Galaxy Nexus now on sale in Google Play | Hacker News Reader

Galaxy Nexus now on sale in Google Play

googlemobile.blogspot.com

111 pointscleverjake102 comments

When I go to the link in the article I get the famous "We're sorry, the document you requested is not available in your country." from the Play Store.

I encounter this page so often it's not even funny anymore.

Even worse, google keeps sending me emails about music albums in the Play Store and all the links in these emails show me this error.

I have the same problem. Although I fully expect to see this page (even though I click on those music e-mails every time hoping they suddenly unlocked it for us Canucks)

I get those e-mails because I signed up for Google Music via a US proxy and now have access to it but I imagine I'd need to go through a proxy every time if I wanted access to the Play Music store. Needless to say it would make me feel a little better if they'd announce some date as to when we can expect it.

Both you and the parent surely already know it's not strictly Google that is doing this - it's the lovely RIAA (and/or MPAA depending on what content).

Google could do a better job making this restriction clear and isolating it to just the content that is owned by them - leaving the rest of the store available worldwide.

But I agree with pg, we need to find a way to get rid of the RIAA and MPAA. (And their Canadian counterparts. Go Michael Geist!)

You'd also need a US credit card with a US billing address if you'd like to actually buy anything. Which is unfortunate, because there are many things on the Play Music store I would buy if I could.

And then there is Google's insistance of showing their interfaces in the languages that happen to be your outward-facing IP address. Sigh.

(For search, hitting up https solves this, but G+ keeps switching languages on me.)

Add the language you don't want to see to the preferred content languages in your browser settings and then make sure it's the last one in the list. Works with most Google services and many others to stop the automatic language selection based on IP.

Thanks for the tip, will try that.

It feels so weird because I rely on Google Translate a lot. All from the same company :)

EDIT: Just tried it. It still feels weird. I'm in italy right now, and Google leads me to "Google Italia", but then the UI is in English. Ah well, solves my problem I guess. Thanks man!

Wow. I ordered an HTC One S a few days ago but it hasn't shipped yet. It was $549- $399 is a lower enough price that it is sorely tempting. And it's a Nexus device. The only issue I have is the size of the thing.

Hmm. Are there any GNexus owners our there that can tell us about the size of the device? It's the one real sticking point I have with it.

EDIT: For anyone else that's wondering, I looked up the refund policy. They pay return shipping, but you pay a 15% restocking fee- $60, pre-tax.

Yes, the Galaxy Nexus is gigantic.

I'm also pondering getting an HTC One S.

Was considering the One S, but I think the lack of NFC will be annoying in a year or so.

I seriously doubt NFC will matter anywhere other than US very much.

It could matter if it was supported in software and ecosystem, which it more than likely won't :(. We have a lot of NFC terminals in Canada and I wouldn't mind ditching a few paypass/paywave cards from my pocket but it won't be that simple.

We have tons of NFC-enabled terminals in Italy, at least in the bigger cities. They're already used by Mastercard PayPass and Visa PayWave. If I could use my Italian credit card with Google Wallet (or even recharge the Google prepaid card) I would be doing half of my purchases via NFC.

Really? Very interesting.

It is quite large, but I never have trouble fitting it in my pocket (no matter how skinny the jeans). I find it quite comfortable for one-handed texting, and ICS makes texting much easier than earlier releases. Personally I think ICS will make a larger positive impact on your user experience than size could make a negative one.

For one-handed text entry, it works pretty well. There's a reason the keyboard is on the bottom of the screen. But there are non-trivial regions of the screen in the upper corners that cannot be reached by my thumb. And it's occasionally annoying -- the browser tab controls aren't reachable when I hold the phone in my left hand, for example.

That said, the bigger screen is absolutely wonderful for browsing and reading in general; I much prefer Chrome on the GNex to my wife's iPhone 4S.

It's a taste and usage thing. I find for my needs it works very well. Someone who does a lot of one-handed work (while, er, driving maybe) is going to want a smaller phone.

I have one and prefer the size. The screen is unbelievably beautiful, and I love watching Netflix on it while at the gym.

The _only_ size related gripe I have is when I am using it one handed and need to reach the upper left corner with my thumb. That's kinda tough. That and it doesn't fit in my skinny jeans.

is there anyway to take that default google search bar off the homescreens or does it just stay on all the time?

It is nothing more than a widget and can be removed at will.

EDIT: Whoops misunderstood the question and gave a completely wrong answer. See replies.

Actually it is not, it is persistent and cannot be removed unless you use an alternate home screen replacement (like Nova Launcher). There is also a widget that you can place anywhere.

No. You can remove (with a bit of fiddling) it but to my knowledge you can't reclaim the space it takes (even if you could it would present other issues since it is much smaller than a 1-height widget).

How to remove it (not without complications): http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-disable-hide-goog...

You can indeed reclaim the space with, for example, Nova Launcher. My home screen has 5 rows, as a result, and no spacing issues or anything.

Try Apex Launcher. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anddoes.la...

It seems to be based on the standard launcher, but allows you to customize a lot of things, including the search widget.

I've played with a 4.3" Galaxy S2 recently (I have a 3.2" phone right now), and I it didn't feel large at all to me. It seemed pretty normal. I could probably go for one that is a bit bigger than that.

Also the "theory" that everything above 3.5" is too big for one-handed actions is completely untrue. I have average hands, and I could easily use the GS2 with one hand, even up to the top.

The Nexus name doesn't mean as much as it used to. Not all Nexus devices offer a pure Android experience - the Verizon version of Nexus will not have Google Wallet. In term of timely updates, the HTC Sensation received ICS update in March 2012 while the Sprint Nexus S 4G was not updated until early April.

So take that for what its worth. Don't be surprised if Google ends up allowing carriers and manufacturers to provide more customization with Nexus phones and be more lax with update timelines.

Of course, that is a reason to consider this unlocked, contract free phone that one is buying directly from Google.

I bought an unlocked, contract free Nexus One and still ended up with un-removable useless Amazon MP3 and Facebook and Google Play Books and Google Voice apps on my phone :(

The lack of Google Wallet on the VZW is not because of a carrier restriction. It's a hardware issue with the VZW CDMA model of the phone.

Source?

The size is extremely subjective to your needs. My dad is amazed with his galaxy note and thinks the galaxy nexus is tiny. They're all thin and weighs nothing, so after you're past the "it looks dorky" phase, they feel great in your pocket and are much easier to use than smaller phones. For visually impaired people like my dad, the bigger screen was sent from heavens. But if that's not a problem, then it's not as useful.

Before the GNexus I had the Nexus S and I think it was the perfect size for me. That said, the GNexus is big but don´t feel a monster because it is very light and thin. I have average sized hands and in the beginning I thought it was too big, but then I get used to it and I actually like it a lot when watching movies and playing games.

It's too large for me. The only way I can reach the top of the screen is to hold it on the side rather than with the corner of the phone in my palm. This makes me worried I will drop it.

I thought the Nexus S size was perfect, but the Galaxy S II is tolerable.

I find the phonearena.com size comparison tool really handy. http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Samsung-GALAXY-Nexus_id5595...

I came from a much smaller set of phones (iPhone 1, iPhone 3GS, Droid Incredible)... so I was also really skeptical.

For me, it's probably damn near perfect in terms of form factor. It took a day or two to get used to holding it, but after that it's been nothing but awesome. The extra real-estate is really appreciated. I'm a bit faster at thumb typing because the spacing is a bit more comfortable.

I dig it.

Here's a screenshot for those who can't access the page: http://i.imgur.com/rR80K.jpg

And thus my paranoia about buying a new phone is justified - my 14 day "free to cancel" period with Verizon just ended, and now this is announced.

" The unlocked Galaxy Nexus requires GSM compatible service provider for voice calling. In the United States this includes AT&T and T-Mobile. Phones purchased from devices on Google Play are not compatible with Verizon or Sprint."

Gotta love how they treat GSM devices like some sort of weird plug that only fits a few operators, and completely leave the consumer hunting for frequencies and what-not that would actually mean something for international travelers.

It's says right on the Play page:

This Galaxy Nexus is an unlocked GSM phone that will operate on more than 200 GSM providers worldwide, including AT&T and T-Mobile in the US.

Even if you don't know what a Pentaband phone is, that's pretty straightforward.

I know what a petaband is. but if you don't say it, i have no damn way to know if there's 200 GSM providers using 900hz exclusively!

And thus my increased agony - I could have stayed with T-Mobile had this been announced just a bit earlier :)

https://play.google.com/store/devices gives "We're sorry, the document you requested is not available in your country." Ouch.

Well, there is a small disclaimer on the page that says Currently only available in the USA. Not that it justifies completely blocking the page.

Seriously. I can get it shipped and receive it in the U.S. but requiring me to proxy up to even view the order page is a bit much.

Here's a link using a web proxy for those outside the US: http://www.uswebproxy.com/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly9wbGF5Lmdvb2...

An HTTP _NOT_ S proxy, for those of you going too quickly on the sign-up page... ;)

Having an "S" wouldn't add much unless you really trust uswebproxy.com

Yep, I wouldn't sign in to my google account using that link, it was just meant to give quick access the that particular page

I was one of the (few?) people who bought the original Nexus direct from Google and haven't regretted it. While I fully support their efforts, I would love more insight into the relationship their direct phone sales will have with their motorola division.

Can anyone please comment the weight and the size (height, width, length) of the package what you get when you order it, based on this I can calculate how much would it cost to ship it from US using service like borderlinx.

I bought a Galaxy Nexus for work use in January from an Australian retailer.

Just recently it started malfunctioning - it somehow thinks there is always/intermittently a USB charger attached, even when there isn't. This wrecks havoc on battery life since the screen lights up every time it thinks there is a USB charger attached. This does not seem to be a very uncommon issue. (Google "galaxy nexus always charging".)

I am moving to Sweden in less than a week, and average repair time seems to be two weeks judging from online reports from other victims.

And.. this is the kicker: Samsung doesn't offer worldwide warranty repair for their mobile devices. :/

So Google Play is selling physical products too? Does that strike anyone else as weird?

It just seems like there should be some logical separation of brands/experiences there. Even if it's all running on the same backend.

Amazon doesn't make that distinction.

That said, the old name (Market) felt much more appropriate overall.

I bought one unlocked from Expansys for 600$ last month. I was really happy with the phone until today. 200$ price drop was unexpected. Event the Nexus S, which is a 2 year old phone is available for 350$ on Amazon.

Ugh, you gotta be kidding me! I just bought this at Frys for full price (that's 799$)

I'm going to go see if they price match since I just bought it this weekend.

How are they charging 2 times the price? On Google Play it's 400 without any contract or commitment...

I don't know, I'm pretty bothered by this. I checked Google Play the day I purchased it and it was only available w/ a contract. That's why when I saw it at Fry's I bought it because it was unlocked. Should have waited two more days and gotten it at half price. In any case, I'm going to go complain to them about this. I believe they offer price matching.

They definitely do, I don't know if they offer price guaranteeing though. (matching is before the fact, guarantee is after). At any rate, you'll definitely be able to return it as a worst case scenario.

Is this being sold at a loss? An unlocked 16GB iPhone 4S is costs $650. If not, I'm impressed at the price point Samsung is able to achieve given the Galaxy Nexus's feature parity with the iPhone 4S. Which begs the question, why not spend an extra ~$150 per unit to really blow it out of the water, specs wise?

You can get a Nokia Lumia 710 for less than $200 unlocked without a contract in the UK.

Why the the iPhone 4S/Galaxy Nexus cost what they do I don't know...

Market. Demand. Profit.

Because the 710 is basically 2 year old hardware. It's absurd to compare it to modern flagship devices.

Why?

Does the same stuff quite happily.

Much as my 5 year old laptop does the same stuff quite happily as a modern flagship device.

Even though gouranga is being downvoted for saying the same thing I'm about to, it bears repeating. Specs matter in the Android world. The faster the phone, the better your experience. This is a tradeoff of an open, general purpose mobile OS. In iOS and Windows Phone, the software is catered directly to the hardware. Faster hardware does not mean you're going to ever notice an increase in speed inside the OS.

So when people say "yes, but can it match my dual core, 1.5Ghz, whatever else flagship Android phone?", the answer is simply "it doesn't matter". That's not a cop-out, that's not a defense, that's the truth. Windows Phone and iOS are built for their hardware and always run at a constant speed. It doesn't have bleeding edge hardware, but it doesn't need it in order to run as fast as a flagship Android phone.

It sounds like you're saying MS just didn't implement any features that would take advantage of faster hardware, which is kind of sad if true.

That's not really true - it makes full use of the hardware which is why a 1.4GHz single core ARM is fine :)

I'd go as far as saying that the software and hardware are at one with each other.

I can't think of much more that they would need to implement that their competitors are remotely close to having. They have multitasking, they have video, games, music, GPS, HTML5, maps, HD recording, forward facing cameras, Skype, etc.

It sounds like you're saying Android has something special that needs more hardware, which isn't true. The _base system_ needs faster hardware, because it's general purpose. An Xbox can run faster than Windows on the same hardware because it's designed for just one implementation.

In short, troll more.

Sorry, I was assuming gouranga was asking a genuine question. The question he was asking why these phones cost so much, while the Lumia 710 costs so little. And the reality is that the Lumias are running on hardware that time forgot, and better components cost more money. It's going to be cheaper to build a thick phone with a small battery, a slow processor, little ram and a small low resolution screen than it is to build something more modern. That's just the way things are, not a value judgement or a claim that everyone should have the latest and greatest phone.

So why does that 710 use low-end components? One reason is that it's positioned as low or mid-range device, competing against other cheap phones built from cheap components. Another is that there's not much wiggle-room in the WP7 hardware specs. You're going to have a screen of a certain resolution, a certain amount of RAM, a certain kind of Qualcomm SOC, etc.

Luckily for Nokia, in this case these reasons are well aligned. Unfortunately for them they're also forced to try to sell pretty much the same hardware in a different case as their flagship devices. (There are minor spec differences like the amount of flash or the exact technology used for the screen).

And yes, there are real benefits to the higher specs. For CPU perhaps not so much, but the quality of a screen is a huge selling point. A thinner phone is both a good selling point, and much more convenient to carry around. Extra RAM is always useful - on many mobile devices browsing is really frustrating compared to a desktop partly due to how little data can be cached. A better GPU can be a big deal when it comes to games (certainly Apple has managed to do well there). A phone with better specs is going to have a smoother upgrade path to newer versions of the OS.

And I don't see why WP7 phones would be exempt from this. For example, I find it hard to believe anyone could argue that at least some WP7 devices would not be much better with a higher resolution screen than the one mandated by MS. And of course the people buying a Lumia 900 now are going to be really pissed off when they can't upgrade to WP8 next fall due to being sold devices using a 2 year old spec.

The 710 is running on year-old components (which still manage to make a surprisingly decent phone); that helps drive the price down a bit. I paid HTC $500 for a phone with nearly identical components to the 710 over a year ago.

why not spend an extra ~$150 per unit to really blow it out of the water

I think that's called Galaxy SIII. There should also be a new ~$500 Nexus this summer running Jelly Bean.

[citation extremely needed]

Because it's a developer phone. If the developers are all using the highest end devices they can't test how their app works on an average device, performance wise.

Hard to believe they're selling them at a loss. $400 is roughly what a Galaxy Nexus costs in European online stores if you ignore the VAT.

Can anyone comment on the 3G reception and the wifi reception?

I've heard varying reports on problems in these areas, but it's difficult to tell if they are carrier-related for the 3G.

Also, is the wifi any good? I found the reception on the Nexus S severely lacking.

I think most of the talk about reception issues on the GNex relate to Verizon CDMA version of the phone. I tried out a GNex on AT&T here - 4.0.4 has a bug that results in 3G connectivity issues - the recently released minor OTA update fixed that. Prior to and after the update, indoors I get 2-3 bars in my house whereas at the same place with my Atrix I get consistent 4 bars. But calls and 3G Data experience is similar on both phones. So unsure if lesser bars on the Nexus mean anything. Outdoors I traveled 700+ miles with it and had no issues with reception - mostly full bars, 1-2 bars in few areas but calls worked fine there.

WiFi - it is not worse or better than any other device in my house, which is to say it works well across considerable range without any drops.

I bought it from Amazon for $643 - but fortunately I was well within the return window so have returned it today for the $399 Google market version.

The Wifi is on par with the Nexus One for me. The only connection issues I've had were capacity/carrier based (e.g. T-Mo in San Francisco).

Lucky...I bought mine last month for $529. Not full price or bank breaking but still a bummer.

Which network does this work on, for 4G?

And what are the other GSM providers in the US?

Tru, Simple Mobile, T-Mobile USA, Wal-Mart Family Mobile, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular, Shaka Mobile, Locus Mobile, 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless, Commnet Wireless, TerreStar, Immix, i wireless, Indigo Wireless, Airfire Mobile, Alaska Wireless, Amerilink Wireless, Cellular One of East Central Illinois, Cap Rock Cellular, Broadpoint, call4care, Cellular One, Pure Prepaid, Plateau Wireless, Asset/Vada Wireless, ASTAC, Cross Communications, Cordova Wireless, Corr Wireless, Chariton Valley Wireless, Consumer Cellular, Fuzion Mobile, GCI Wireless, Epic PCS, DTC Wireless, Earthtones, GTC Wireless, West Central Wireless, Westlink, Viaero Wireless, Union Wireless, Túyo Mobile, Simmetry, Telecom North America Mobile Inc, Mobal Freedom, Mid-Tex Cellular, KTC, Jolt Wireless, Long Lines Wireless, Pine Cellular, NEP Wireless, and XIT Communications

Sprint & Verizon are NOT GSM. Are all of those others?

Probably not as well. Sprint has a crapload of MVNOs.

You are incorrect. They support GSM, since their 4g rollouts. The HTC thunderbolt was the first phone on verizon whose gsm features were supported. That being said, I copied the list from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_wireless_...), a line wrapped on TracFone Wireless's MVNO explanation and it included those by mistake. Sorry for the misinformation.

LTE != GSM.

LTE is the official "4G" upgrade path for GSMA[1]; but LTE does not automatically give you a GSM and UMTS network to go with it (neither VZ or Sprint have deployed one). This Galaxy Nexus doesn't support LTE; so this model still isn't supported on them.

[1] The industry assoc.; not to be confused with GSM, the 2G tech they supported. Often when people say "GSM", they actually mean "GSM+UMTS(+LTE as rollouts happen)"

I know several of those listed are T-Mobile MVNOs; likely most of this list is either them or AT&T. Cincy Bell is the only one I recognize that I know for sure isn't using either.

There are a ton of MVNOs that sell via AT&T and T-Mobile at superior pricing (and no contract), here's a good thread that covers most of their pricing and features:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455014

Anyone have a sense of whether this will run better on T-Mobile vs. AT&T for the data network? This used to be a no brainer, but T-Mobile's new HSPA+ rollout seems like it puts them on top.

This will run on T-Mobile and AT&T's 3G networks. It works great on AT&T's HSPA network for me, and I imagine it'll work fine for T-Mobile's as well.

I'm pretty sure that it covers all GSM bands used by carriers in the US.

If you're sensitive to Pentile screens, save yourself the trouble. I was excited about this phone but it all went out the window when I held one in my hand. The screen is, to me at least, a horror.

Extremely tempted to buy this, but wondering if I should possibly just wait for the next nexus as the specs, while still nice are starting to get outdated, on an Atrix currently.

Does anyone know if you buy this unlocked, can you use it on wifi without a cellular contract at all?

Basically, can you use it like an Android iPod Touch?

I ordered one to replace my aging Galaxy S Captivate. At this point I'd settle for a phone that is simply 100% functional out of the box.

Nous sommes désolés, le document que vous avez demandé n'est pas disponible dans votre pays.

Thanks Google & France -.-

Here's to hoping that unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexuses purchased from other vendors finally get Google Wallet, too.

Very tempting but I want to wait for the SGS3 before committing to a new phone.

Cancelled my HTC One X preorder to await Samsung's announcement. I suspect the SIII, while likely remaining a fantastic device, will underwhelm given how astronomical expectations have become.

We're sorry, the document you requested is not available in your country.

Now it's pretty obvious what everyone going to Google I/O will get...

Yes. The incredibly cool vr glasses. I want them, but couldn't get a ticket.

I'm not so sure about that. They didn't give away the Nexus S (or any phone for that matter) last year, and I believe the Nexus S was launched around roughly the same time as the Galaxy Nexus was, relative to the date of the conference.

If they're giving away any phone at all, I'm guessing it might be a Galaxy S III, just because that's the only major phone that I'm aware of that's launching around the same time as the conference...

GSM unlocked.

I ordered one. Hopefully it'll get here by Friday :).

Hear! Hear!

Hardware is not the cloud. They can't release new versions. google never addressed any hardware issues (3 of them) with the Nexus One they sold.

4mo and they closed the support forums.

Never a single email replied. Even via the google wallet mediation (ha!)

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