The long, long wait is finally over for Android fans in the US, as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus officially goes on sale today through the Verizon Wireless network, bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to the States.
In the UK we were fortunate enough to get our hands on the Galaxy Nexus back in November, though our cousins on the other side of the pond weren’t so lucky. The phone was due to be an exclusive to the Verizon Wireless network, but for unknown reasons the network continued to push back the release date, with continuous delays infuriating customers.
However, today is finally the day that the flagship Android smartphone from Samsung and Google lands stateside. The phone that will be sold in the US has one over on our version too, as it features a 4G LTE radio which will work with Verizon’s 4G mobile network to delivery blisteringly fast mobile internet speeds. Because of this, the US Galaxy Nexus is actually slightly thicker than the GSM version sold in Europe – 9.47mm rather than 8.94mm to be precise.
Other than the slight change in thickness and a different radio, specifications are the same. With the Galaxy Nexus you’ll not only get the latest version of Android – 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich – but a speedy Dual-Core 1.2GHz processor, 16 or 32GB of internal storage, a 5-Megapixel camera with LED flash and HD video capture, NFC and a beautiful 4.65-inch Super AMOLED screen.
It’s taken a while, but US residents will finally be able to get their hands on the latest version of Android. It’s going to come at a price though – you’ll have to subscribe to one of Verizon’s 2 year contracts to pick up the phone. You’ll need to pay $299.99 upfront to cover the cost of the phone, and the monthly contracts then range upwards of $30 per month, which doesn’t cover data. If you want 4GB of data per month you’ll need to add on $30 to your monthly bill – ouch.
If it’s time for an upgrade on your mobile, or you’re intrigued by the latest version of Android, why not check out our video review of the Galaxy Nexus and Android Ice Cream Sandwich here. We loved it, and we’re sure you will too.
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