Why you should sell your iPhone 4 and buy a Galaxy Nexus
By Sebastian Anthony on December 16, 2011 at 12:54 pm 28 Comments
extremetech.com
Unless you’ve just awoken from a coma, you’re probably aware that the Galaxy Nexusis now available in the US. Like the Nexus One and Nexus S before it, the Galaxy Nexus represents the purest Android experience, straight from Google’s teat. There’s no Carrier IQ, no custom skin, no locked-down features, and of course, as Google’s flagship developer phone, a bootloader that’s easier to open than a courtesan’s corset.
But, I know what you’re thinking, iPhone 4 and 4S owners: You already own the best smartphone ever made, so why bother upgrading? Well, get this: At he risk of sounding like a hyperbolic, superlative-abusing idiot, the Galaxy Nexus is even better. That’s right: It’s bestest.
 Ice Cream SandwichIf you’re holding off on buying a Galaxy Nexus because of a bad experience with an earlier Android 1 or 2 phone, then please forget any preconceptions and at least try out Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich, at your local Verizon store. Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) is so different from its previous incarnations: It’s faster, it’s smoother, it’s more user-friendly, and most importantly it makes more sense.
It would be inaccurate to say that ICS is easier to use than the iPhone’s iOS, but that’s because Android simply isn’t about ease of use. Android is about power and flexibility — and with ICS, you still get that, but with an additional layer of gloss that has always been sorely needed.
We’ve covered Ice Cream Sandwich exhaustively here on ExtremeTech, but here’s a quick list of the features that iOS simply can’t match: Face Unlock, Data Usage (soft and hard limits on data usage), Android Beam (NFC contact sharing), and panorama camera mode.
That massive screenDespite what you may have heard about the Galaxy Nexus and its huge, 4.6-inch screen, it’s actually just a millimeter wider than the Galaxy S II — and about 9mm (0.35 inches) wider than the iPhone 4. There’s no denying that it’s a wide phone, but it is lighter and thinner than the iPhone, too.
 The main thing, though, is the display itself: a wondrous, 1280×720 (720p) Super AMOLED unit that really has no comparison — except, perhaps, the iPhone’s Retina display. We won’t go as far as to say that it’s better than Apple’s offering, but it’s damn close. If you watch a lot of video content on your phone, perhaps while traveling or commuting, the Nexus is blatantly the better choice — unless you have small hands, in which case you should stick with the iPhone.
NFC, 4G, more memory, and other hardware perksWhile it’s hard to draw comparisons between two different processors on two different operating systems — you should never trust a benchmark that tries to do this — I can safely say that the Galaxy Nexus is by far the fastest Android phone on the market. While it does have a fast CPU — a 1.2GHz OMAP4460 — its alacrity mainly comes down to the fact that Ice Cream Sandwich has been designed and compiled specifically for this piece of hardware; much in the same way that the iPhone 4S, A5 SoC, and iOS are perfectly married. If you’ve tried an Android phone before and found it sluggish, I urge you yet again to at least try out the Galaxy Nexus; you’ll be impressed.
The Galaxy Nexus also has twice the RAM of the iPhone 4 and 4S, NFC, and the option of 4G connectivity if you’re lucky enough to have coverage in your area. The one area that the Nexus falls slightly flat, at least when compared to the iPhone 4S, is that its rear-facing camera only packs five megapixels. The general consensus amongst reviewers is that the Nexus is still a very capable point-and-shoot replacement, but if you’re after the finest image quality a smartphone can offer, get the iPhone.
FlexibilityBeyond all else, though, the main reason to buy a Galaxy Nexus is the flexibility to do whatever you want with it. You might be completely satisfied with what your iPhone can do, but this is just a classic case of eyes wide shut, or the inability to want something if you don’t know it exists. You’re an American damnit, you want choices — and that’s exactly what Google’s flagship phone gives you.
With the Galaxy Nexus, unlocking the bootloader and jailbreaking your Galaxy Nexus is a given; Google wants you to jailbreak it. On the iPhone, the last thing Apple wants you to do is jailbreak it,and an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 is yet to emerge.
 A Galaxy Nexus, even without being jailbroken, offers you a changeable (and upgradeable) battery, the option of installing an alternative keyboard, new home screens/app launchers, and complete device automation with apps like Tasker. Jailbroken, you can install new ROMs (perhaps to remove that Verizon bloatware that was sneakily snuck onto the Nexus), overclock (or underclock) the processor, and more.
Just bought a Galaxy Nexus? Read our Galaxy Nexus tips and tricks.
If you’re switching from an iPhone to the Galaxy Nexus, let us know why in the comments.
[Image credit: Fraser Ntukula, laihiu] |
