Display shootout: HTC One X vs. Galaxy Nexus (vs. iPad 3) screen comparison

FeaturedThe Lab

  • April 18, 2012 at 6:02 pm

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The two hottest Android smartphones right now are the new 4.7-inch HTC One X and the incumbent 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus that we have reviewed in-depth here. A key hardware distinction between the two is the use of different display technologies. Both have a 720p resolution, but the Samsung Galaxy Nexus features a PenTile Matrix Super AMOLED display while the HTC One X has a standard RGB Super IPS LCD2 screen. You can read more about the differences between Samsung’s PenTile Matrix technology and standard RGB here.

Now, we can easily argue that the display is probably the single most important hardware feature of any mobile device so we’ll be taking an in-depth look between the two Android smartphones. We also have a 3rd generation iPad handy with its amazingly sharp and most importantly color accurate display, so we’ll occasionally be throwing it in our comparison for good measure.
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Still waiting for the Android 4.0.4 OTA on your GSM Galaxy Nexus? Try these simple steps

Guides

  • April 3, 2012 at 5:30 pm

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus back close-up

GSM/HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus devices have been gradually receiving an over the air (OTA) update to the latest version of Android Ice Cream Sandwich, 4.0.4. However, many users are still waiting on the official OTA update from Google and pressing the ‘Check now’ button in system updates on their Galaxy Nexus devices doesn’t help much.

To get the update immediately, one way is to root your device and manually install the latest version of Android. But if you don’t have a rooted device and don’t wanna go through the hassle and risk losing your data, there’s is an easy way to get your device to automatically update now.
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Android 4.0.4 source heading to Android Open-Source Project carrying a few hundred changes

News

  • March 28, 2012 at 2:59 pm

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Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich close-up on homescreen elements

Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76D) is hitting the Android Open-Source Project now according to Google developer Jean-Baptiste Queru. The update was sent to a small number of devices yesterday, like the Verizon LTE Galaxy Nexus (check out our in-depth review of the Galaxy Nexus here) and the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi. Queru notes that the incremental update brings a few hundred changes over Android 4.0.3.

Those who got the update on their LTE Galaxy Nexus and Motorola XOOM devices are reporting better battery life, performance and signal strength. As Queru points out, the code release doesn’t mean that the update will hit devices any day now. Updates will depend on carriers and device manufacturers. Of course even the stock Android Galaxy Nexus GSM, was still still stuck on Android 4.0.2 and suffering from the same old random reboot bug.
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Galaxy Nexus case review: Case-Mate POP!

Reviews

  • February 19, 2012 at 5:19 am

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Case-Mate POP! case for Galaxy Nexus - back

Case-Mate does one thing, it makes cases, the kind our devices need; especially costly devices with big glass fronts that we carry all day with us and might take a fall or two. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone is such a device and its slippery plastic body also doesn’t help at all — as you will find by reading our in-depth review right here.

We’ve already reviewed one case for the Galaxy Nexus, the OtterBox Defender, but we understand that it might be overkill for some as it adds significant bulk. This review will look at the Case-Mate POP!. It’s a one piece case that’s made of two materials, a shiny hard plastic and a soft rubber side grip. The rubber is grey but the shiny plastic comes in black, white and pink, creating a “pop”, see!
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White Samsung Galaxy Nexus coming to the UK starting February 13th

News

  • February 6, 2012 at 10:25 am

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White Samsung Galaxy Nexus back and side

Getting a white version is an important milestone in a gadget’s life. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is about to get a new body color to match its Ice Cream Sandwich innards. Although some UK mobile phone retailers had pegged the launch of the white Galaxy Nexus for this week, today there’s been official word from Samsung that the device will be available in the UK starting February 13th.
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Android 4.0.4 IMM30B update for LTE Verizon Galaxy Nexus leaks early, brings fixes

News

  • February 5, 2012 at 3:24 am

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus back close-up

A lucky Verizon Galaxy Nexus (check out our in-depth review here) owner got an over-the-air (OTA) update notification for a brand new Android Ice Cream Sandwich build, version 4.0.4 IMM30B. We will some help from the forums over at Android Central he was able to pull the update from his device and then share it with the entire Android community.

As there is no official changelog, obviously, you’ll have to rely on users’ comment on what has been fixed/improved in this latest Android release. Discounting for any ‘placebo effects’, those who’ve updated are reporting UI responsiveness and speed improvements, better 4G/3G switching and improved signal strength among others.
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Galaxy Nexus case review: OtterBox Defender series case

Reviews

  • January 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm

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Galaxy Nexus OtterBox Defender series case back in hand

If you’ve read our Galaxy Nexus review (and you should definitely read it here if you haven’t) then you know that using the smartphone without a case is an accident waiting to happen. In fact, my first Galaxy Nexus had suffered a deadly drop. Hence comes the dilemma, enjoy the beautiful and thin lines of your pricey and very fragile new smartphone by carrying it naked, risking its demise at any point, or sacrifice some of the thinness for the peace of mind a case brings.

Well if you are thinking of going with the latter then you might want to read on. OtterBox makes cases, and the company is known for some of the most solidly built cases you will find. We’ll be looking at the most rugged of the pair of OttorBox cases for the Galaxy Nexus, the Defender Series case. In fact this the most rugged case for the Galaxy Nexus that I know of, but correct me if I’m wrong.

For many this case will be overkill, and if size is a big issue then you might want to look elsewhere, because ruggedness comes at a cost. This is the case for the very active or very clumsy. If you are into sports, if your work puts high demands on you or if you want the ultimate protection for your smartphone, read on.
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How to: easily backup, unlock, root, unroot and re-lock a Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Guides

  • January 21, 2012 at 12:41 pm

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus back close-up

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus (read our full review here) is one of the easiest devices to root. That’s because it’s a Google Nexus device and was made that way. Nevertheless, if you’d rather not get into firing commands towards you shiny new smartphone, there is an app that will do everything for you.

The ‘Wugfresh Galaxy Nexus Root Toolkit’ Windows-only application provides one-click unlock and root for both the GSM/HSPA+ and LTE flavors of the Galaxy Nexus. If you don’t have the Android SDK or the Galaxy Nexus driver installed it will install it for you. If you decide that root is not for you then the application offers one-click unroot and re-lock to restore it back to 100 percent stock.
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Random reboots continue to plague the Galaxy Nexus, how about yours?

News

  • January 16, 2012 at 1:56 pm

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Galaxy Nexus back - close-up on Google logo

When we thoroughly reviewed the Galaxy Nexus, the buggy launch of the device was one of its sticking points. While both the GSM and LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are now running Android 4.0.2, there are a number of bugs still plaguing both devices.

One of the most annoying issues plaguing the Galaxy Nexus are random reboots. I’ve been having them on my first Galaxy Nexus and now the same situation has been going on with the second Nexus I’ve got my hands on. They could happen at any time and a couple of times the Galaxy Nexus rebooted while charging during the night. If you have a PIN number set, your device will be ‘off the hook’ when it restarts, until you punch in the PIN number. I also had my first reboot yesterday after updating to 4.0.2 on a GSM/HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus last week.
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GSM Galaxy Nexus updated to Android 4.0.2; we test: some fixes, many bugs still remain

News

  • January 14, 2012 at 10:13 am

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Galaxy Nexus Android Ice Cream Sandwich keypad

An over-the-air (OTA) update to Android 4.0.2 has been rolling out to the GSM/HSPA+ version of the Galaxy Nexus — the Verizon LTE Galaxy Nexus is already at version 4.0.2. We’ve been testing it out on our device for the past 48 hours and here are the initial results.

As we mentioned in our full-length review of the Galaxy Nexus, it has had a buggy launch and some of the well published bugs have been plaguing my device as well. Mind you this is the second Galaxy Nexus I’m burning through, since the first one had an unfortunate accident.

Specifically, I’ve had the occasional random restart, the Wi-Fi hotspot won’t work with my MacBook under MacOS X and while in a call, after pressing the speaker button the other person can’t hear me. You could also consider the screen’s yellow tint as something of an annoyance. I’ve experience a couple of occasional minor issues, like hangs on 3G data connectivity and a confused volume rocker tht would change media instead of the ringtone volume.
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I broke the Galaxy Nexus screen

News

  • January 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm

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Galaxy Nexus cracked and chipped screen

This is a quote from our recent review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus: A large glass front, plastic body, limited ruggedization and slippery sides could spell out disaster without a case.

Well, during the holidays I was juggling one too many things and my naked (sin-case) Galaxy Nexus slipped out of my hand and landed on a hard floor from a height of about two feet. Its back cover and battery went flying off, but since the fall wasn’t too bad I picked it up without thinking that anything seriously bad happened to it. As I went to wipe the screen on my shirt I saw the long crack across it, while a piece of glass had chipped from the bottom corner where the phone had landed.

Obviously manufacturers don’t design average devices to survive drops, that’s why rugged smartphones exist. The Galaxy Nexus has a fortified glass screen, but that’s to protect it from scratches, obviously glass can still shatter, and the bigger the surface the easier it is to crack — though we are hopping the new Gorilla Glass 2 material will be more shatter-proof.

Nevertheless this isn’t the first smartphone I’ve dropped; I’m actually a serial phone-dropper. My long-term Android smartphones have been a Nexus One and an HTC Sensation, both of which have suffered some pretty nasty falls (without a case) and both have so far survived pretty well.
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White Samsung Galaxy Nexus coming in February to the UK

News

  • January 5, 2012 at 9:19 am

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White Samsung Galaxy Nexus back and side

Depending on which side of the yin and yang debacle you fall into, you might have a color preference between black and white. So if you feel that you are better expressed by a white smartphone, and if that smartphone would be by any chance a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD device running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich then you’re in luck.

The as far as now all black and grey Samsung Galaxy Nexus will soon be released in white according to a number of UK retailers. Both Clove and MobileFun UK have the smartphone on release for the 6th of February for around £500 ($780)

Despite any deep emotions you might have towards the lighter end of the tone curve, you might want to check out our lengthy review of the Galaxy Nexus before taking the plunge.

How to: easily install Google Wallet on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE with an APK file

Guides

  • December 18, 2011 at 3:30 am

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Google Wallet

Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was finally released last friday missing one key feature, the ability to make payments using NFC and Google Wallet. Over the weekend, a number of methods came in to go around this, and install Google Wallet on the Galaxy Nexus LTE, which involved some level of hackery. Today, you can install Google Wallet on your Verizon Galaxy Nexus without having to root your device or resort to any hackery.

Simply go here to download the application APK file. You can do this either directly on your device, or from you computer and then transfer the APK file to your smartphone. Make sure that under ‘Settings’ > ‘Security’ you have ‘Unknown sources’ checked. Now open the APK on your device using a file manager like ASTRO.
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