li>
<ul>
	<li>The camera can utilize the flash as an auto-focus assist light when necessary. The lens supports tap-to-focus. You can take pictures about as fast as you can tap the button on-screen.</li>
</ul>
	<li>NFC</li>
<ul>
	<li>I'm not using this yet, but hardware is the one thing that can't change once you buy it, so I'm glad they kept it in. Hopefully this will translate into some degree of future-proofing or longevity in the future.</li>
</ul>
	<li>Responsive on-screen keyboard</li>
<ul>
	<li>My standard tactic of "tap as fast as I can and correct typos later" works great here. If I rapidly tap out a sentence or two, I normally only have 1 or 2 typos. Note: my soft keyboard typing skills are probably below average due to a long history of using Swype.</li>
</ul>
	<li>Very thin</li>
<ul>
	<li>Here's some comparison shots next to an iPhone 4S.
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1057.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5703" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1057-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1055.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5701" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1055-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>   <a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1059.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5705" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1059-300x159.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="159" /></a><a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1058.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5704" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1058-300x121.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="121" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Slightly textured battery cover</li>
<ul>
	<li>It's a nice texture and fun to hold. It's a tad slick (will slide off your jeans if you place it at an angle).
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1060.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5706" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1060-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Type-as-you-speak speech dictation</li>
<ul>
	<li>Under Gingerbread and earlier versions of Android, dictated text would be recorded and sent up to Google servers for transcription. Under Android 4.0, text is sent in much smaller bursts, maybe per word or per syllable. The end result is that text appears on-screen as you speak, much like using Dragon Dictation or iPhone 4S Siri dictation.</li>
</ul>
	<li>Multiple desktop dock options</li>
<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.droid-life.com/2011/12/02/samsung-galaxy-nexus-docks-and-chargers-get-a-proper-fondling-prongs-put-to-use/">Vertical and horizontal desktop docks</a>, and the horizontal uses the charging contacts on the side so it's easy to dock and pick up (I hope!)
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1065.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5710" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1065-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></li>
</ul>
	<li>Browser can remember user-agent preferences</li>
<ul>
	<li>I literally just found this feature as I wrote up this blog post. In the Android 4.0 browser, you can have it masquerade as a full-blown desktop browser (I'm guessing it spoofs the browser user-agent, but can't confirm this). This is handy when you want to view the full version of a site but are only offered the mobile view. This setting is remembered on the phone on a per-domain basis!</li>
</ul>
	<li>Built-in screenshot functionality</li>
<ul>
	<li>This has been a huge oversight on Android devices. At certain times in the past, you actually needed a rooted (that's jailbroken for you iOS guys) phone just to be able to capture screenshots. I captured all the images in this post on my stock Nexus. Just hold down the power button and the volume-down button to save the current screen.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>Neutral</h3>
<ul>
	<li>Slight Android launcher redesign</li>
<ul>
	<li>Apps in app drawer are paginated in a 4x5 grid. Swipe sideways to go from page to page. My understanding that this is a standard convention for Samsung TouchWiz launchers, but I won't swear to it since I've never carried a TouchWiz phone.</li>
</ul>
	<li>Slightly curved screen</li>
<ul>
	<li>The Galaxy Nexus maintains the slightly curved screen from its predecessor, the Nexus S. It's extremely subtle, to the point that no one I've handed my phone to has said, "Oh hey, the screen is curved". I often forget it curves at all. Perceived benefits (if any) and minor, so I'll put it here on the "Neutral" list.
<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1061.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5680" src="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_1061-300x68.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="68" /></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>Lows</h3>
<ul>
	<li>No microSD slot</li>
<ul>
	<li>This really isn't terrible since there's 32GB of storage onboard.</li>
</ul>
	<li>Battery life (130 emails, 4G disabled)</li>
<ul>
	<li>So here's the ugly truth. Battery life ain't pretty. Here's my raw stats from today (4G disabled, screen birghtness set to auto): off the charger at 7am at 100%, received 130 emails over the course of the workday (I was away from my desk all day, so I read a slightly above average amount of emails on the phone itself), was at 34% at 1:45PM, and was at 4% when I plugged it back in to charge at 6:15PM. So it's definitely not pretty. I'll be keeping my eyes on extended batteries, but so far the only one I've heard about only extends the stock 1850mA battery to 2100mA, which doesn't sound like a huge increase to me.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Overall, I'm thrilled with the phone, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. I'm also looking forward to the next major CyanogenMod release (CM9) based off the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich code.