New Android Ice Cream Sandwich Nexus

I bought the new Samsung Nexus Galaxy phone last week.  This is the first Android phone shipping with Ice Cream Sandwich version of the O/S.  I waited for the Verizon Wireless version of the phone, for many reasons. 

                                                                  Samsung Galaxy Nexus

1.  4G LTE footprint of Verizon is awesome and only getting better.

2.  Verizon is my primary provider and I am sick of ATT and T Mobile slow networks.

3.  My DroidX was showing its age and I wanted to replace my primary phone with a faster phone that had front and rear cameras and could do effective video conferencing over 4G

So, I broke down and bought the new Nexus, which is what I am going to call it.  My first impressions were just ok.  It is thin, the screen is nice, the speed is good and it slides in and out of my pocket easily.  It does not have the WOW factor that the original Nexus had on me.  This is a much more subtle phone, it is more of a covert champion rather than a shiny new "look at me" type of phone.  I have had it now for 3 days and it is growing on my as the strong silent type of phone versus the flashy look at me phone.  I really had wanted to purchase the Galaxy S II phone but Verizon never picked it up.  I assumed this phone would be out in October and it has been a long wait, over 2 months later than anticipated.  Then to add insult to injury, Verizon and Google got into a pissing contest over the NFC enabled Google Wallet which delayed the release until December 15th.  

                                                            LifeSignals Vital Signs App

One of the coolest features with the new Nexus is the facial recognition screen locking.  I found it very easy and intuitive to set up and it works very well in normal lighting conditions.  It does not work well if you are wearing sunglasses or a hat.  I did it this morning while working out on the elliptical, worked fine each time.  It worked while I was driving as well.  If it does not recognize you, it will prompt you for a PIN number after a few seconds, it is not annoying at all. 

Compatibility with the LifeSignals Application in Ice Cream Sandwich:  I was worried that I bought a new phone for my own use and that the current version of LifeSignals App would not function.  I was pleasantly surprised, it functions perfectly and looks terrific. 

Battery life is a probably my biggest complaint.  In Mobile Network settings you can de-select 4G LTE and select only 3G.  I did that this morning and it appears to noticeably improve battery life.  I will keep it in 3G mode unless I plan to do a demonstration of our App or am using Video Conferencing.  I don't have 4G in Doylestown where I live, so it is a moot point for when I am at home.

My second biggest complaint is Verizon.  They raised the price of Hotspot from $20 to $30 per month for 4G Hotspot.  One cool new feature in Ice Cream Sandwich is there are now 2 methods for tethering the phone.  In addition to turning the phone into a Wifi Router you have the option of using Bluetooth Tethering.  I haven't used it yet, but I assume that is handy in the new Ford Synch systems and maybe in noisy Wifi environments.  It may be a little more secure (through obscurity) than traditional Wifi hotspot in Airports and other busy areas.  

All in all, I am very happy with the phone and feel that I will like it more as time goes by.  I would highly recommend the phone to any Android user.