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Is the Verizon Galaxy Nexus Too Late?

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By now, you have probably heard that the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus may have been pushed back to a December 15th release date. And even then, that release date is not set in stone as that date is merely a rumor and not an official date put forth by the good folks at Verizon. If true, it would mean that Verizon will have taken close to two months to release the phone that they announced back in October.

Understandably, people are angry and frustrated by these circumstances. When Verizon promised to release the Galaxy Nexus “later this year“, I don’t think anyone, including Verizon, envisioned that this phone was going to be launching this late into December.

And, as you may have guessed, this “delay” has pushed people to the brink. I’ve read all sorts of comments from people proclaiming that they will be looking elsewhere for a phone or that they have already bought a new phone because they couldn’t wait any longer.

Verizon Galaxy Nexus

Our own Kevin Purcell is one of those people.

There are shades of the HTC ThunderBolt here. Verizon, even though it has yet to announce anything, has bungled this launch. It bungled it the second it opened its mouth about the phone only to immediately close it and offer absolutely nothing to the legions of customers waiting for this device.

And with the competition this fierce, heck, Verizon itself has two phones that are definitely rivals to the Galaxy Nexus in the HTC Rezound and Motorola Droid RAZR, I get why people are jumping or thinking about jumping ship.

And this leads me to my question:

Is the Verizon Galaxy Nexus too late?

HTC Edge

Quad-core phones are on the way. Big deal.

For many, that answer seems to be yes.

Verizon itself doesn’t seem to know when this phone is coming out. Quad-core phones are on the horizon, possibly coming as soon as February. The iPhone 4S is out. Windows Phone 7.5 devices have hit the U.S. Nokia is rumored to be announcing the Lumia 710 for T-Mobile next week.

There are a many valid points for that side of the argument.

However, I am going to argue that it’s not too late. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And here’s why.

Number one.

Unless this “delay” is somehow tied into Google and Verizon’s squabble over Isis, it’s probably because Verizon is trying to iron out some of the kinks with this phone. I can’t imagine the complaining if Verizon released a buggy phone.

We’ve already seen how lengthy of a process it is to upgrade a device to Android 4.0 and this is the launch device that is coming on a network that is merely a year old. There are going to be some hurdles.

I would rather have my Galaxy Nexus have great battery life and bug-free software. I think you probably would too.

Number two.

This is a Nexus device. This is a device that has a vanilla version of Android 4.0. This is a device that will more than likely be the first to get Android updates. This is a device that is easily customizable. It’s the first Nexus with 4G LTE. And it’s the first phone with Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

This is the Android phone that is going to last me through my contract with Verizon. It has the hardware, it has the software. Yes, this is the phone that’s worth the $300 price tag.

This is the phone, as I’ve said, that’s worth waiting for.

And number three.

I don’t see anything on the horizon that is going to trump this device. Quad-core phones? I can’t imagine the problems that will arise with 4G LTE and Android 4.0. And I don’t see them being release before April. I think waiting a few more days for a Nexus is better then holding out for four or so months.

The Lumia 710?

The Lumia 800 might be able to steal away some hearts but the 710 won’t.

Other Galaxy S II’s? No LTE. No Nexus.

Rezound? Droid RAZR? Droid Bionic?

Have fun waiting for Android 4.0.

Galaxy Nexus

If you’re buying a phone not called the iPhone 4S (which doesn’t have 4G LTE), this is the phone that you want.

In the end, Verizon could have been more communicative about the launch. And yeah, it would have been nice to see the device get released in October, November, early December bug free.

But at the end of the day, the Galaxy Nexus will still be the Android phone to get for 2011, and likely through the first couple of months of 2012.

So, what do you think?

Is Verizon way too late in releasing this device?

45 Comments

45 Comments

  1. Adam Truelove

    12/09/2011 at 11:51 am

    I will wait as long as it takes.  There’s nothing like a Nexus device.  It’s not about specs, it’s about the Nexus name.  Each iteration of an iPhone is the hotness months after each release, a Nexus is no different. Nexus = vanilla android and prompt updates and support direct from Google. I refuse to buy anything from Motorola or anything running Sense.

    • Tyson Bash

      12/09/2011 at 12:12 pm

      Even if Motorola were to make a Nexus phone? I for one cant wait for that day.

      • Adam Truelove

        12/09/2011 at 12:34 pm

        Umm, then I’d maybe be ok with it.  But then I’m afraid the phone would be ugly and the display would be horrible just like any other phone they’ve made in the past year or so.  I’d rather Google stick with Samsung.  They make sexy phones with unbeatable screens.

        • Tossrock

          12/09/2011 at 3:51 pm

          Well, considering Google recently bought Motorola, it seems likely that further Nexus models will be mate by Moto.

  2. Justan Gest

    12/09/2011 at 11:55 am

    Yes – I am burned out.  I’ll get the Galaxy Note in April – should have ICS for it by then, has 8 MP Camera, Super AMOLED in 315 Pix/Inch large display, so will be my note taking etch a sketch web surfing e-reader reader music FM Radio device as well as Phone.

    • Noyfb

      12/10/2011 at 12:42 am

      A Note with ICS would be awesome, one just passed through the FCC testing and rumored for ATT hespa+, But ATT sucks and their 4g is a joke, and they were just rated as the worst cellular company

  3. brett

    12/09/2011 at 12:04 pm

    I was gonna take a $200 termination fee to move to Verizon and pick up the Nexus.  Seeing all the issues and the delayed releases I will probably just wait until my contract is up and figure out what to do from there. 

  4. Kavin Nguyen

    12/09/2011 at 12:08 pm

    I’ve had many many phones. Every iphone (except for the 4S) and a stack of Androids and I’d say the Galaxy Nexus is the best out of all of them. The screen is incredibly gorgeous and ICS is amazing. I think those who are still waiting should hang on because it’s well worth the wait. Props to those who are cuz I didn’t last. LOL

  5. Andrew

    12/09/2011 at 12:18 pm

    Does anyone actually believe Verizon wants to sell this phone? I don’t. They probably just want to hold exclusivity on it so the other carriers can’t sell it. People are reluctant to buy it full-priced at $700+, even though those overseas phones will work on AT&T and T-Mobile.

  6. NexusDelay_to_HTCRezound

    12/09/2011 at 12:19 pm

    I already picked up the Rezound on black Friday for $50, and coming from the OG Droid for the last two years- it is a huge upgrade. 
    The screen is awesome, LTE is super fast, the dual core does not show an ounce of lag and the 1 gig of memory let’s me take full advantage of all the phone’s abilities. 
    Too bad Samsung could not take my $, but it’s been too long of a waiting game for me- I will be picking up the Quad-Core, 2 gb of ram, super LTE, 1080p Moto Nexus in 2013.

  7. ABCinthebay

    12/09/2011 at 12:24 pm

    I’m waiting.  Heads up guys.  My brother an assistant manager for Verizon here in North California called me and he was excited to tell me that he had the Galaxy Nexus in his hands at the store.  He says that the release might be pushed until Dec. 22nd.  My brother says, “It’s just like the Galaxy Tablet, but only smaller.”  He told me that, it has been worth the wait.

  8. Anonymous

    12/09/2011 at 12:25 pm

    It’s not too late. For goodness sakes, this is a phone that’s supposed to be the Android flagship for the next YEAR. A week or two delay is not that big a deal. Two month delay, maybe. By then, CES will have come and gone and we’ll know what’s coming up in the next month or so. But until then, this is the phone to have.

    Am I getting impatient? Yes. I was pissed that this didn’t arrive for Thanksgiving, and I will be majorly pissed if it doesn’t arrive for Christmas. But I’m still going to get it unless there is compelling phone coming out in Q1 2012.

  9. Kevin James

    12/09/2011 at 12:27 pm

    I was going to switch over to Verizon and terminate my contract with T-Mobile early for this phone but after all this Verizon BS, including them “turning off” Google Wallet and not allowing a “Pure” vanilla android experience .  I just upgraded to the Galaxy SII.  Screw Verizon!

    • Adam Truelove

      12/09/2011 at 12:35 pm

      The addition or “blocking” of apps does not interfere with a vanilla android experience.

      • Famouzdev

        12/09/2011 at 2:55 pm

        It just makes it a not vanilla experience!

        • razor

          12/09/2011 at 5:13 pm

          Wrong, “Vanilla” android is in reference to the lack of a manufacturer skin not the lack of any carrier apps.

        • Anonymous

          12/11/2011 at 2:58 am

          Maybe that doesn’t equal a non vanilla experience, but I can’t think of anything less “Nexus” than blocking a GOOGLE app on a GOOGLE phone.

  10. Jim Lucas

    12/09/2011 at 12:33 pm

    I was watching Fox Business about 30 minutes ago and Shibani Joshi was showcasing the Galaxy Nexus. She loved the GN and called her iphone 4S a brick. Bottom line, she said if you were going to get a new phone this was one to wait for. She said it would be out NEXT YEAR! Unbelievable!

    • Waiting

      12/09/2011 at 9:06 pm

      With all the rumors floating around concerning the release date for the Galaxy Nexus, I have another (plausible) rumor figured out for everyone…Much like the 11.11.11.11.11 RAZR release, Verizon will release the Samsung/Google NEXUS on the month, year, day, time of 11.12.13.14.15.16! That’s Sixteen seconds after 2:15pm on December 13th, 2011!

  11. Waiting . . .

    12/09/2011 at 12:41 pm

    Patience will pay off!  You impatient people, can’t wait, talk smack, then settle for a weak phone with a wireless company that’s not going to exist in 6 months.  Great article Adam!

  12. Bradbranson

    12/09/2011 at 12:41 pm

    Most people are still going to wait i believe, but its the lack of information from Verizon that is so frustrating and makes people angry. You would think they would have more respect for there current and future customers by just squashing these rumors and releasing official statements periodically, i mean how hard is that to do? just be honest and no one would get upset!

    • No

      12/09/2011 at 4:35 pm

      Verizon has NEVER had respect for its customers in this way.  This complaint is repeated again and again.  I remember waiting for the 2.2 upgrade for the Droid, same deal–delays, delays, delays, and NOTHING from Verizon in terms of an update.  Just silence.  They will not change.

  13. BrianB13

    12/09/2011 at 1:13 pm

    The Nexus is unique and therefore worthy of the wait.  Other phones will follow in the insuing months with better tech specs but they won’t be a Nexus.

    • Anonymous

      12/10/2011 at 9:17 pm

      Does anybody think google will ever block or limit carrier / manufacturer skins and bloat ware on all devices? It might hurt nexus sales, but would boost android overall. It would make it faster and more consistent.

  14. Wub

    12/09/2011 at 1:55 pm

    I was at a Best Buy store last night, and when I asked for the phone, the Rep was like “We have it in stock” and pulled one out from his desk.  He powered it up and let me check it out for a few minutes.  I must say the screen was gorgeous.  As Kavin Nguyen said, it looks like a small tablet, and it’s just not comparable with the Razr. 

  15. Anonymous

    12/09/2011 at 2:42 pm

    Frankly I for one am sick of the old “working out the kinks” lame a$$ excuse. The rest of the world is doing just fine with the nexus. Droves of planet dwellers are not rushing to return their “buggy” nexuses. Verizon is a habitual customer abuser. They announce the EXCITING impending release of a phone and then never say another word about it. WTF verizon. Don’t say anything, keep your greedy pie holes shut or keep us updated.

    • Techbubble

      12/09/2011 at 8:58 pm

      You do of course realize the rest of the planet that has the nexus isn’t on a CDMA/LTE network, and there is a hardware difference…

      • Anonymous

        12/10/2011 at 7:50 am

        Yes Tech I do realize this. Verizon releases how many phones a yr? The phones still need post release patches. These delays are strategical delays IMHO. The only thing I am convinced of is these delays are not done for the customers best interest. Verizon is not in business for me the customer, it is in business to harvest as much money as possible.

    • Anonymous

      12/10/2011 at 9:26 pm

      It has nothing to do with bugs. Anybody notice that they are still advertising the Razr? I give it a 95% chance they are just waiting for Razr sales to die down before they launch the nexus. The first sign of a release will probably be an end to Razr comertials.

  16. Famouzdev

    12/09/2011 at 3:11 pm

    I have both android and iOS latest devices on Verizon. This is rediculous, if google and samsung had more fortitude they would tell Verizon not to $@&$ with our device. iOS devices come pure no matter the carrier. I’m to the point where I realize that does it matter if you get a suppose vanilla nexus device when I’m sure 80% of folks commenting will root and move to another 4.0 build such as cm9 which is hitting phones as we speak. I have the razor and operated the galaxy nexus side by side and the only advantage the nexus holds is android 4.0, everything else doesnt make a big enough impact to make it a clear winning choice. Where one falls slightly short the next takes a slight advantage in another aspect. If you looking for the latest update first and are actually into developing go with Galaxy Nexus, if you are going to root and run a custom rom closer to vanilla the razor is a good choice that’s currently available.

  17. Harry Knuckles

    12/09/2011 at 3:38 pm

    Here’s the deal, if another carrier(AT&T) released a phone with comparable specs, you could damn well bet Verizon would get off their ass and release the GNex right away. They have the market by the balls right now and nobody has stepped up to push them. So we’re at Verizon’s mercy while they take their sweet time to work out bugs and keep pushing the RaZr and Rezound on everyone.

  18. rockroll

    12/09/2011 at 3:48 pm

    I went to the Verizon store today in Albuquerque and they showed me the Galaxy Nexus and the dummy phone. They let me mess around with it for as long as I wanted. Going from the Nexus One to this for me is a big jump but I guess I gotta wait.The guy who brought it out asked the manager when it was coming out; she asked her manager who “didn’t know”. He tried to look up the specs in his system and couldn’t find anything. Then again we’re in New Mexico so there is even more of a lag in some respects. I still plan on taking that termination fee to move from T-mobile to Verizon to get the thing. Just wanna know when I can do this.

  19. Anthony

    12/09/2011 at 4:26 pm

    I don’t think its too late cause when quad core phones come out they won’t be perfected until they release a couple devices like the thunder bolt worst 4g lte phone but it was the first and they get better with time

    • No

      12/09/2011 at 4:38 pm

      Not to mention quad-core phones in April from Verizon will inevitably mean Fall 2012, at best.

  20. I HAVE SEEN

    12/09/2011 at 8:52 pm

    Verizon is too late for me. They actually had me convinced that their service was worth the prices they demand. I’m not even a customer yet and I already cant wait to break up with you! Fortunately, today…I woke up. I decided to break down and purchase the unlocked version. Sure…upfront its a bigger cost, but over the life of the phone….I will save thousands with service elsewhere. Thanks Verizon, for showing, me no company is worth this amount of frustration! I watched friends go through the Bionic and Thunderbolt fiascos…and in some cases…they are STILL WAITING for bug fixes. I soon realized….I was falling into the same trap. Totally not worth the subsidy….or the slight advantage of your still unreliable LTE network.

  21. BigVZ

    12/09/2011 at 9:05 pm

    I think if the don’t release the phone soon, or at least let those waiting for it know what the problem is and when it may be expected for sale, then VZ will have (for the most part) missed the boat with it, especially at the $300 price point.

  22. Justinin

    12/10/2011 at 3:05 am

    Yeah, it too late. Im couldnt wait, so I jumped to the next best phone. Samsung stratosphere!!!!!!! And I have no regrets.

  23. C N

    12/10/2011 at 10:22 am

    Congrats on downgrading!

  24. DjCode538

    12/10/2011 at 4:40 pm

    Yep! In about 2 1/2 months the Galaxy Nexus will be outdated! MAP of $299 for the GNex ends in March! So I wonder what goodness is coming in February. January = 31 days. February = 29 days in 2012. I don’t see quadcores coming til fall 2012. I know Apple will be dropping something hot to keep up with Android! 2012 is the year!

    • DjCode538

      12/10/2011 at 7:51 pm

      Oh Yes! What about the Samsung Plato aka GS II LTE that might drop the first week of January? 1.5 dual, 4.5″ Screen. Probably thinner than the Galaxy Nexus and most likely come with Ice Cream Sandwich. 2012!

  25. James

    12/10/2011 at 11:20 pm

    verizon will launch Galaxy Nexus.  Galaxy Nexus are being sold on Ebay and the “projected shipping date” is 12/15 or 12/16.

    Verizon can’t hold back this phone for long.  It looks like 12/15 is the likely launch date. 

  26. Mariscalant

    12/12/2011 at 3:34 am

    I don’t care about delays, it Just gives me time to save up for it. Even if I have to wait a month after it comes out, I can read reviews and not have to regret getting it day one like my jalopy of a phone thunderbolt.

  27. Chuck Bryant

    12/13/2011 at 3:18 pm

    You can’t imagine the complaints if Verizon released a buggy phone?  Really.  No kidding.  Have you been living in a closet the last couple of years?  As a former Blackberry Storm owner I can tell you all about Verizon, buggy phones and complaints.  Not to mention the Thunderbolt, DX2 and the Bionic.  Botched launches and Verizon?  Hell, it’s more the norm than the unusual.

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