The Cell Phone Junkie

Walking the trade show floor all day at CES, staying connected is one of the most important things on a tech blogger’s mind. Sure, the 3G/4G connection in your smartphone is great, but what if your network is overloaded, and you’re without a plan B? This situation happened to me during CES 2011, where my iPhone 4 on AT&T was little more than a paperweight through most of Las Vegas. As it turns out, not only are there a lot of people using the AT&T’s network as subscribers here in the states, but with all the international attendees pushing their GSM roaming traffic through them as well, the network could not keep up with the demand. So this year, I’m taking the situation into my own hands, and have a homemade portable extended-life hotspot that I’ll have with me at all times. Now before you say “couldn’t you get the same results with a MiFi with multiple batteries”, the answer is yes, but I think my solution is more useful. It has the flexibility to work under a variety of circumstances, and many of the pieces to the solution are useful apart from this configuration, and will be used for 2 or 3 different duties during the week. So as we dive into CES week, here’s an in-depth look at how Joey and I plan to stay connected at CES 2012.

Hardware involved

• CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot – $40 on Amazon
• 3 – ZAGGsparq 2.0 – $50 on Amazon
• Verizon LG VL600 4G LTE Modem – $40 on Amazon
• USB DC Power Cable – Z4 with optional plug-tip with 5.5×2.5mm Connector G4 – $10 on bixnet
• 6” USB 2.0 patch cable – $3 on Sewell
• Neoprene case with front pockets – $15 on eBay

Connection

I’ve been using the Verizon LG VL600 4G LTE modem since late summer, and am constantly impressed with Verizon’s solid LTE connection and great coverage. Last year during CES, I had along the same LG VL600 modem, but at the time, only Windows drivers were available, and I used it only in the hotel for file uploads. Initial speeds that were in the 30Mbps download range have settled down a bit, but I generally see 10+Mbps on the down side, and 3-5Mbps on the up. For my purposes, this is plenty fast for checking email, reading news feeds, and posting website content.

As a backup, I also have my Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8330 with Modem Mode Enabled. This serves as a good backup when the LTE stick is unavailable.

CradlePoint PHS300

I’ve mentioned my interest in CradlePoint products many times, as they offer a great way to share an existing 3G/4G connection with up to 32 devices. Though support for CradlePoint devices was not available at launch, a few months after the release of LTE USB modems, Mac drivers became available, and CradlePont support arrived. Using the modem in conjunction with the CradlePoint PHS300 is my ultimate mobile setup. The CradlePoint allows me the flexibility to plug in nearly any USB modem, or many different types of smartphones that allow tethering. Both the VL600 and the Curve 8330 I mentioned below are supported, so I have two choices for the connection.

Use is very simple, just plug in the device to the USB connection, and use either the battery, or a wall plug to power the unit. Battery life on the 1800mAh replaceable battery is limited to about 2 hours, so plan ahead.

ZAGGsparq 2.0

The ZAGGsparq 2.0 comes in for our power needs. With 6,000 mAh of juice, the ZAGGsparq allows for charging via a 1 or 2.1 Amp USB connection. The AC adapter for the CradlePoint puts out 2.5 Amps, but the 2.1 Amps on the ZAGGsparq works just fine in our setup. Thanks to ZAGG, I have 3 of these units, which should help me easily get through the 18 hour days with this setup and the power on to the CradlePoint constantly. I’m thinking the stress on the LTE network and the general use that we’re expecting to get out of the modem should have each one last about 6 hours. See below for more about my initial tests.

Z4 DC Power Cable with G4 5.5×2.5mm tip

One of the hardest things to find in the setup was a way to connect the CradePoint to the ZAGGsparq. The connection is a 5.5×2.5mm tip, which is not as easy to find as I would have expected. Through quite a bit of searching (and one failed “that might work” Amazon order), I found the correct cable with changeable tip through bixnet. $10 later, I was in business.

USB Patch Cable

A simple patch cable used to get the LTE stick away from the CradlePoint.

Putting it all together

Now that I have the CradlePoint, ZAGGsparq, USB modem, Z4 power cable and USB patch cable, the Neoprene iPad case with pockets comes into play. This is a lot of stuff to carry around all day, but put it all in a case, and it becomes a lot more manageable. The case I found has 2 pockets on the front, which allows me to put the CradlePoint in one side, and the LTE stick and ZAGGsparq in the other. I used the Z4 power cable and the USB patch cable to connect the 2 sides through small holes I cut in the corner of each pocket. Plug it all together, flip the CradlePoint on, and you’ve got yourself a charging, powered extended-life hotspot.

Real world use

While the setup sounds good in theory, how does it work in the real world? Hopefully, pretty well! My initial control tests for battery life saw a combination up-time for a fully charged internal CradlePoint and ZAGG battery at 10 hours and 21 minutes. While the Mediaroom WiFi at CES can’t be beat for overall speed, when on the show floor, in the hotel and just generally around Las Vegas, having my mobile hotspot with over 10 hours of battery life should allow use of a functional iPhone, iPad or Laptop anywhere we go. More to come throughout the week with this setup.

Full Gallery

Almost one year ago to the day, I took a look at one of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 devices, the Samsung Focus.  I determined that while it had a simple and friendly UI, the OS wasn’t really ready for the power mobile device user.  Rather, I liked Windows Phone as a good choice for those just entering the smartphone market.  Then in mid-2011, Microsoft announced new features for the platform, coming in the form of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, a huge update for the platform that introduced over 500 new features.  All of the first generation hardware is able to take advantage of the new software, which is free to everyone with a WP7 device.  So what actually came in the release, and is it enough to now call Windows Phone one of the top 3 smartphone operating systems?  I used the T-Mobile HD7 running late latest Windows Phone 7.5 version for my review.

Requirements for Mango

As it was with the original Windows Phone launch, all of the 2011 hardware is very similarly spec’ed with minimum requirements that creates a consistent experience.  All Windows Phone 7.5 devices include a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, DirectX graphics hardware support with hardware acceleration for Direct3D, minimum of 384MB of RAM, 4GB of flash memory or more, WVGA (800 x 480) display resolution, 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB 2.0, WiFi b and g with n being optional, FM radio, Bluetooth and the usual four sensors.

With over 500 new features in the Mango update, many of them are under the hood, and won’t effect the user’s experience.  Here are eleven of the most prominent changes worth noting:

Multitasking

The non-multitasking nature of the initial Windows Phone build has been rectified, and users can now switch apps and keep things like games, internet music or social networking apps going while they do other tasks.  A long press of the back button pulls up the most recent open apps in a thumbnail view.  Not all apps are compatible to multitask however, so this is still a work in progress feature that will only get better as more apps are updated.

Message Threading

Mango has updated the way messages work, allowing for threading of multiple types of messages by contact.  This means that all emails, texts and instant messages can now be seen together, grouped by contact.  In theory, this sounds like a useful feature, but my compartmentalized brain rarely used it, instead, jumping to the separate messaging or inbox to see find messages from a specific person.

Group Support

Grouping of family and friends together in People is a unique and excellent addition.  It allows for texts or emails to be sent to a large group, along with viewing status updates and the latest photos posted by the members.  The function is great for families, allowing a simple effective way to see what’s happening in that slice of your life.

Inbox Linking

Multiple inboxes can be viewed simultaneously through what is called Linked inbox.  Like iOS, Android and BlackBerry, all your inboxes flow into one screen when enabled, making it much easier to manage if you’re used to seeing all accounts together.  I appreciated the incorporation of this, and it changed my use of email exclusively to the one Linked inbox tile on my home screen.

Voice Actions

Voice commands and dictation are available in messaging.  While nice to have, and although it works fairly quick and accurately, it’s no Siri.

Applications

Users can now see apps in search results, along with the Music, Video and Picture Hubs.  Live tiles have been improved, making them more dynamic, and offering additional information to the user.

IE9

Internet Explorer 9 has been added, and offers an experience that is closer to that of iOS or Android.  Pulling up web pages with graphics is fast, and when switching from the mobile version to the full site content renders nicely.  There is no flash though, so embedded files or other media will not however be displayed.

Bing

Bing Vision, Voice and Music search join the standard search, which has been improved for better results.  Bing Maps will continue to be the mapping solution for the OS, but Nokia Maps will used in Nokia handsets.  A QR scanner is built into the search function too.

Web based Windows Phone Marketplace

Users can now shop, download and share apps with a new web based Windows Phone Marketplace.  The service lets you choose to send an app directly to your device over the air from your PC.  A nice way to get apps to your phone without having to connect a cable.

Internet Sharing

One of my favorite features of Android and iOS is the ability to share your internet connection with a simple swipe to turn it on.  Windows Phone now offers internet sharing as well, letting you choose to share your connection with up to 5 users.  The service is also smart, and will turn itself off if not used for a few minutes.

Connecting to hidden WiFi networks

One of the very first gripes I had with Windows Phone was the inability to connect to hidden WiFi networks.  Many individuals and organizations choose to hide WiFi networks for security purposes, and the ability now to connect to them is a welcome addition.

Overall

Those that have used Windows Phone for the last year will appreciate what Microsoft has put into this update.  Android, iOS and even BlackBerry users will still look inquisitively at the live tiles, mesmerized by the animations.  For a platform that really only has a few percentage points of marketshare right now, Windows Phone 7 really is starting to get an impressive amount of third-party developers engaged in the platform.  The main apps for most users are ready and waiting for you to download onto a WP7 device.

Yet, when it comes right down to it, if you’re entrenched, happy with and fluent in using your DROID or iPhone, there’s a good chance Windows Phone 7 is still not going to do it for you.  As an platform agnostic device user, I can appreciate all that has gone into the new build, and am excited to see Microsoft continue to enrich and enhance the OS.  But, due to enterprise adoption of BlackBerries and general angst by consumers toward the Windows brand, I believe WP7 will continue to be the number 4 smartphone platform through 2012.

Full Gallery

Following a November release internationally, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus finally went on sale through its exclusive US partner Verizon on December 15th.  After months of speculation, and weeks after the HSPA unlocked model was released, the 4G LTE enabled version brings some slight hardware and software differences.  Like its GSM based sibling, the Nexus is the first carrier-available device with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  It ushers in a new era of Android smartphones, and is the benchmark for all Android handsets in 2012.  Comparing the two models, most of the specs are the same, including a 4.65-inch HD display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, and 1GB of memory.  Available through Verizon Wireless for $299.99 with a new two-year contract.  The Galaxy Nexus used in this review was provided by Verizon Wireless.

What’s in the Box

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• 1,850 mAh lithium ion Battery
• AC phone charger with USB cable
• 3.5mm stereo headset with microphone
• LTE microSIM
• Various documentation

Specifications

• Technology/Frequencies: CDMA 850/1900, LTE 700
• Weight: 150 grams (vs. 135 in the HSPA model)
• Operating System: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Processor: 1.2 GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP
• Display: 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED at 1280 by 720 resolution (note, not SAMOLED+)
• Memory: 1GB of RAM
• Internal Memory: 32GB of internal storage (vs. 16GB in the HSPA model)
• Battery: 1850mAh battery (vs. 1750mAh in the HSPA model)
• Rear Camera: 5.1MP with LED flash
• Video Camera: 1080p at 30fps
• Front Camera: 1.3MP
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• Bluetooth 3.0
• USB 2.0
• 802.11 a/b/g/n on 2.4 and 5GHz
• No microSD support
• microSIM support
• NFC
• Accelerometer
• Compass
• Gyroscope
• Light/Proximity sensor
• Barometer

First impressions

After reviewing the HSPA+ version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I didn’t expect much of a change from the Verizon model.  While on the surface it seems nearly identical to the unlocked/unbranded version, the Verizon model has a few key differences.

Thickness

As we’ve known from the announcement, the LTE-enabled version is thicker than the unlocked model.  Though there’s an interesting comment about this, it makes the phone more comfortable to hold and use.  The thinness of the HSPA model certainly is striking, but as I mentioned multiple times during my review of it, doesn’t translate to comfort.  The added depth of the Verizon model is welcomed, and I am happier with the feel.

Speed

Using the LTE network on Verizon has always been enjoyable for me, and the experience with the Galaxy Nexus is pretty much the same.  During my initial tests of the LTE, the upload side was a tad low…around 1Mbps or less.  Further, the latency was in the 150ms range, which is higher than what I’m used to with LTE.  I also noticed fewer bars, and also less signal strength compared to a DROID Charge, HTC Thunderbolt and a LTE USB stick.  This also meant that I was in 3G coverage vs. 4G more when compared to these other devices.  Other reviewers have had similar results with the device, and the general consensus is that the device is not as strong RF wise as other devices on the Verizon network.

Signal concerns aside, when you are connected, speeds ultimately are very good.  I ran over 50 speed tests during the course of a few days, and was easily able to bury the speedtest.net app needle above 20Mbps, even with only 2 bars of service.

Other changes to the Verizon variant include volume rocker buttons that are much more tactile than the GSM model, 32GB of internal memory vs. 16GB and a microSIM slot vs. the miniSIM used internationally.

Hardware Overview

The overall look of the Verizon model is largely the same as the international version.  The color is the same, the materials are the same, and looking at the devices from the front, you’ll see no distinguishable variance.  However, turn them over, and you’ll see the Verizon model has added .02 inches, and once picked up, you’ll feel the .03 of a pound weight increase.  Going back to the initial impression, I am actually OK with these changes, and found the device more comfortable to hold and use for extended periods.  It’s like they got the extra curves in the right places with the LTE model, and between the two, I’d rather have the thickness and weight for my day to day device.

Yet even with the slight improvements in size and weight, I still had a hard time with the size of the phone.   4.65 inches just feels too big for a phone, and really boarders on tablet size territory.  My primary concern when using a phone is one handed usage, and the Nexus is not an easy device to use with just one hand.  I will say that during the time between my unlocked Nexus and the Verizon Nexus, I did feel cramped using the iPhone 4S again.  However, once I picked it back up with the Verizon unit, I still wanted something smaller.  I am starting to form some strong opinions that a 4-inch phone is the optimal size.  If I really want more screen real estate, I want to have much more, not just a little.  This means a tablet for me, and not just another inch on the phone.

Data Usage and Battery

Using the LTE Nexus for just a few days, and am starting to get worried about capped LTE data plans.  While I was doing a ton of testing, particularly with speed tests, I hit my 1GB warning mark in less than 48 hours of use.  The nice thing about having an Android 4.0 device though, is that the Data Usage menu allows for easy tracking of where your data is going, and you can plan accordingly.

After a few days of use, I can tell you that the battery is going to be fine for most people, but still on par with what you find from most LTE devices.  Basically, if you’re judicious in your use, you make it from 8am to 8pm, otherwise, plan to charge it during the day.  At 1850 mAh, the battery is bigger than most Android devices, but so is the screen.  A glance at the battery usage in the settings shows the display using well over 50% of the battery.

WiFi Connectivity

WiFi connectivity is present in the form of dual-band WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz.  WiFi works fine on 2.4GHz but the 5GHz is just not good.  The coverage is poor, and I wasn’t able to move more than two rooms away from my router before the signal dropped out or was unusable.  This is the exact same issue I experienced on the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, and the BlackBerry Bold 9930.  Seems that phone WiFi power isn’t enough to make the higher frequency worth using.

Phone

The Galaxy Nexus is likely a device you’ll be using more for data than voice, but as a phone, you’ll be just fine.  The device is large, so holding it to your head feels a bit strange at first.  However, like the Nexus S before it, the curved glass screen feels very comfortable on your face, and I was able to quickly adapt in the few test calls I made.  Sound quality was clear, and the dual-microphones work well for cancelling out noise.

Front: 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display.  Speaker, light sensor and 1.3MP camera are at the top.  LED is at the bottom.  No buttons are on the front face, as the software buttons of the OS appear as needed.

Left side: Volume rocker keys

Top side: Blank

Right side: Power/unlock button with 3 contacts for charging or car docks.

Bottom side: 3.5mm headset jack, microphone and microUSB port

Back side: 5.1MP continuous auto-focus camera with 1080p video recording and LED flash.  Speaker at the bottom.

Under the cover: SIM slot and 1850 mAh batter

Camera

Matt Miller said it best – “Have to say that the Galaxy Nexus camera impressed me…in typical photo situations.”  I won’t be replacing the iPhone 4S with the Nexus for camera use anytime soon, but in most situations, you’ll be just fine.  Below are a few photos taken with the Nexus, including the street sign which is zoomed in all the way.  Click through on each to see them full size.

Software/Features

After three years of Android, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich bridges the gap between the Honeycomb tablet OS, and Gingerbread on the phone.  There are a number of things you’ll immediately notice, including the lack of physical capacitive buttons, and a missing applications button.  Across the bottom of screens when you need them now are: Back, Home and Multitasking buttons.

The old app button has been replaced by an app icon in the middle of the 4 customizable buttons on the bottom.  A nice addition too is the ability to make folders, which when in use, show small icons of the apps inside, cascading backwards from newest to oldest.  Roll all this in with the new Roboto font, and the look of ICS is much different and refined.  Finally, the speed of the OS is quite nice, taking full advantage of the 1.2Ghz dual-core processor inside.

Though, it’s still not perfect, and there are small things that still lack consistency.  For example, the menu/settings are now represented by 3 dots.  These dots either show up on the top right of the navigation bar, or sometimes at the bottom.  There are multiple ways to do things too, that may not make things easier.  Like, when using the notifications bar that swipes down from the top, you can either hit the “X” to clear all notifications, or swipe each one away individually.  Then there’s the multitasking.  It’s nice to be able to swipe apps out of the list, but I was a bit surprised to see that it doesn’t actually close the app.

I realized something after using the phone for a week that I never have before with Android.  The UI layers like Sense or Motoblur can actually help with the experience of the device.  I know, sounds crazy right?  But here’s the thing, when you’re trying to configure or customize, you sometimes have to really dig in to do so.  I got led down one such rabbit hole trying to configure SIPDroid appropriately, and ended up abandoning the proicess and deleting the app.  Settings in the app, settings in the OS, and sometimes just too many options make for a confusing and frustrating experience if you don’t have a real solid understanding of the OS.  And sadly, while I review a fair number of Android devices, the changes in ICS did take a while to get used to, and even after a few weeks, and 2 different Nexus’, I still am not comfortable.  Bottom line, the hardware manufacturers really know that you may not be a Cell Phone Junkie, and so they’re going to make it as easy as possible to get the phone up and running with great features and functions out of the box.  And you know what, I’m starting to think they’re right.

As far as differences between the LTE and international device in software, look for a few pieces of Verizon software.  Verizon has added the Verizon Backup Assistant, and My Verizon Mobile to the phone.  Good news though, both of these can be disabled in the app settings, and you’ll never have to see them again.

Overall

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is far and away the best Android experience on any device to date.  At $300, the device is more than the iPhone 4S at the cheapest price, but the same when you bump up to the 32GB model.  If you’re looking for speed, then choosing the LTE enabled model from Verizon makes this an easy choice.  As a phone, the footprint is too big for my taste, but if you want the latest hardware, unmodified software, and the purest Android experience out there the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is quite possibly going to be the best Android handset for the foreseeable future.

Full Gallery

After reviewing the HSPA+ version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, I now have the Verizon model in for comparison.  While nearly identical to the unlocked/unbranded version, the Verizon model has a few key differences.

Thickness

As we’ve known from the announcement, the LTE-enabled version is thicker than the unlocked model.  Though there’s an interesting comment about this, it makes the phone more comfortable to hold and use.  The thinness of the HSPA model certainly is striking, but as I mentioned multiple times during my review of it, doesn’t translate to comfort.  The added depth of the Verizon model is welcomed, and I am happier with the feel.

Speed

Using the LTE network on Verizon has always been enjoyable for me, and the experience with the Galaxy Nexus is pretty much the same.  While the speeds on the download side are around 10Mbps, the upload side was a tad low…around 1Mbps or less.  Further, the latency was in the 150ms range, which is higher than what I’m used to with LTE.  Granted, most of the tests were done in the same location, so I’ll need more tests to see if there’s a real issue here.

Bottom Line

After using the HSPA+ model of the Galaxy Nexus for a week, I still found it too big for my taste, and opted to sell it while I could still get a good return on my purchase price.  Matt Miller of ZDNet presents a very compelling argument about why the iPhone 4S may be a better choice for some people.  I tend to agree, as the size for me was the factor that pushed me back to the iPhone.  However, with just a day of use with the slightly thicker Verizon model, I feel a bit different about this model, and time will tell if it is enough to sway me back.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been the most hotly anticipated Android handset in late 2011.  The new Nexus is also the first to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and ushers in a new era of Android smartphones, poised to be the benchmark for all Android phones in 2012.  Announced in October, the device features all the latest specs, including a huge 4.65-inch HD display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, and amazingly will be an exclusive device on Verizon in the US.  But does all this hype and gushing add up to a device worth buying?  Is it really that much better than say an iPhone or other Android smartphone?  We’ll answer these, plus many other questions.  Coming soon to Verizon, and available unlocked and unbranded for around $700 through various online retailers.  The Galaxy Nexus used in this review was purchased by The Cell Phone Junkie.

What’s in the Box

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• 1,750 mAh lithium ion Battery
• AC phone charger with USB cable
• 3.5mm stereo headset with microphone
• Various documentation

Specifications

• Technology/Frequencies: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA/HSPA+ 800/900/1700/1900/2100
• HSPA+ Connectivity via pentaband 3G/4G – forT-Mobile and AT&T use in the US (LTE on 700 MHz coming to Verizon)
• Weight: 135 grams
• Operating System: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Processor: 1.2 GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP
• Display: 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED at 1280 by 720 resolution (note, not SAMOLED+)
• Memory: 1GB of RAM
• Internal Memory: 16GB or 32GB of internal storage (unlocked shipping with 16GB)
• Battery: 1750mAh battery
• Rear Camera: 5.1MP with LED flash
• Video Camera: 1080p at 30fps
• Front Camera: 1.3MP
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• Bluetooth 3.0
• USB 2.0
• 802.11 a/b/g/n on 2.4 and 5GHz
• No microSD support
• NFC
• Accelerometer
• Compass
• Gyroscope
• Light/Proximity sensor
• Barometer

First impressions

After much contemplation and searching for the best deal, I finally pulled the trigger through Negri Electronics.  The price, a whopping $730.  Fortunately, I was able to grab a coupon code which saved me $35, and the shipping was free.  However, $700 still stings a bit when you’re talking about a world with $200 on-contract iPhone 4S’s.

On the service side, with the pentaband HSPA support, I could have easily used my active iPhone SIM in the device, but I wanted to get the full experience of using both the iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus side by side.  So, as we’ve talked about over the past few months, I opted for the Walmart/T-Mobile $30 Monthly4G special.  For $30 per month, the prepaid no-contract plan offers Unlimited web (4G speeds capped at 5GB), Unlimited texts and 100 minutes.  This plan was perfect for how I was going to use the device (ie, all data).  While it required me to purchase a phone to get the SIM and activation code, the $30 handset was a small price to pay to get prepaid, cancel at any time 4G service on the device.

Back to Negri Electronics, if you’re looking for a place to purchase the Nexus, I highly recommend Negri.  They worked with me late into the afternoon one day to place my order, and the device was shipped free out of their location in Las Vegas, and I had it the next day.  I can’t emphasize enough how important customers service is for situations like this, and Negri really came through.  Kudos guys!

On to the phone – as I’ve been a longtime iPhone user, picking up Android devices whether for review purposes, or personal use is always a shock.  The device is significantly larger than the iPhone, though at 4.65 inches, it doesn’t feel as big as I thought it would.

The weight is slightly less than the iPhone, but the larger footprint distributes it more.  Overall, the phone feels lighter than you expect, which helps offset how big it is.  The screen is gorgeous, and at 720p resolution, it is one of the best parts of the phone.  On a pixel by pixel basis, it’s not quite as good as the iPhone’s retina display, but for the average user, you’re not going to notice.  Some say the pentile nature of it detracts from the experience, but I’m telling you, you’re not going to notice it.  Overall, I’ve never seen such a vibrant, beautiful display on a device this large, it’s wonderful.

One of the other things I checked out first with the device was the camera.  It’s not as good as you want, but it’s not that bad.  I’m jaded now with the iPhone 4S camera, which as a benchmark can’t be met by the Nexus.  Though, some of the features like zero shutter-lag and panorama mode made the iPhone’s features look weak.

Finally, Ice Cream Sandwich was a big part of the allure of this device, and it is truly Android all grown up.  I’m not here to tell you that it’s perfect, and I’m not even going to say its better than iOS.  What I will say though, is that after only a few hours of use, the overall experience is much more fluid, consistent, and fun.  ICS will make switching to Android from other platforms easier than ever.

Phone/Data

The Galaxy Nexus is likely a device you’ll be using more for data than voice, but as a phone, you’ll be just fine.  Again, the device is large, so holding it to your head feels a bit strange at first.  However, like the Nexus S before it, the curved glass screen feels very comfortable on your face, and I was able to quickly adapt in the few test calls I made.  Sound quality was clear, and the dual-microphones work well for cancelling out noise.

On the data side, things worked very well.  Using the T-Mobile prepaid 4G SIM was nearly flawless.  When out and about, I had HSPA most of the time, and 3G during the rest.   Fortunately, I am able to supplement my use at home and work with WiFi, as these two areas were EDGE only for me on T-Mobile.

Running speed tests on the device over a few days found fairly consistent download speeds, but wide ranging upload marks.  The range on the download varied from 3Mbps, to just over 6Mbps, and between a pitiful 185Kbps and nearly 3Mbps up.

WiFi connectivity is present in the form of dual-band WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz.  WiFi works fine on 2.4GHz but the 5GHz is just not good.  The coverage is poor, and I wasn’t able to move more than two rooms away from my router before the signal dropped out or was unusable.  This is the exact same issue I experienced on the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, and the BlackBerry Bold 9930.  Seems that phone WiFi power isn’t enough to make the higher frequency worth using.

Hardware

I’m just going to come right out and say it; I had a hard time with the size of the phone from the moment I picked it up.   At 4.65 inches, some reviews have said it doesn’t feel too big due to the smaller bezel.  I however, tend to disagree.  My primary concern is one handed usage, and the Nexus is not an easy device to use with just one hand.  During my review of the device, I spent an entire day traveling, and to me, it’s important to use the phone with one hand while schlepping through an airport, or to check in on things during the few minutes between meetings.  I forced myself to keep the iPhone 4S in my pocket as much as possible, but honestly I switched back and forth quite a bit.  It’s not that I can’t hold the phone without 2 hands, its just that the size makes it feel less secure, and I don’t like using the thumb on the hand I’m holding it with for anything other than device support/control.  I also walk around with my phone in my hand a lot.  The larger size is awkward for me to do this, and I don’t like it.  Unless you’ve got larger than normal hands, plan to reposition the device often, as you can’t hold it in one position and do much with just one hand.

Here’s the best way I can compare it, the device is a lot like an SUV.  The size is nice for certain tasks, but overall, it’s overkill for everyday use.  Sure, you’ll get used to the size over time, but if I’m comfortable with a certain form factor, and it’s what I like, why shoehorn the bigger size into my life?

Outside of the size complaint, the Galaxy Nexus is a superb piece of hardware.  If you’ve used the Nexus S in the past, you’ll see a lot of similarities, in a large, slimmer design.  The overall feel of the phone is quite solid, and once you get the back cover snapped into place, it’s incredibly nice to hold.

The exterior case of the device is all plastic, which keeps the phone light, but does make it feel less like a $700 device.  A metal chassis inside however gives the device strong support, and most of the time, I had no issue with the materials or general build.  The thinness of the phone is only hampered by the chin on the lower 1/8 of the backside.  This is where you’ll find the microphone, microUSB port, headset jack and speaker.  With a device as thin as the Nexus, they needed somewhere to put all these components, so the lower portion of the backside was the answer.

Using the Nexus for a week, and have a very good idea of how the battery will stand up.  Basically, like many other smartphones today, if you’re judicious in your use, you make it from 8am to 8pm, otherwise, plan to charge it during the day.  At 1,750 mAh, the battery is bigger than most Android devices, but so is the screen.  A glance at the battery usage in the settings shows the display using a full 50% of the battery.

Maybe I just haven’t spent much time typing on Android devices, or maybe it’s just Samsung devices, but the haptic feedback nearly had me sending the phone back within the first 24 hours.  It’s hard to describe, but it feels cheap, and childlike even.  The Galaxy Nexus is such an elegant phone, and I’m not a fan of the cheesy feeling vibrations.  Plus, it can’t keep up with my typing and just feels like a hot vibrating mess.

Front: 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display.  Speaker, light sensor and 1.3MP camera are at the top.  LED is at the bottom.  No buttons are on the front face, as the software buttons of the OS appear as needed.

Left side: Volume rocker keys

Top side: Blank

Right side: Power/unlock button with 3 contacts for charging or car docks.

Bottom side: 3.5mm headset jack, microphone and microUSB port

Back side: 5.1MP continuous auto-focus camera with 1080p video recording and LED flash.  Speaker at the bottom.

Under the cover: SIM slot and 1750 mAh batter

Camera

Matt Miller said it best – “Have to say that the Galaxy Nexus camera impressed me…in typical photo situations.”  I won’t be replacing the iPhone 4S with the Nexus for camera use anytime soon, but in most situations, you’ll be just fine.  Below are a few photos taken with the Nexus, including the street sign which is zoomed in all the way.  Click through on each to see them full size.

Software/Features

After three years of Android, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich bridges the gap between the Honeycomb tablet OS, and Gingerbread on the phone.  There are a number of things you’ll immediately notice, including the lack of physical capacitive buttons, and a missing applications button.  Across the bottom of screens when you need them now are: Back, Home and Multitasking buttons.

The old app button has been replaced by an app icon in the middle of the 4 customizable buttons on the bottom.  A nice addition too is the ability to make folders, which when in use, show small icons of the apps inside, cascading backwards from newest to oldest.  Roll all this in with the new Roboto font, and the look of ICS is much different and refined.  Finally, the speed of the OS is quite nice, taking full advantage of the 1.2Ghz dual-core processor inside.

Though, it’s still not perfect, and there are small things that still lack consistency.  For example, the menu/settings are now represented by 3 dots.  These dots either show up on the top right of the navigation bar, or sometimes at the bottom.  There are multiple ways to do things too, that may not make things easier.  Like, when using the notifications bar that swipes down from the top, you can either hit the “X” to clear all notifications, or swipe each one away individually.  Then there’s the multitasking.  It’s nice to be able to swipe apps out of the list, but I was a bit surprised to see that it doesn’t actually close the app.

I realized something after using the phone for a week that I never have before with Android.  The UI layers like Sense or Motoblur can actually help with the experience of the device.  I know, sounds crazy right?  But here’s the thing, when you’re trying to configure or customize, you sometimes have to really dig in to do so.  I got led down one such rabbit hole trying to configure SIPDroid appropriately, and ended up abandoning the proicess and deleting the app.  Settings in the app, settings in the OS, and sometimes just too many options make for a confusing and frustrating experience if you don’t have a real solid understanding of the OS.  And sadly, while I review a fair number of Android devices, the changes in ICS did take a while to get used to, and even after a week, I still wasn’t comfortable.  Bottom line, the hardware manufacturers really know that you may not be a Cell Phone Junkie, and so they’re going to make it as easy as possible to get the phone up and running with great features and functions out of the box.  And you know what, I’m starting to think they’re right.

Overall

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is far and away the best Android experience on any device to date.  The difficult thing about choosing the device for HSPA is that currently, you have to shell out over $700 to make it happen.  Verizon will be selling the device very soon, but at $300, it’s a hard sell for some when the iPhone starts at $200.

But lets be real, if you’re interested in the Galaxy Nexus, you’re not looking for a “deal”, you’re looking for the most pure Google Android experience out there, and you want to know that your device is going to get the first updates moving forward.  The software isn’t perfect, and the screen is too big for my taste, but if you’ve got the money, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is quite possibly going to be the best Android handset for the foreseeable future.

Full Gallery

By now, there’s a good chance you’ve not only heard about, but maybe have even seen, or own one of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 variants.  Announced in early May, and released in August, the Bold has been touted as the best BlackBerry yet.  Yet, the Bold 9790 was just announced, and we know BBX phones are right around the corner, so why even bother looking at this already replaced, and soon to be outdated device?  Because this is the BlackBerry that all traditional BlackBerry users want.  As a daily Curve user, I’ll be taking a very critical look at what RIM has done right, and where the BlackBerry is still lacking.  This is 2011, the iPhone keeps chugging along with new iterations each year, and Android has exploded to over 50% worldwide smartphone markteshare.  Is it possible for this newest BlackBerry to compete in today’s fast-paced smartphone environment?  We’ll answer that, plus many other questions.  Available for $199 with a two-year commitment, the Bold 9930 used in this review was provided by Sprint.

What’s in the Box

• Blackberry Bold 9930
• Standard 1230mAh JM-1 lithium ion Battery
• AC phone charger with USB cable
• 3.5mm stereo headset with microphone
• SIM card installed
• Polishing cloth
• Various guides

Specifications

• Technology/Frequencies: CDMA/EVDO Rev A. Dual Band 800/1900 MHz, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 900/2100
• Weight: 4.59 oz.
• Size: 4.53″ x 2.60″ x .41″
• Cubic Volume: 4.83 cubic inches
• Operating System: BlackBerry 7.0
• Processor: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Scorpion MSM 8655
• Battery: 1230mAh Lithium ion
• Memory: 768 MB of RAM
• internal Memory: 8GB
• microSD: 32GB support
• Screen: 2.8-inch 24-bit display, VGA at 640 x 480 pixels, with 287ppi
• Camera: 5MP EDOF rear-facing with 720p video recording
• LED flash
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• WiFi b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), GPS, BT

First Impressions
Pulling the Bold 9930 out of the box for the first time, I was enamored.  I’ve been a BlackBerry user for years, and absolutely love the front facing QWERTY form factor.  The Bold 9930 takes my love of physical keyboards to the next level, and I was instantly excited about using it.  I’m not going to lie; I immediately started thinking about buying one off-contract it impressed me so much!  It was like the year 2009 was back, and I was using the BlackBerry of my dreams.  Texting back and forth with Joey, my first comment was: “I just can’t get over this thing. You know what a BB fan I am. It’s just super nice!”

With the smooth lines of the stainless steel band surrounding the device, the absolutely fabulous keyboard, and the relatively speaking hyper-responsiveness of the OS all made for a fantastic first impression, especially for the BlackBerry aficionado.  This initial starry eyed wonderment quickly cooled however, as many of the same gripes I’ve had about BlackBerry handsets for years started flaring up.

Phone/Data
Like the Bold 9650 before it, the 9930 is a global device and can use GSM and WCDMA networks around the world.  On CDMA here in the states, sound quality of calls is clear, and it’s great to have the microphone placement on the front of the device, making for much clearer sound on the other end of the line.  My initial test call however didn’t go well.  I was standing outside my office, doing my typical “this is a test call”, when all of a sudden…dropped.

And this wouldn’t be the only time i would experience a dropped call.  I was a Sprint user for years before I moved to an area where coverage was terrible.  7 years later, I still find Sprint coverage to be spotty, especially where I live and work.  I regularly found myself on 1XRTT, and occasionally stuck roaming on Verizon.  I can’t say this is a Bold 9930 issue, but for whatever reason, it seemed exacerbated to me.

It did strike me that a PRL update may be the cause of the issues, so i went into the mobile network menu to do the update, and naturally, i was switched over to Verizon.  Finally though, I was able to get the PRL updated, and the roaming issue calmed down a tad.  Here is the initial call that was dropped, but you get the idea of the sound quality.

Initial test call

On the data side, things are about the same.  During the time on 1X, it was terribly slow, though, when 3G was present, it was fine. Fortunately, I am able to supplement a lot with WiFi, so the data signal isn’t as important.

WiFi connectivity is present in the form of Dual-Band Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz.  WiFi works fine on 2.4GHz but the 5GHz is just not good.  The coverage is poor, and I wasn’t able to move more than one room away from my router before the signal dropped out or was unusable.  Strange thing is, i don’t have this issue with my iPad, computers or Apple TV that also use the network.  I can even make my way into my backyard with the iPad with no issues.  The living room was the limit for the 9930.  Take note, this photo was taken in the same room as the router, and only two bars of WiFi signal are present.

Hardware

Let’s get this out of the way – the keyboard is the best on any BlackBerry ever made.  If it’s the feature that is most important to you on your phone, the new Bold won’t disappoint.  I can fly through emails and text messages, and it makes me appreciate the keyboard more than on any other device I’ve ever used.  It’s that good.  Overall, the hardware feels great in your hand.  The style and materials are solid, and the extra width for the keyboard is offset by the lack of depth.  It is very reminiscent of the original Bold 9000.

The screen is beautiful, crisp and very clear.  The 640 x 480 resolution on a 2.7 inch display provides 287ppi, which isn’t terribly far off from Apple’s 326ppi retina screen.  Mind you, it’s not the same, but it’s a lot closer than i expected.

Oh, and it’s now a touchscreen!  Honestly, the first impression of this is that it feels a bit odd with the BB OS.  Coming from a non-touchscreen Curve, I realized that my finger regularly starts its swipe down on the trackpad on the bottom part of the screen.  With the 9930, you can’t do this, as it will activate the trackpad. What’s more, there is a slight lip where the plastic buttons meet the glass screen that scrapes your thumb.  This is not only irritating to your skin after a while, but seems like a bad design.  Bottom line, if you’re too wild with the trackpad, it’s easy to hit things on the touchscreen, activate apps, and inadvertently click links.

Something I didn’t think about before testing this phone was the inverse relationship of a trackpad vs. the touchscreen.  When scrolling up and down with the trackpad, you swipe “up” to go up on the page, and “down” to go down.  When using the touchscreen, you’re “pulling” the screen, so pulling in an upward direction makes it go down the page and vice versa.  It’s fairly confusing to explain, and the reality is, in practice, it is.  I regularly found my thumb pulling down on the touchscreen to get back to the top of the page, then hitting the trackpad, and swiping the page back down.  A two steps forward, one step back type of issue.

When the phone first arrived, I was concerned, as the battery was totally dead.  When I first plugged it in, I used a charger from an old BlackBerry, not thinking much of it.  The red light came on to denote charging, and then clicked right off.  I fiddled for a few minutes before pulling out the Zagg Sparq 2.0, thinking the 2 AMP USB port would solve the issue.  Not so much, no juice.  After thinking about it, I pulled out the supplied charger and cable from the box (something I never do with review devices), and after a few minutes, the phone sprang to life.  Once the phone was fully charged, i tested my other chargers again, and found that the some worked and some didn’t.  Not sure what factors are at play here, but in 2011, you really should be able to charge a smartphone with any microUSB charger out there.

Battery life is reasonable, but may be a little lighter than what some people expect out of BlackBerries.  The new JM-1 battery is only 1230mAh, which keeps the thickness of the device down, but shortens the life of the device.  I go 2-3 days on my Curve in-between battery swaps (no, i never plug in my BlackBerry).  The 9930 gets me just over one.  This thinner battery is a completely reasonable design compromise for the thinner device, and as most smartphone users in 2011 know, you charge your phone every night.

Front:  2.8-inch 24-bit display, VGA at 640 x 480 pixels, with 287ppi.  Speaker, LED, and light sensor at the top.  Talk, BlackBerry, Back and End/Power keys surround the trackpad, with the full QWERTY keyboard at the bottom.

The lighted ring around the trackpad is a nice touch, and makes me wish my Curve had this. The way the device dims down is pretty neat too. First, the keyboard goes dark, then the screen, then the buttons, and finally the ring around the trackpad.

Left side: 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port.

Top side: Lock button.  This dedicated button is a nice touch, but because of the size of the device, you may inadvertently press the convenience button on the right side of the device when trying to lock the phone.

Right side: Volume rocker buttons sandwiched around a mute button in the middle.  Single convenience key at the bottom.

Bottom side: Two contact points for charging the 9930 with a charging pod.  They are inlaid into a piece of chrome colored plastic, which while it appears to be metal, is indeed plastic.

Back side: 5MP EDOF rear-facing camera with 720p video recording and LED flash.

Under the cover: 1230mAh Lithium ion battery, microSD card slot and SIM slot under the battery.

BlackBerry Curve vs. BlackBerry Bold

iPhone 4 vs. BlackBerry Bold

The camera on the other hand is one of the bigger disappointments of this phone.  RIM has chosen an EDOF (Extended Depth of Field) unit.  This means no autofocus, and no macro photos.  Here are some examples of what that means: decent photos outside, pretty marginal ones inside.

Software/Features
The software side of the 9930 is pretty interesting, as OS7 enhances OS6 from last year, with the one real difference being the ability to manage home screen panels.  OK, so there’s also the addition of Liquid Graphics, the improved HTML5 supporting browser and upgrades in universal search.  But the panel management really helps out for those of us legacy BlackBerry OS fans that don’t like side to side swiping.

Of course, there are still the same old issues we’ve always had like the inability to forward certain attachments, the slow syncing of email back to the BlackBerry when clearing out messages on a computer, and the ever slowing list of apps being created.  In fact, just this week a report was issued that developers are starting to choose Windows Phone over BlackBerry.  This isn’t to say that there aren’t lots of apps on the platform, in fact, to the contrary.  Pretty much everything you “need” can be found in an app on BlackBerry.  It’s those apps you want, like your favorite games, or maybe a remote desktop client that you want aren’t there.  Couple this with confirmation that BBX, RIM’s next OS, will be here before too long, it’s a relief and a burden for those trying to decide if a BlackBerry now make sense to buy.

I’d be remiss to not refer you to Joey’s email rant as part of his Torch 9850 review.  As a long term BES user, I find the BIS experience just not adequate.  Tons of syncing issues, delayed delivery of messages, and poor interaction with Gmail make it very frustrating for me when the BES experience is so good.

On a more positive note, the browser on the Bold is the quickest of any BlackBerry I’ve tested.  In fact, it’s about on par with the speed of the iPhone 4S browser.  Launching a series of pages from the Apple.com website loaded on both devices in nearly the same amount of time.  Pinching and zooming is fluid on the screen, and the overall experience is much better than anything that’s ever been on a BlackBerry.  It’s even useful as an RSS reader with Google Reader through the mobile site.  Well done RIM, we can now cross the “your browser stinks” gripe off the list.

Overall

The Bold 9930 from Sprint sits in this strange place between lust-worthy upgrade, and the last in a decade-long era of the current BlackBerry generation.  There’s a large part of me that just screams out, “This is how the Bold should have been when the 9700 came out!”  With confirmation that BBX is coming soon, and the absolute demolition of BlackBerry smartphone marketshare in many western countries, it’s hard to recommend this new Bold without some reservation and caveats.  Yes, the 9930 is the gorgeous, and the best BlackBerry I’ve ever used.  But to think that most buyers will be using it for 2 years, into nearly 2014, makes it a hard device to recommend in this fast changing wireless world.

Then again, for those like me who absolutely must have their BlackBerry, the 9930 sure is a nice device.  I feel the current crop of BlackBerries is basically relegated to the enterprise, and those that are diehard fans.  I know a lot of people out there have the Bold 9650, and this is truly a worthy upgrade. As irrational as it sounds, I don’t care about any of the shortcomings, i want the 9930.

If forced to choose a single Android handset to be crowned the most coveted and desired of 2011, the Samsung Galaxy S II would be most people’s choice.  Since its announcement in April, and release earlier this year in Europe and Asia, Android fans have gone to great lengths to get one imported here to the US.  But now, after many months of waiting and anticipation, the phone is here.  The Galaxy S II is available in multiple variants on multiple networks, including Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile.  For this review, I’m using the Epic 4G Touch, Sprint’s CDMA/WiMAX version of the device.  The phone is available starting Friday September 16th for $199 with new agreement.

What’s in the Box

• Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch
• Standard 1800 mAh Lithium Ion battery
• microUSB data cable
• Wall AC adapter
• Various guides and warranty information

Specifications

• Technology/Frequencies: CDMA/EVDO Rev A. Dual Band 800/1900 MHz and WiMAX 2.5 GHz
• Weight: 4.6 oz
• Size: 5.11″ x 2.74″ x .38″
• Cubic Volume: 5.32 cubic inches
• Operating System: Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread
• Processor: 1.2GHz Dual-Core
• Battery: 1800 mAh Lithium Ion
• Memory: 1024 MB of RAM
• Internal Memory: 16GB
• microSD: 32GB support
• Screen: 800 x 480, Super AMOLED Plus, WVGA, 4.52 inches
• Camera(s): 8-megapixel rear-facing with 1080p recording, 2-megapixel front-facing
• LED flash
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• WiFi b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), GPS, BT
• Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot
• DLNA wireless media streaming

Phone/Data

The Epic 4g Touch is a US only device, meaning it will take advantage of CDMA/EVDO/WiMAX network.  As the Sprint model has no GSM/UMTS, there is no global support to use it when outside the US.  Using the device a phone is pretty standard…save for the size.  A 4.5-inch phone is pretty large, and it feels even larger when holding it to your head.  This was the first phone that I’d used that was over the 4.3-inch mark, and I was shocked at how awkward I felt it was to hold and operate.  More on my concerns with the size later.

Sound quality of calls is clear, with just a tiny bit of background noise due to the microphone placement at the bottom left corner of the device.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch Test Call

The speakerphone is loud and clear, and the slotted speaker on the back is positioned at a slight angle on the phone’s chin so the call is not muffled when placing it on a table.

On the data side, the Epic 4G Touch features Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network as well as the legacy EVDO Rev-A system.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about WiMAX, its that each person’s experience using devices on the network is going to be different, sometimes drastically so.  There are certain cities where full-scale deployments of the 4G network make for a seamless experience, while others are still in the testing phase, with towers few and far between.

Although Phoenix has yet to be deployed, there is a 4G tower close to my office.  Occasionally, I would see service pop up when outside my front door, though this was only an occasional occurrence.  With only six towers active throughout the valley, it’s hard to call this “coverage”, and needless to say, I kept 4G switched off most of the time.

If you remove the WiMAX variable, using the phone on 3G is as expected, with download speeds averaging 767 kbps, and upload speeds averaging 384 kbps.  The chart below shows 23 tests over a 2 hour period, covering a 15 mile span of the Phoenix market.

Hardware

The screen on the Galaxy S II is the killer feature of the hardware in this device.  At 4.52 inches, the colors are vibrant and bright, and the clarity is fantastic thanks to the Super AMOLED Plus technology.

Inside, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB or RAM and 16GB of internal storage.  Whole thing is powered by a respectable 1800 mAh battery, which gets the phone through a normal day of moderate use.

The thickness of the phone is also pretty amazing.  At under .4 inches thin, this is a skinny phone.  In fact, just one-hundredth of an inch separates it from the iPhone, but the rounded corners of the Epic 4G Touch actually make the phone appear thinner than its Apple competition.

I’d like to give some thoughts on the size of the device, and talk about large phones in general.  As I mentioned in the Phone/Data section above, the phone feels fairly large when held up to your head.  Along with this, at 4.5-inches, I have a hard time using it with just one hand.  In fact, any phone over 4-inches begins the point which I need a second hand to operate the device comfortably.  Since I typically use my thumb on the screen of the device while wrapping my four fingers around it, the opposite side of the screen must be within reach of my thumb.  For me, 4-inches is the point where one-handed use becomes difficult.  On the 4.5-inch display of the Epic 4G Touch, I have to significantly stretch to reach the icons on the far side of the screen, which is not only annoying but fatiguing as well.

Compare this to the iPhone, and its easy to see the difference.  Bottom line, you’ll need to know your usage habits, and possibly try out a phone this large before jumping in.

Front:  4.52-inch 480 x 800 pixel Super AMOLED Plus display.  Speaker and front facing 2.0MP camera are found near the top.

Like most modern Android handsets from Samsung, the front of the display features four capacitive buttons on the bottom for the Menu, Home, Back and Search functions.  Due to the size of the phone, I found myself erroneously hitting these buttons while trying to navigate with one hand.  This typically led to frustration, and completely stopping what I was doing to perform the desired function on the device.

Left side: Volume rocker

Top side: 3.5mm headphone jack

Right side: Power button

Bottom side: Microphone port and microUSB jack

Back side: 8.0MP camera with LED flash.  Speaker located at the bottom.  The back cover has a nice textured feel to it.  For such a large phone, it can be a bit difficult to hold onto at times, and the cover helps keep your grip.

In the chin that houses the speaker, the polished plastic is the resting point when setting the phone on a surface.  This means instant scratches.  It took me about 10 minutes of using the device to get this area marked up.  I have a feeling this will be a common comment/complaint from people using the phone.

Software/Features/Usability

Software on the Epic 4G Touch is pretty standard with Android 2.3.4 and the new Samsung TouchWiz 4.0 interface running on top.  New icons have been introduced to help show off the great vivid colors of the Super AMOLED Plus screen.

Outside of the standard apps you’d expect on the device, Kies Air is an extremely useful addition that I hope to see on all Samsung phones from here on out.  The app, once launched, lets you log into your Epic 4G Touch while on the same network to access contacts, bookmarks, messages, photos, music and videos.  Handy for managing content.

Using the phone outside in sunlight is still a bit difficult, though nearly all phones these days are.   That said, I have seen so much worse, and the Epic 4G Touch is still usable even in this situation.

Samsung has included 802.11n WiFi in the Galaxy S II line, but even more, it works in the 5 GHz range.  This is an important feature for me, as I keep my n network on 5 GHz to prevent interference.  Range is definitely less than the traditional 2.4GHz networks, but in a moderately sized house, I have few issues covering the entire thing.  This inclusion is a move in the right direction, as I know I’m not the only one in the 5 GHz camp.

On the camera front, the 8MP module takes fantastic photos, and it’s about as good as it gets in today’s smartphones.  The pictures have great resolution, and colors are vivid whether taken inside or out.

Sample Photo 1

Sample Photo 2

Sample Photo 3

Sample Photo 4 – using 4x zoom

Video looks amazing thanks to the 1080p capabilities of the S II.  I’ll let this sample speak for itself.  (Make sure to click 1080p for the HD resolution.)

Overall

The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint is now the benchmark by which all other Android devices on Sprint will be gauged in 2011.  From its quick 1.2GHz processor, to the bright, vivid display, to the best-in-class camera, this is the device to beat.  While WiMAX may still not be available for everyone, and the size is on the large side, the thin footprint makes up for it, and the overall experience is great in this data-centric world.

Full Gallery

**The phone used in this review was provided by Sprint.**