GalaxyNexus
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Verizon to begin selling Galaxy Nexus tomorrow for $300
Get the conga line going, folks, because Verizon's finally come out of its non-committal shell and announced that its version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as expected, can be purchased in stores and online starting tomorrow for $300 with a new two-year commitment. If you go through the official site to grab your copy, you may want to stay up late tonight -- they'll be ready to go at 1AM ET. %Gallery-141830%
Verizon posts Galaxy Nexus simulator, doesn't cap your virtual data
Want to be an Ice Cream Sandwich champ before you even have a Galaxy Nexus in hand? Big Red's just opened the e-freezer, launching its Samsung Galaxy Nexus support simulator, complete with programed hands-on tutorials for navigating menus, launching apps, taking beautiful food pictures with creamy bokeh and browsing various single-page Verizon sites. The tutorial isn't a full sim in the traditional sense -- it's merely a microsite with static pages and limited animations -- but it's the closest many of us will get to playing with the real thing; until tomorrow, at least. Clear your schedule for the next five minutes, and hit up the source link for the smoothest smartphone experience you're likely to ever have.[Thanks, Zedster]
Verizon Galaxy Nexus extended battery makes blurrycam debut, shows off its hump
LTE's dirty secret is also an open one -- it's a juice hog. So, if you're planning on snatching up a Big Red-branded Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you'll probably want to leapfrog that stock 1,850mAh battery for an extended one. Good thing, then, that Mr. Blurrycam stopped by Droid Life to give prospective owners a cure for what's about to ail them. The heftier battery only ups the ante to 2100mAh -- a far cry from the Droid Bionic's 2760mAh -- but, hey, it's better than the alternative. And for the style-obsessed mobile maven, it appears that de rigeur unsightly hump is less severe than you'd expect. You can check it out in the video after the break or in-store -- whenever that is.
Verizon's Galaxy Nexus hitting Costco on December 15? (update: VZW stores too)
That elusive Samsung Galaxy Nexus is still heading to Verizon, believe it or not, and we may actually be nearing the end of our frustrating quest to get our hands on one. While we're still waiting for an official announcement from Big Red itself, the inaugural Ice Cream Sandwich device has shown up in Costco's internal pricing guides with a starting date of December 15th -- a mere two days away. It's priced at $290 with a two-year commitment, which is exactly the same as what we'd originally heard a month ago. Keep in mind that since Costco is an authorized retailer for Verizon, its release date may vary from the official website and corporate-owned stores; that said, we're sure hoping we can waltz into a store somewhere -- anywhere -- and pick one up this Thursday. [Thanks, Anonymous] Update: Thanks to another anonymous tipster, who sent us a screenshot from an internal VZW store computer, it looks like Big Red will be rolling out the Galaxy Nexus on the 15th, too. Not only that, but the alabaster Droid RAZR will land on the same day. Proof's in the photo after the break.
Samsung claims record 300 million mobile sales this year
Add together ten million Galaxy S IIs, a dollop of Galaxy Nexii, a gargantuan gathering of Galaxy Notes and a healthy serving of Badas, and what do you get? 300 million handset sales so far in 2011, that's what. And Samsung claims that makes this the best year in its mobile-making history, surpassing 2010 by a whopping 20 million. Of course, more sales doesn't necessarily translate into greater revenue -- Nokia is still the world's largest manufacturer by volume and is a case in point. Nevertheless, we'll know more when Samsung reveals its Q4 earnings next month.
Lucky shoppers pick up Verizon Galaxy Nexus early at Best Buy
Well, this is just a tease. It was bad enough when the original December 9th release date was pushed back to some undetermined point in time. And then our neighbors to the north got their own version. Now a few lucky shoppers have managed to their hands on the Verizon edition of the Galaxy Nexus and, chances are, you're not one of them. It looks like at least one Best Buy didn't get the memo that the Nexus debut had been postponed. Sean Bates was able to stroll in to the big box retailer and snag himself an little slice of Ice Cream Sandwich and offered a photo of the receipt as evidence. Another forum user, who goes by the name dubya.t also managed to get his mitts on one and posted his own pics showing some of the Big Red branded apps. Sadly, you probably won't be able go drop $300 on your own LTE-equipped Android 4.0 handset and we're not any closer to finding out exactly when it'll officially hit the market.
Galaxy Nexus available now on Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada for $160 on contract
Call out the Royal Canadian Mounted Police guard, the Galaxy Nexus is ready to grace the northest of North American mitts. That Ice Cream Sandwich flagship is now up for order on Bell and Virgin Mobile at $160 with a three-year commitment and $650 for the contract-averse. We've already crowned this Google/Sammy lovechild as king of the Android heap, but of course the real litmus test is whether or not it wins over your hard-earned dollars. If you need a refresher (or an extra persuasive boost), you can check out our exhaustive software review. Otherwise, we'd advise you unlace those hockey skates, set those curling rocks aside and hit up the source with your credit cards at the ready.
Galaxy Nexus lands in Verizon stores December 9th, Droid 4 on the 8th (update: Nexus delayed)
We know you've been impatiently awaiting its arrival, but fear not Android fans -- the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus is almost here... we think. A tipster sent in a shot of an internal VZW email outlining the next few weeks of launches and in-store displays. Chief amongst those is the December 8th arrival of banners, signs and other marketing materials for the world's first ICS handset. Our source reports that posters and all the relevant merch will be rolled out after close of business and the Nexus will officially go on sale December 9th. As a bonus, this also seems to confirm that the Droid 4 will be launching this Thursday. So, if you're fine with Gingerbread and have a thing for QWERTY keyboards December 8th could still be the day all your dreams come true. The rest of us will just have to wait just an extra 24 hours. [Thanks, anonymous] Update: Bad news, folks, it looks like you Big Red fans won't be getting Google's new superphone on the 9th, and unfortunately there's no word when the VZW Nexus will land. See for yourself in the screenshot after the break.
WSJ: Verizon Galaxy Nexus to sell for $299.99 on two-year contract
It might not come as too much of a surprise given other recent high-end smartphones, but The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will sell for $299.99 on the usual two-year contract. That word reportedly comes from people familiar with the matter, who unfortunately didn't get any more specific than "this month" when it came to a release date. [Thanks, Spencer]
Verizon Galaxy Nexus purportedly pictured in retail packaging
We've already seen one Verizon Galaxy Nexus turn up at the Samsung Experience store in New York, and now some images of another unit have surfaced on the XDA forums showing the smartphone in what's purported to be retail packaging. This could well be another demo unit given the plain white box, but the red interior and other materials inside suggest that this could well be the real deal, and that a launch is presumably imminent. As for an official date? Verizon is still only saying "soon."[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon LTE hands-on (video)
New Yorkers got a sneak peek at the Verizon LTE flavor of the Galaxy Nexus at the Samsung Experience in Columbus Circle today, and we dropped by to spend a few minutes with the Ice Cream Sandwich handset in the Manhattan showroom. Samsung had just four pre-production Nexus models on hand, which were running Android 4.0.1 -- not the final 4.1 version we're expecting to see shortly, with a baseband update in tow. None of the samples included SIM cards, so we were only able to test them using the built-in WiFi module. A security alarm sounded when we attempted to remove the back cover to install a SIM, though the battery was also superglued in place, further inhibiting our access.We did take the unit for a speed test spin using our Verizon LTE MiFi, and achieved download speeds ranging from 5000-7000kbps and upload speeds of 300-2000kbps when connected to LTE over WiFi. These results don't represent what you'll see with the built-in module, but considering there was no way to get these running on the Verizon network, connectivity was limited to the MiFi and in-house WiFi. Still, this is your best shot at getting your hands on a device ahead of Verizon's official launch, so if you happen to be anywhere near NYC, head on down to the Samsung Experience to get your Nexus fix. Or hop past the break for our hands-on video.%Gallery-140993%
Verizon apps crash the Galaxy Nexus party, are quickly shown the door
The 4G-flavored Galaxy Nexus has been spotted by the gadget paparazzi yet again. This time, attention was focused on what the Verizon branding will add in the way of obligatory software detritus. Fortunately, these photos prove that the ICS-minted phone should be able to shrug off most of these annoyances. In the shot above, the Verizon Backup Assistant app's disable button is all lit up, beckoning to be forever removed from your visible app list. Check out a full gallery of the Big Red bloat at the source below.
Official Galaxy Nexus dock accessories play pre-order, CarDock and HDMI included (video)
If holding one of the most pimpin' phones on the planet isn't enough to properly distinguish you from the pack, then it's time to accessorize that slab, ya dig? Four Samsung dock connectors for the Galaxy Nexus have entered pre-order phase, which include the standard horizontal station, a vertical option for HDMI, a CarDock that can be oriented in either direction, along with a simpler one that's used to charge an additional battery. The biggies each retail for £50, whereas the charger is going for £15. No word on actual ship dates, but you'll find videos for each item after the break. [Thanks, Denny] %Gallery-140966%
Galaxy Nexus gets recovery images, for when your hacking joy turns to tears
Like extreme stunts, hacking can be rather thrilling. Still, there will always be freak accidents when things don't go as planned, and thankfully, Google has released a safety net for you Galaxy Nexus adrenaline junkies. Specific to the HSPA+ model, the recovery images include the bootloader, radio, and full set of system files. No word yet about whether Google will perform a similar act of generosity for the LTE version that's coming to Verizon Wireless. Naturally, hacking your device is likely to void the warranty, but hey, there needs to be at least some risk involved, right?
Verizon-branded Galaxy Nexus runs impressive 4G LTE speed test on two bars (video)
How fast can the Samsung Galaxy Nexus run on Verizon's 4G network? Pretty darn fast, according to a freshly leaked video. Originally spotted by the folks over at Phandroid, the clip shows a Verizon-branded Galaxy Nexus performing rather admirably on a speed trial from Speedtest.net, reaching download speeds of 8.5Mbps, and upstream rates of 2Mbps -- all on just two bars of signal. It's worth noting that the clip hasn't received Verizon's official blessing, though it should certainly whet some appetites ahead of the handset's apparently imminent release. Check it out for yourself, after the break.
Galaxy Nexus goes on sale early in Germany, makes itself Handy
Ein Handy to rule them all? If you're living in the Googleverse, then yes. The Galaxy Nexus has already offered itself up for rabid consumption throughout the UK and now, it's sending das Deutsche Volk into a tizzy. Various reports have the handset leapfrogging its German release date by a week and landing on shelves at consumer electronics chain, Media Markt, although prices seem to be all over the place -- ranging from €629 (about $847) to €529 (about $713). It doesn't appear all local outlets have the devices in stock, but don't let that hold you back from trying your luck anyway. Now, if only us statesiders could get a firm launch date for Rubin's frosty treat.
Verizon Galaxy Nexus landing in Best Buy on December 11th?
The release dates we've been hearing for the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus have been all over the map. The latest rumors had it pegged for December 8th, and that still may be true for official Big Red shops, but now a source inside Best Buy is telling us the big box electronics retailer won't have them in stock until the 11th. The image above, supposedly taken from a Best Buy inventory system, lists the SCH-i515 as hitting the stock room on December 11th of 2011. What it doesn't list, however, is a street date. The phones could go on sale that day, or the next or a week later -- it's really all just guesswork without an official announcement. While the photos certainly seem legit, there are a few discrepancies that give us pause. Particularly, the lighter weight and thinner profile than what is listed on the Google specs page -- 9.34mm versus 9.47mm and 140g instead of 150. But, we're not writing this off as a fake just yet. [Thanks, anonymous]
Galaxy Nexus OTA update quietly rolls out, addresses volume bug
Google, as promised, has begun rolling out an OTA update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, in response to a curious volume bug affecting many European users. According to Android Central, "several" Nexus users have reported receiving the update, bundled in a package that weighs a little less than 1MB. Early reports indicate that the refresh only addresses the volume issue, though it appears to be rolling out on a piecemeal basis. If you've already updated, let us know how it's treating you in the comments, below. [Thanks, Shaun]
Google: Galaxy Nexus volume fix to roll out next week
Hey, remember those volume issues that European Galaxy Nexus users were complaining about? While a software fix may have already floated around the internet ether last week, Google has informed us that it'll be officially distributing the retweak very soon. Or, in its words: "We're currently rolling out a fix for the volume issue which will reach everyone in the coming week."
Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere
What sorts of mysteries does the Samsung Galaxy Nexus hold? Only the folks at iFixit and their trusty screwdrivers know for sure. Thankfully, the site is willing to share. Check out a teardown of one of the year's most eagerly anticipated smartphones. Thrill to the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, marvel to the five megapixel rear-facing camera and be astonished by the NFC antenna in the source link below.
