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5 Reasons to Buy the Verizon Galaxy Nexus

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Verizon made good on its October promise of getting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus out by the end of 2011 and released the phone and its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system on its 4G LTE network last week. Despite its flaws, we found the Galaxy Nexus to be the best Android smartphone offering yet.

No small feat considering how many Android phones were released in 2011.

And while we have already given you five reasons that may give you pause, we also wanted to touch on five reasons why you might just want to make Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus your next smartphone.

You’ll also want to make sure you read our five reasons why you might not want to buy the Galaxy Nexus.

Galaxy Nexus

It Will Last

The Galaxy Nexus employs a 720p HD display, perfect for all kinds of media content from movies to games. It has a dual-core processor which can handle just about everything thrown at it. It has a 1GB of RAM to help in that department as well. All of those are confined within a design that is both thin and beautiful.

Combine those with its 4G LTE data speeds and you have a pretty tasty recipe, a recipe that should hold you over through the duration of your contract should you choose to sign one.

But hardware isn’t what makes this device the best Android ever made. No, it’s the fact that it has all of that combined with Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich software and the perks of being a Nexus device.

Galaxy NexusIt’s A Nexus

The Galaxy Nexus is a Nexus device. That moniker makes it different then the other Android devices that are available on the market. Luckily, the differences are good things.

First, it means that the Galaxy Nexus will be on the forefront of major Android updates. Ever had to wait around for an Android update? Yeah, it’s not fun at all.

Second, the software on the Galaxy Nexus is of the vanilla flavor. This means that there isn’t a clunky manufacturer-made user interface on top of Android. It makes for a much smoother experience.

And third, the Nexus name means that the it’s a developer device. This means that you’ll be able to customize Android 4.0 to your hearts content because you’ll be able to easily root and unlock the bootloader.

NFC

Another thing that the Galaxy Nexus that many current Android phones lack is an NFC (Near-Field Communication) chip. That chip will allow your Galaxy Nexus to interact with other devices/services that employ similar technology. One such service are mobile payments. Translation: Using your smartphone like a mobile wallet.

Right now, the Galaxy Nexus lacks official support for Google’s mobile payment platform, Google Wallet, but luckily, the Android community being as resourceful as it is, has found a work around for those living in the U.S.

Google Wallet

In addition, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon should be rolling out their own mobile payment service, called Isis, in the months ahead as well.

This means that you’ll be able to load up your Galaxy Nexus with cash and with a swipe, pay for goods at retailers around the country.

NFC might not be well-known in the U.S. right now, but it definitely will become more widely used in the next two years. So you’re better off picking up a phone with the chip than without it.

Favorable Data Plans (At Least For the Moment)

The phone itself isn’t the only reason why you may want to jump aboard the Galaxy Nexus train. No. There are a couple of data plan scenarios that might sway you to it as well.

Right now, Verizon is playing host to a double data plan offer. That means, that if you’re signing up for a new contract or if you’re upgrading, you’ll get double the data listed on the normal tiers. That means, the current tiered data plans look like this:

  • 4GB/mo for $30
  • 10GB/mo for $50
  • 20GB/mo for $80

Far better than the carrier’s regular offer. The offer won’t last forever though (It will end in the beginning of January) so if you’re someone who chews up a lot of data and wants a top of the line 4G LTE device, the Galaxy Nexus might be worth picking up in the near future.

Another reason to consider the Galaxy Nexus is if you’re grandfathered into an unlimited data plan from Verizon. You’ll be able to get the Galaxy Nexus and still be able to keep unlimited data.

The best Android phone ever made, combined with true unlimited data?

Yeah, that’s worth a look.

Droid RAZRIf You Don’t Want to Play the Waiting Game

There is a game that is played daily in the smartphone world. It’s called The Waiting Game. Every single day, a new smartphone is rumored to be launching months from now, with all sorts of new bells and whistles. For example, the Motorola Droid RAZR launched back in October and already there is a ‘Droid RAZR Maxx‘ that has come up to the surface.

The Nexus will have no such issue as Google has released one Nexus per year for the past two years.

And of course, we have the whispers of an LTE-enabled iPhone 5, set to debut in 2012.

Both phones will probably be fantastic devices. Problem is, neither of them are real, at this point, to consumers.

What is real is the Galaxy Nexus, a phone that has a ton of bells and whistles, and a phone that is currently out on shelves right now. Yes, there are a lot of good devices on the horizon and there will be more devices on the horizon once you reach the first one.

It’s never-ending.

So, if you don’t have a specific phone not called the Galaxy Nexus in mind If you’re not on-contract.  If you need a phone now.  If you don’t want to play the waiting game, this is a phone that you might want to get.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Jamie

    12/19/2011 at 3:25 pm

    Just picked up my Galaxy Nexus after coming from an OLD BB Tour.  Would LOVE to see an article on Top Apps for the Nexus for us new Android folks.  :)

    • DonJulio

      12/19/2011 at 3:53 pm

      droid forums app. there’s a whole gnex section. it’s been really useful to me.

      • Jamie

        12/19/2011 at 6:23 pm

        I’ll check it out…thanks Don!

  2. robert balfacian

    07/13/2012 at 10:42 pm

    you’re bad at writing articles

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