When I did the review, I was informed that there was a System Update taking the OS to version 4.0.2, so I chose to download and install it – which was very quick and in no time I was running the latest version.
Even the phone lock screen looked nice! You can even use facial recognition to unlock the phone!
Final Thoughts
This is my first outing with Ice Cream Sandwich and I have to say I really rather liked it!
Lets talk about the hardware first – the screen is fantastic and very clear. I found it very easy to view whatever I wanted, be it a web page or a video, all looked stunning!
The camera is only 5-megapixles, which I have to say is a little disappointing, but saying that, it still took a very good picture, and the 1080p video recording and panorama modes where easy to use and yielded great results.
The Nexus is quite large, certainly bigger than my iPhone 4S, but that is primarily because of the screen, and believe me, the quality makes it all worth it!
One thing I didn’t like so much was the feel of the Nexus. It felt very plasticy (well it is all plastic), and certainly taking the back off to fit my SIM card worried me that I might actually break it!
Software wise, as I mentioned, this is my first time really using Android 4.0 and I was impressed. It was very quick and felt rather slick, unlike some of my recent experiences with older versions of Android.
One really nice thing with Ice Cream Sandwich is the ability to take screenshots on the device (something that makes doing a review so much easier).
The battery life on the Nexus was actually better than I thought it would be given the size and quality of the screen. I managed to get a full day out of it (although I turned down the brightness and switched off Wireless when I wasn’t needing it).
When the Nexus was first released a few months ago there was a very serious volume bug that made it pretty much unusable, but thankfully that bug is a thing of the past!
Would I recommend the Nexus – absolutely. Would I use it as a replacement for my iPhone 4S – possibly. The reason I say that is that while I love the screen, it does make the Nexus quite big, and therefore not as easy to just slip into your pocket. The second reason I say that is apps. There are obviously lots and lots of apps you can get for Android (and a lot of useful ones that come preinstalled), but I have already spent a lot of money on apps for the iPhone and would rather not have to spend more money to get the same apps again (although to be fair on the Nexus, that will be an issue on any device I use that isn’t an iPhone, and I suspect that sooner or later I will have to take the plunge).
Up until now I personally wouldn’t have opted for an Android phone as my main phone, but having used the Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich, I am seriously considering changing that position.
We can’t really give you a cost for the Nexus because it will depend on where you buy it, if you buy it wish a phone contract, and so on.
