Samsung GALAXY Nexus Sprint Pro Reviews

What can we say about this phone that hasn't been said before? No, seriously, what? It may sound a bit glib, but the Sprint Galaxy Nexus is the same phone we've already reviewed twice, just with a Sprint logo slapped on the back. There are some minor cosmetic differences, but they don't make the phone any more or less desirable. It's still one of the best, if not the best, phones on the market. What's more, if you've got a hankering for some plain vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, this is the only way you're going to get it. (Short of loading up a custom ROM, of course.) The big difference here is the Sprint network, which makes it the weakest link in the chain -- at least until it flips its LTE network live. Here in New York, even when we could get a consistent signal, it was like we had traveled back in time. In the age of 4G, Sprint's EVDO Rev. A network simply can't keep up. But, if you're already a happy Sprint customer and want a future-proof device that will be able to take advantage of its LTE network when it launches, this is easily the best of your current options.

When the Samsung Galaxy Nexus originally came out, it had the advantage of being the newest and most cutting-edge Android device out there: the only one with Android 4.0, an HD screen, and equally impressive specs, which helped compensate for its flaws. Six months later, that's no longer the case. With the Samsung Galaxy S III due out in the US in twenty minutes or so, the Droid RAZR HD on the horizon, and other competitive models in the wild, I'm a lot less willing to forgive the GN's shortcomings. Add to that the fact that Sprint's LTE network is still nonexistant, its 4G capabilities are basically wasted, and will continue to be unless you live in one of the few lucky markets where Sprint will be rolling out LTE in the near future. The Galaxy Nexus is still a good piece of hardware, but the onward march of time and Sprint's network troubles have reduced it from "cutting edge" to "kind of average." It's not a bad buy if you know its limitations, but for those seeking a truly high-end smartphone, there are better options out there.

Sprint's version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus pairs a "pure Google" experience with unlimited data, but for now, that's very slow data.

The $199.99 Samsung Galaxy Nexus is unmistakably an Android flagship phone. It's incredibly powerful, offers a pure ICS experience, and you can tinker with it down to its core. While it's a sleek and powerful smartphone, it sadly needs LTE to soar like its Verizon counterpart. I hope we won't have to wait too long for Sprint's advanced 4G network to arrive. If you can live without ICS, the $99.99 LG Viper is another compelling Sprint Android option. It has a better camera, but it too is waiting for Sprint's LTE network to go live. For the same price, you could wait for Sprint's upcoming HTC Evo 4G LTE, which is right around the corner. You'll be waiting for LTE on that handset, as well, but it could be Sprint's best Android phone yet.

First and foremost, if you’re a Sprint customer who simply can’t wait any longer to experience the bountiful features associated with Ice Cream Sandwich, you should no doubt check out the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However, bear in mind that the handset is brandishing a $200 on-contract price, which seems normal at first, but considering that it’s essentially a 5-month old model, we actually would’ve liked to see it come in at a lower price point. To tell you the truth, for the same amount of money, you might as well wait to check out the upcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE, which seems to be a logical move since it’s the newer and fresher device. Finally, it’s a bit of a shame that you can’t make use of its 4G LTE connectivity, since the network is sparsely available in test markets for now.