Nexus S 4G Review: Gingerbread Phone Gets a 4G Boost

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

Ships with Android 2.3
Sprint version has 4G speeds

Our Verdict

Google and Samsung's sharing collaboration is enhanced with Sprint's 4G data speeds, simply the Nexus S unruffled has a few ironware oversights.

When we reviewed the GSM Nexus S last winter, one of our biggest complaints almost it was its lack of 4G connectivity. Thankfully, a CDMA version has arrived on Dash with support for the newsboy's 4G WiMax network. With the exception of 4G as well as Google Voice integration, however, the Nexus S 4G ($200 with a two-twelvemonth contract from Sprint; Leontyne Price as of 5/15/11) is virtually identical to the GSM version. It has the same camera, AMOLED display and slick design, but you're still capped at 16GB of retentivity as the Nexus S does not let a microSD slot.

(Editor's Note: Portions of this review were taken from the GSM Nexus S review posted on 12/10/11)

Hardware and Design

The Nexus S isn't precisely leaps and bounds ahead of the Nexus Same in its hardware. Like the Nexus One, it has a 5-megapixel camera and is powered by a 1GHz processor. IT has a few key differences, however. For ane, the Nexus S has an NFC chip built into it. Essentially, NFC chips can turn your phone into a kinda charge card. Ideally, when you wave your phone in front of a retailer's sensor, your buy up will immediately make up placed along your account. For a detailed explanation of every that NFC tail do, feel out this primer.

The Link S's design unquestionably bears the Samsung aesthetic as such as the Nexus One does HTC's. That is both good and intense. In appearance, we think the glossy, all-sarcastic Link S is a lot more attractive than the Nexus Indefinite. In construction, it feels a lot flimsier and more plasticky than its HTC counterpart. Measuring 4.9-by-2.5-by-0.43 inches thick, the headphone is a bit larger than the Link One. Weighing 4.5 ounces, the Nexus S is lighter than its sib.

Like the Samsung Galaxy phones (the Vibrant or the Epic 4G), the Nexus S sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED expose. The reveal is also curved (what Google and Samsung are calling a "Contour line Display") indeed as to fit more comfortably next to your face. The curve is subtle, however.

Mechanical man 2.3, aka 'Gingerbread'

You tin find in a separate article an extensive discussion of Gingerbread's new-sprung features and updates. While the update ISN't a huge overhaul of the interface, it has some real useful enhancements. Some of the most notable features include the reinforced package keyboard (though we motionless prefer Swype), NFC support, support for multiple cameras in the television camera UI, and an overall promote in performance. Some subtle tweaks throughout the port make Android search more polished. More blacks in the menus make icons pa, and animations make the UI more reachable and coltish.

Like the GSM Link S, the Dash version is free carrier-added apps and bloatware–which is always Nice.

Google Spill Integration

Google Voice integration is circumscribed. It simply allows Nexus S 4G users to use their existing cellphone number as their Google Voice figure. Google Voice comes preloaded on the ring, but the preloaded translation offers no additional functions or features than the app that any Android substance abuser can download from the Android Market.

Traditionally, when you sign up for Google Voice, you are assigned a "Google Voice number" that can be associated with any of your phones–your cell phone, your federal agency phone, your home phone, whatever. When someone calls your Google Vocalize number, the call in rings happening any or all of those phones.

Normally, when Google Voice users decide they deficiency to economic consumption their existing cell phone numerate as their Google Vocalism number, they much pay a $20 porting fee then establish a sunrise account with a early number for their cell phone. Just Dash Nexus S 4G owners–in fact owners of any Dash phone–can use their present cell enumerate American Samoa their Google Vocalism number. Nobelium issue porting-their Sprint turn and their Google Voice number are the same.

Camera

The Nexus S has a 5-megapixel camera with a flash and the same resolving as the rest of the Coltsfoot S pack. As we've mentioned in other Galaxy reviews, the camera quality is good, but not superb. The Nexus One as wel had a good, only not mind-blowing camera. Colors in my interior shots looked a bit faded, and generally, photos were slightly grainy. One feature film Samsung and Google overlooked is a dedicated shutter headstone on the phone's spine. It is a small detail, but it actually makes a difference when snapping photos.

The camera's interface has a nice variety of settings that you throne tweak to your liking. IT has autofocus, macro and eternity modes, four resolutions to choose from, nine scene settings, three color modes, three quality modes, and exposure metering.

Like the Samsung Epic 4G on Sprint, the Nexus S sports a front-lining VGA camera for making video calls Oregon fetching self-portraits. As mentioned above,Gingerbread's camera interface adds support for quaternary cameras.

You can shoot picture as high as 720-by-480-pixels at 30 frames per second. A video we stab outdoors looked pretty good, if a spot jittery when a fast-moving object went by.

Wireless Speeds

The throughput speed performance of the earpiece was consistent with the speeds we've measured using other Sprint 4G (WiMAX) phones this twelvemonth-non awfully slow but non as barred as 4G should be.

We took the Link S 4G to three locations in San Francisco, and measured the upload and download speeds of the phone each one. We measured at Church building and Commercialize, at Moscone Center and at our offices at 2^nd and Bryant Street. At each location we measured connection speeds inside the building, and standing just outside.

For our inside measurements, the phone clocked an mean download speed of 1.4 megabits per 2d (mbps) and an mean upload speed of .3 mbps. For our outside measurements, the Nexus averaged 2.5 mbps for download speeds and .85 mbps for upload speeds.

Rear Line

The Link S is a solidness Humanoid speech sound successful even better with Sprint's 4G data speeds. With the added bonuses of Humanoid Gingerbread, NFC support and a gyroscope, the Nexus S is certainly one of the best phones to get happening Sprint A well. We still give the axe't help but knock information technology for its want of expandable memory, though. If you project on using your sound as a music player operating room need to take a great deal of pictures with it, expansive memory definitely comes in handy.