Everyone has their own biases... it's part of human nature, and part of the reason I was glad Brandon took the lead on the review of this phone. I'm far too much of a Nexus fanboy to be objective... It probably would have gotten an 8 from me. ;)
Honestly, I agree with Brandon's score and reasons for it -- but I also LOVE hearing feedback from our users. Ultimately, we do this for you, and you keep us honest!
ps. if you guys wanna read a fair review i suggest you read mariam joyire review of galaxy nexus on Engadget. Even she gave some heat to the phone for sub par camera performance but its a well rounded off review compared to brandons
I don't understand how the RAZR can score higher (4.5) than the Nexus when the Nexus is just as good or better in every area..? I'm guess because Brandon and Joe have different standards when reviewing phones?
Why didn't the RAZR get the same "Display uses pentile display matrix " con? Also the Nexus gets gigged for not having expandable storage, but the RAZR doesn't for not having a replaceable battery. I would rather be able to have extra batteries than replace the SD card. Just doesn't seem very fair to me.
Also, there hasn't been any word whatsoever (that I've seen anyways and I'm on news sites constantly) about the GS3, what's in it or when it's coming out. I don't think that sould factor whatsoever into a phone review. There's always something coming around the corner in this market.
As the guy who reviewed the RAZR and helped with this review, I think I can field that! The RAZR has a better camera than the Galaxy Nexus and removable storage. The two combined cost the Nexus half-a-point.
That's understandable. But why didn't the RAZR lose a half-point for having a non-removable battery and a lower quality display? When I held the RAZR in my hand the other day in the Verizon store, I could see the red pixels on text easily without even holding the phone close.
Also, judging from your sample pics from both phones; I can't tell that much of a difference between them. They both look somewhat washed out and unfocused in a lot of pics. You also mentioned slow shutter lag on the RAZR in your review and that's not an issue on the Nexus.
You all say: "The Galaxy Nexus is the best smartphone on the market right now." Yet, not more than 8 days ago you reviewed the RAZR and it scores higher than the Nexus. See where this would be confusing to a lot of readers..?
Yup, I totally understand where you're coming from.
The screen on the RAZR, in my opinion, is beautiful. It's not as high-density as the Nexus, and I had to justify not dining it because it's only qHD. If anything, I should be getting flack for giving it a 4.5 rather than a 4.
Regarding removable batteries, I'm on the fence. I like the ability to install a new one (bigger, replacement, spare, etc.), but in my time with smartphones (which is a very, very long time), I've only had to replace one battery.
I'd rate the ability to replace a battery over the inability to do so, but personally, I don't think it's an absolute necessity -- though I respect those who do.
That's exactly what I was getting at. I don't mind that the Nexus got a 4, I just don't like that the RAZR got a 4.5 despite you all saying that the Nexus is a better phone.
I guess I thought replacing the battery was more common than replacing the SD card since that's been the case with my OG Droid. I've never touched the SD card on it in my 2 years of owning it, but I've bought a few spare batteries for it on Amazon for $2/piece to take on outings where charging isn't feasible and that's been really useful in my experience.
Thanks for responding though. I really like when editors/reviewers interact with their readers so you have earned much of my respect by replying to me (and others).
I had to fight for the 4.5 for the RAZR... the screen res looked really good to me, but if you feel that I need to weigh that and/or not having a removable battery heavier in future reviews, I'll certainly take that under consideration for future reviews. :)
We try to be objective and weigh the features we think our readers feel are most important.
As far as editor interaction, that's the best part of this job! You guys (and gals) are so great! You've got tons of knowledge, experience, and valuable feedback! Love it!
Pocketnow isn't about the editors, it's about the community, so you, and everyone else reading and commenting, are a HUGE part of what we do.
You say "+ 720p display is gorgeous" , but then, you list this CON: "Display uses pentile display matrix". Do you love the display or not?! You must be really confused.
When you say wait for Galaxy SIII until the spring, you mean wait until summer, late-autumn. Because if I remember well, those are the launch periods of Galaxy S line.
The 720p display is gorgeous! It's absolutely beautiful! The PenTile display isn't as nice as other screen technologies, but it's still very, very nice. It's like comparing an oil painting to a water painting: oils may give you better colors and texture, but watercolors are still pretty. Different mediums is all...
The display is gorgeous, indeed, but buyer should be aware that when reading text, the display isn't as crisp as the 720p specification would imply.
"If you're in the smartphone market and want the best, get the Galaxy Nexus. But if you can wait until the spring, keep an eye out for the Galaxy S III.
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Nexus a 4/5."
I'm a little lost, because the unlocked GS II got a pretty much unprecedented 5/5 on this site.
I'll be waiting for my ICS update on that device and then jump to the GS III when it comes out.
The SGS2 is an amazing device and benchmarks are out of the ballpark. The Galaxy Nexus is a great device, too. Between the two, my choice is the Nexus, but that's my personal preference. Yours may (and should) vary because you have different preferences, and that is completely cool.
Good review. I would add that the Galaxy S3 will have to have a brand new Touchwiz for ICS. Since Android doesn't need a skin anymore for it to be functional, there's a big chance that Touchwiz for ICS will make things worse, rather than better, as it does for 2.3. For me, that's enough to stop pining for future devices and grab a Nexus the second it hits the US.
Plus, Nexus devices have by far the best resale value on the used market (outside of iPhones). That means that if the SGS3 really is that good, you can dump the Nexus for a handsome price and grab Samsung's newest and still probably break even.
I don't see how you can call it the best smartphone on the market right now and have it rated lower than other phones ie razr and iphone 4S. I agree with your score, just not your statement
This is coming from a N1 user. I can understand why Brandon gives Galaxy Nexus a 4/5 point. Although it's a flagship device intended to be the best of Android phone, it lacks several key points which made the Galaxy Nexus not so "best" anymore. COME ON.....Samy, 5MP camera??... NO removable storage (9 out of 10 people i know dislike this)? Sub battery life??... and what else?? Why can't they use a better screen technology of Super OMOLED PLUS??..and this phone suppose to be the fastest everything...why its benchmarks below Galaxy S2??......How many points would you give to an inferior phone comparing to a 5/5 points phone?? Certainly not equal. Galaxy Nexus deserves a 4/5 or 4.5/5, but not 5/5 for lacking several components. I too would want to believe Galaxy Nexus should be the best, but in this case...Samy messed it up again. Maybe nextime GOOGLE should have somebody else making their flagship device.
I don't see why everyone is hating on Brandon. It is his opinion. Everyone can find something wrong if they look hard enough, but a review is a matter of opinion. Let him do his reviews and if you don't agree go to a different site to get your mobile news.
I'm a "Nexus fanboy" and an Android purist... and I support the 4/5 score. If it had an 8MP camera with great colors, 32GB internal storage, a "less obvious" PenTile display, and an sdcard slot, it would likely have gotten a 4.5 or higher.
That said, its an awesome phone and I plan on using it for my daily driver for the next several months.
I don't get it, if the battery can't get through a day then how come it's the best smartphone on the market. It pretty much useless if it's die.
It totally depends on your usage. I've been able to get well over 30 hours out of a single charge with moderate to light use. Moderate use gives me 12-15 hours. Driving to work using GPS and streaming Pandora gives me 5 hours or so. It all depends on your use.
Compared to the RAZR, the Nexus gives me an hour or so more usable time -- based on my very unscientific usage scenarios.
'' It's also more customizable than ever, which might scare away those that don't want to tinker'' lol why would it scare people away,customization is an OPTION and is tinkering is available if YOU want to and is not needed...all android phones are usable out of the box
as the galaxy note still has the superior internals (or am i missing something here?) it could pull an instant switcheroo with the help of an ics update and put itself on top again. the things at which they differ pretty much balance themselves out (sd, usb, nfc, barometer...)
Really don't know why reviewers would be surprised by the battery life on the Note being much better than other phones; the Note is physically bigger, so it has room for a bigger battery, which in turn equals... more power.
So unless Samsung did something really daft, the Note was always going to deliver better battery life, it's another good reason to consider it above many/most of the 4.x screen-sized handsets.
Guess those mAh numbers are just lost on some people...
I hear ya on every count there.
I live in the UK and I have the Note. Before that I had the GS2. I find the Note in my opinion to be a game changer and the Note will get ICS early next year anyway.
I dont know why they go on about the screen res of this device when the Note is better there as well: 1280x800. The only issue there is because of the larger screen the DPI is not as high. Does it matter? Is DPI everything? No because of the screen size the Note is perfect.
Given the choice I would have the Note any day. As far as I see it the Galaxy Nexus has only 2 things that hold it above the Note. ICS and DPI. Thats it and as I said, ICS comes to the Note next year.
