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It been almost 12 months since Google and Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Nexus back on October 19th 2011. If you remember though, the announcement ended up showcasing Ice Cream Sandwich more than the hardware as I think we can all agree that the Galaxy Nexus has its failings.
The "teaser" video for the Samsung unpacked announcement was released on October 4th, so if Google decide to keep yearly release cycles as it has with the Nexus S and Nexus One, could we be just a week away from a new Nexus announcement?
With that in mind, what could we expect from the next 'Nexus' phone?
Manufacturer
Who will get the gig this time? Samsung have produced the last two (Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S) whilst HTC provided the first Nexus phone (the One). As Google own Motorola, could they get in on the act? Also, Sony have recently added AOSP to the Xperia S, could they be looking to get involved?
Software
The release of a Nexus phone usually coincides with a new Android release. But with Jellybean (4.1) only released a number of months ago with the Nexus 7, is it too soon? Granted it was only a bump release of ICS, but what could 5.0 (Key Lime Pie?) bring to the table over ICS/JB? If 5.0 is a while away does that puts pay to a new Nexus anytime soon?
The Phone Itself
Does Google have to bring something special to the party regardless of when its released? In the past, the Nexus phones haven't really been that special, more 'workman-like' devices but with the lure of AOSP and instant Android updates.
When you think about the Galaxy Nexus it just lacks hardware sparkle when compared to other flagship phones released since - HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 920 and the iPhone 5. I suppose at the time, Samsung were never going to produce something that would trump their forthcoming Galaxy S3, so could they have been accused of intentionally dumbing down the Galaxy Nexus?
CPU/RAM/GPU
The CPU choice in a Nexus device is generally driven by the reference platform that Google is using internally, in the case of the Galaxy Nexus TI OMAP and the Tegra 3 for the Nexus 7. Does this mean the next Nexus is most likely to be Nvidia based? Google have apparently been doing a lot of work with Intel, is it feasible we could see a x86 Nexus?
1GB RAM is the norm now and arguably enough but we are starting to see devices with 2GB on board (and even rumours of 3GB). The more the merrier?
The GPU is generally dictated by what comes bundled with the CPU, but Android and it's applications are ever more demanding... the next Nexus needs to have enough grunt to shift things around 'like butter'!
Camera
It goes without saying that the GN camera is poor when compared to its peers, it’s not even has good as the Galaxy S2. We were really done over on this one weren't we? What could we expect from the new Nexus? Does it just have to be as good as the One X, S3 and iPhone 5? Which being frank are all much of a muchness aren't they. But a good muchness. Although recent reports claim that the Lumia 920 trumps them all.
Physical and Screen Size
Is the 4.7" ish screen here to stay? The One X, S3 and the Galaxy Nexus are all around this size. I certainly wouldn’t want any bigger than the GN, in fact i'd like to see a small drop in size. But at the same time keep the 1280x720 resolution as well as the software buttons?
How good will the screen be? Whilst forums are still full of "pentile hate", I've not had too many complaints about the GN screen. I think my biggest complaint is that it’s a battery eater. I think at the very least the screen has to be as good as the One X and iPhone 5 for quality. We are talking a flagship phone here after all.
Battery and Thinness
I for one am getting a little sick of this quest by manufacturers for 'the' thinnest phone, especially when the first thing that usually takes a hit is the size of the battery. It doesn't have to be that way though, the Motorola RAZR was 7.1mm thick with 1780 mAh, but for just 8.99mm thick they added a 3300 mAh lump to the RAZR Maxx. The standard GSM Galaxy Nexus is 8.95mm and 1750 mAh.
Storage
There has to be a larger option than 16gb on the new phone. Or at the very least add an scard slot on there. I appreciate Google are pushing streaming content (Music and Movies) and think people don’t need local storage, but in reality we still do. Look at the leak of the HTC One X+ with 64gb internal storage, WOW!
Conclusion
So over to you, what do you think should make up the new Nexus?
Or are you simply happy with your Galaxy Nexus? With it likely cost at least a few hundred quid to upgrade to a new model (after selling and buying) is it going to be worth it?
Your Nexus will continue to get Android updates so can you live with its hardware shortcomings?
I'd 'like' a bit more storage, i'd 'like' a better camera and i'd 'like' a bit bigger battery, but am I willing to pay £200+ for it? I'm not sure?
For me, it would have to be a "stunning" flagship release from Google to make me jump ship. At the end of the day, for all its failings, my Galaxy Nexus still does a great job for me.
What about you? Where does the Galaxy Nexus sit today amongst its peers?
Click here to view the item
The "teaser" video for the Samsung unpacked announcement was released on October 4th, so if Google decide to keep yearly release cycles as it has with the Nexus S and Nexus One, could we be just a week away from a new Nexus announcement?
With that in mind, what could we expect from the next 'Nexus' phone?
Manufacturer
Who will get the gig this time? Samsung have produced the last two (Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S) whilst HTC provided the first Nexus phone (the One). As Google own Motorola, could they get in on the act? Also, Sony have recently added AOSP to the Xperia S, could they be looking to get involved?
Software
The release of a Nexus phone usually coincides with a new Android release. But with Jellybean (4.1) only released a number of months ago with the Nexus 7, is it too soon? Granted it was only a bump release of ICS, but what could 5.0 (Key Lime Pie?) bring to the table over ICS/JB? If 5.0 is a while away does that puts pay to a new Nexus anytime soon?
The Phone Itself
Does Google have to bring something special to the party regardless of when its released? In the past, the Nexus phones haven't really been that special, more 'workman-like' devices but with the lure of AOSP and instant Android updates.
When you think about the Galaxy Nexus it just lacks hardware sparkle when compared to other flagship phones released since - HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 920 and the iPhone 5. I suppose at the time, Samsung were never going to produce something that would trump their forthcoming Galaxy S3, so could they have been accused of intentionally dumbing down the Galaxy Nexus?
CPU/RAM/GPU
The CPU choice in a Nexus device is generally driven by the reference platform that Google is using internally, in the case of the Galaxy Nexus TI OMAP and the Tegra 3 for the Nexus 7. Does this mean the next Nexus is most likely to be Nvidia based? Google have apparently been doing a lot of work with Intel, is it feasible we could see a x86 Nexus?
1GB RAM is the norm now and arguably enough but we are starting to see devices with 2GB on board (and even rumours of 3GB). The more the merrier?
The GPU is generally dictated by what comes bundled with the CPU, but Android and it's applications are ever more demanding... the next Nexus needs to have enough grunt to shift things around 'like butter'!
Camera
It goes without saying that the GN camera is poor when compared to its peers, it’s not even has good as the Galaxy S2. We were really done over on this one weren't we? What could we expect from the new Nexus? Does it just have to be as good as the One X, S3 and iPhone 5? Which being frank are all much of a muchness aren't they. But a good muchness. Although recent reports claim that the Lumia 920 trumps them all.
Physical and Screen Size
Is the 4.7" ish screen here to stay? The One X, S3 and the Galaxy Nexus are all around this size. I certainly wouldn’t want any bigger than the GN, in fact i'd like to see a small drop in size. But at the same time keep the 1280x720 resolution as well as the software buttons?
How good will the screen be? Whilst forums are still full of "pentile hate", I've not had too many complaints about the GN screen. I think my biggest complaint is that it’s a battery eater. I think at the very least the screen has to be as good as the One X and iPhone 5 for quality. We are talking a flagship phone here after all.
Battery and Thinness
I for one am getting a little sick of this quest by manufacturers for 'the' thinnest phone, especially when the first thing that usually takes a hit is the size of the battery. It doesn't have to be that way though, the Motorola RAZR was 7.1mm thick with 1780 mAh, but for just 8.99mm thick they added a 3300 mAh lump to the RAZR Maxx. The standard GSM Galaxy Nexus is 8.95mm and 1750 mAh.
Storage
There has to be a larger option than 16gb on the new phone. Or at the very least add an scard slot on there. I appreciate Google are pushing streaming content (Music and Movies) and think people don’t need local storage, but in reality we still do. Look at the leak of the HTC One X+ with 64gb internal storage, WOW!
Conclusion
So over to you, what do you think should make up the new Nexus?
- Any hardware you'd like to see?
- Any features that are a must have?
- Will the next Nexus be a stunning flagship or just another run of the mill black-brick?
- Who will manufacture?
- Can we expect Android 5.0 to be with us shortly?
Or are you simply happy with your Galaxy Nexus? With it likely cost at least a few hundred quid to upgrade to a new model (after selling and buying) is it going to be worth it?
Your Nexus will continue to get Android updates so can you live with its hardware shortcomings?
I'd 'like' a bit more storage, i'd 'like' a better camera and i'd 'like' a bit bigger battery, but am I willing to pay £200+ for it? I'm not sure?
For me, it would have to be a "stunning" flagship release from Google to make me jump ship. At the end of the day, for all its failings, my Galaxy Nexus still does a great job for me.
What about you? Where does the Galaxy Nexus sit today amongst its peers?
Click here to view the item
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