First impressions and Hands-on reviews go here! :)

[Rev Jim]

On the Friday before Memorial Day, after years of aggravation with the AT&T network on my iPhone, I walked into a Sprint store to look at an EVO. A friend has an EVO and has always spoken so highly of the Sprint network in New York City. That Friday was the tipping point for me - after dropping what had to be my thousandth AT&T phone call, I had enough and headed over to the Sprint store. After talking with the salesman about his EVO and his impressions of it (very favorable), I picked up a demo of the Nexus S 4G and was thoroughly impressed. On a whim, I decided to break my contract with AT&T and sign on with Sprint and the Nexus S 4G.

From the moment of set up until today, the phone has been exceptionally impressive. Everything on the phone moves fast - app switching, notifications, app usage - the Nexus S 4G flies. I've integrated the phone with my Google Voice account; everything just works seamlessly. On the Sprint network, maybe I was just so angry at the way the AT&T network has been in the New York City area, but using Sprint has been outstanding. Even when my phone shows only one bar, phone calls and 3G connectivity work as they should. The Sprint 4G network has thoroughly impressed me. Since moving to AT&T when the first iPhone came out, I was never able to make calls or send texts, receive calls of texts, use the 3G or even the EDGE network at Yankee Stadium due simply to network congestion. This week, my first visit with my Nexus S 4G, not only could I do everything I couldn't do on the AT&T network, the 4G network was available and was blazingly fast.

It was funny sitting near three people who had iPhones and were frustrated with the inability to send texts.

Coming from the iOS platform, I've needed a slight learning curve with the Android OS. At times, there are additional 'taps' that need to be performed on certain functions (deletion of voicemails, as an example) where on iOS, it was just swipe and tap "DELETE." Otherwise, the latest Android OS build seems solid.

Not that the phone has been perfect --- I have had signal strength issues. There are times when the phone shows little or no connectivity to either 3G or my wi-fi network; I've been able to use the phone, but the signal strength is something that needs fixing. The GPS is not the best, but a Sprint tech said that the GPS and other signal issues are software problems that will be cleaned up through a software update.

 

[wpbfjr]

On the Friday before Memorial Day, after years of aggravation with the AT&T network on my iPhone,....The GPS is not the best, but a Sprint tech said that the GPS and other signal issues are software problems that will be cleaned up through a software update.

quite the first post, you should work for a reviewer or pr firm...

 

[wiggins.philip]

loving this phone. coming from the Droid X.

 

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

Just noticed that there is no 100MB YouTube upload cap that I used to get with my EVO and Droid X. That's awesome.

 

[discolightning]

Greetings.

Former Palm Pre- user here. The Pre was my first smartphone, and I really enjoyed using it. The homebrew community is really what kept a lot of WebOS users from jumping ship while the Palm to HP transition left us with less-than-inspiring software and hardware updates. I had planned on upgrading to the Pre 3 once it was announced, but I started to have some major hardware issues with my phone. The biggest problem was that phone call audio was intermittent due to a loose or faulty ribbon connector in the phone's slider. I used iFixit to learn how to disassemble the Pre and look for problems. I was able to reconnect things and keep it operational for a few months, but it finally just wore completely out in May. I was unable to make calls for over a month at a time when I was moving and job searching. Not cool.

After getting caught up on the current batch of Android phones on Sprint, I decided to upgrade to the Nexus S for two reasons: stock android and immediate availability. I simply couldn't wait for the Evo 3D. It's also unclear that the Evo 3D's beefier specs would have benefited me since I don't use my phone for intense gaming. My phone is used for four primary purposes: a) calling/texting b) news reading c) music listening d) podcasting. The Nexus S handles those with ease now that I have proper apps.

I purchased the Nexus S 4G on June 18 at Best Buy, and added the Zagg Invisi-Shield to protect the screen. I knew the Samsung Android phones were very lean and light, and I wasn't disappointed with the Nexus S when it was handed to me. The weight feels about the same as my Pre, and the non-cased Nexus is thinner. Either phone feels fine in the pocket, and I always put phones in with the battery cover facing outward.

While I don't want to review every detail of the Nexus, I do want to point out some of the features and improvements that I'm enjoying the most. First, the screen is beautiful. Blacks are really black, and graphics and text render clearly. News reading is much more pleasant on a screen this size. Pinch-to-zoom is very fluid and responsive, as is scrolling in the browser. The Pre's browser left much to be desired, and I had installed the Universe browser. It improved page scrolling somewhat, but still displayed the checkerboard frequently on pages that were fully loaded. It's also nice that many websites are designed to recognize the Android browser and display the mobile version automatically. This is thanks to Android's booming popularity, no doubt. While we're on the subject of the web, here's a tip. Some apps are inferior to their web counterparts. With news sites, the mobile formatted layout will usually work very well. Just use bookmarks and folders to keep things organized.

Moving on, let's talk about the camera. Okay, it's not going to win a spitting contest based on resolution, but the phone takes some gorgeous photos out of the box. I do wish it had touch-to-focus functionality and I have yet to find a 3rd party app that brings this to the Nexus S. That said, I have had no issues achieving focus on the few photos I have taken so far. The camera has its limitations, but it produces some of the best images I have seen from a mobile device. Comparing the camera to the iPhone 4's camera, Nexus S users can expect to take better photos in low-light situations. Also, Retro Camera+ is bringing out my innermost hipster. It's especially useful for its self-timer setting.

Video quality, while not hd, is stellar. I still want a DSLR for shooting high quality videos, but the Nexus S will be handy for capturing occasional stuff when the bulk of a larger camera is unwarranted. It would be nice to have some slightly more advanced controls for the camera in stock Android.

Battery life on the Nexus isn't quite what I had hoped for, but I'm not very disappointed. Living in an apartment, my phone has to work more for CDMA signal strength. I am just out of reach of WiMax 4G at home and I doubt that a software update will change that, though it would be a nice surprise. I have a Clear 4G modem arriving today, which will hopefully be strong enough to pull in 4G. If I need to download anything major on my phone, 4G signal is just a 5 minute walk away. I have used Wifi a few times this week and didn't encounter any problems. Wifi signals fluctuated some, but seemed to perform well at Home Depot and at a friend's house. Sprint's 3G is working well enough for me to tether and surf lightly each night until the Clear modem arrives.

One of the top priorities for me is listening to music. I read that using the Netarchy kernel along with the Voodoo Control app would greatly improve playback quality. It's really incredible how drastic the improvement is. It's not about more bass or treble, it's about more detail. I posted my thoughts on headphones and bluetooth here.

It's late and I'm going brain-dead, so I'll have to post more thoughts later. I'm glad to be a part of the Android Central community. Later.

Recommended apps: Doggcatcher, Retro Camera+, Netflix, NPR News, OnTrack (for diabetes management), Strava (cycling tracker), Swype Beta, TuneIn Radio

 

[eddieras]

i see you enjoy podcasts. not sure if you're aware yet but amazon app store has been having a free app every day. today happens to be for podcasts.

Amazon.com: Appstore for Android

i've picked up some great apps for nothing. the best probably being t9 flex - keyboard, swype, voice input - a $4.99 app for nothing. keep checking every day - some are better than others tho!

 

[Ryuuie]

This isn't really a "first impression" as I've used the Nexus S since release date but here we go:

I have gone through one Nexus phone already, the only defect I had was a bad LCD screen which I didn't notice until I dropped the phone on accident (either way, if there is a PERFECT circle on the LCD, it's a defect).

Anyway, on both my original Nexus S and the new one I have now, they have no 3G or wifi problems. I spent a week traveling around the entire city of Omaha, NE (which is the biggest city in Nebraska) and had no problems whatsoever with 3G or wifi. I set up Google Music and listened to it when I wanted to, scanned bar codes when I needed, and searched when I needed. I used MSN on Trillian for a full day without any 3G issues.

After that, I went from Omaha to Cedar Rapids. That is a five hour drive and during the entire time (nothing but highways) I had 3G 98% and 1x 2% of the time. Even on 1x, I did not notice anything wrong with Google Music Beta as it played.

Once in Cedar Rapids, I still had good 3G coverage and was able to check e-mail, IMs, internet-based apps.

Call coverage was also pretty much the same as back home in Omaha, just fine.

While at home, I use wifi all of the time. While the little wifi icon goes down to 2, it still doesn't go out ever and the speed is not affected. I have my old Optimus V, my iPod touch 4th Generation 32GB, my laptop, and PS3 all connected to the same router and it still gets very good speed.

There is no 4G here but I don't really care as 4G is such a battery hog, I wouldn't use it anyway to be honest.

I also have been able to get, on average, 2 days, 4 hours, 49 minutes, and 48 seconds of battery before I need to charge (I have taken a screenshot that shows this). This is mostly in part of me putting the phone on airplane mode when I go to sleep or when it's late.

The only time I noticed lag on the phone was when I had Launcher Pro Plus running as it was force closing every single day for me. I removed it, went back to stock 2.3.4 and just put widgets on it. It's back up to speed now. I did have a problem with the app drawer force closing every time I opened it, but I narrowed it down to a customization app I had so I just removed it and it's fine.

Google Voice occasionally eats my SMS but a quick reset to my GV + Sprint connection fixes it. That is an issue with GV, not Sprint and not the Nexus S.

Overall, I still love my Nexus S and only feel threatened by the Nexus 4G or Nexus Prime, whatever the new rumored name is. Even though there will be a new Nexus, there is no 100% guarantee that Sprint will see it so there's no real worry for me. Besides, Nexus One and Nexus S will get Ice Cream Sandwich anyway and the Nexus line usually updates annually.

I didn't write this review to gloat or laugh at those with issues. I wrote this to let people know that there ARE good experiences with the Nexus S 4G and it's still one of Sprint's good phones (along with the EVO 4G, EVO 3D, and the HTC Arrive).

 

[bocaccio13]

Love it love it love it.

Coincidently I was already on the same rom from my evo cm7.

Only real complaint is I wish there was LED and louder speaker; i only use speaker for youtube and alarm to wake up in the mornings. Got the 10dollar insurance w bestbuy and no deductible so i dont have a case for it..not needed.

I am no expert on this yet but from what I have done it is an awesome device.

 

[q711179]

My first experience with android was rooting a Hero, since then I enjoyed a year with a rooted EVO, but after several boot-looping experiences which I was unable to correct, the phone had become unusable, and I was forced to choose a new phone a little more premature than I would have liked. I had my heart set on the specs of the Galaxy S II but after enjoying two HTC phones and how easily they were rooted I also leaned toward the EVO 3D. I will admit here, that I was a ?flash-aholic? when it came to trying out new ROMs and kernels, and would probably continue to have been so if it weren?t for the boot-loop and force closing problem I was having.
I decided to go ahead and get a Sprint Nexus S 4G instead of waiting another ten days for the EVO 3D, knowing that if I didn?t have a good experience with the Nexus, I could return it within the 30 day trial period. The Sprint rep. was very helpful and honest with his assistance, he showed me that the Nexus even in the store was not picking up as good a signal as the EVO 4G, and I expressed concern about receiving signal at my residence, as frequently I had to step outside in the back yard to have a phone conversation using the EVO.
Initial setup of the Nexus was surprisingly easy, but just as suspected the signal at home was weak, though not any worse than the EVO. A call to Sprint tech support the next day helped when they offered to send me an Airave unit, which I received in only one week and found a dramatic improvement for not only my phone but my wife?s EVO as well. Thank you Sprint!
My next adventure was whether or not to root this phone, as I held off until I decided I was going to keep it. It was a little bit of a challenge for me to set up adb capabilities on my computer but worth the research. So I was now set up to make the root possible, however, reading up on the Nexus didn?t convince me that rooting was to my best advantage at this time, so I have held off. The signal problem had been resolved, my battery life has been great, my phone is extremely fast, and tethering works right out of the box, most importantly is everything works well without bugs or any other problems. This doesn?t mean I won?t root when I see a clear advantage in the future, and fortunately rooting the Nexus is as easy as it can get.
Instead I have used ADW EX customizations to optimize this phone for my best android experience, and it is this point convincing me to keep it. The Nexus S has none of the Sprint bloat-ware profligation, and none of the manufacturer skin-ware. Using ADW EX and android widgets, I was able to customize my Nexus to suit my needs perfectly. The best part of the experience is that I got to choose how my phone worked, and my phone now operates exactly how I want it to, I might also mention that Launcher Pro would work very well also. Ah, the beauty of android.
Later the next week I went into a local RadioShack to have hands-on time with the EVO 3D to make certain I had made the best choice. I did that Sense 3 twirl thing and the rep mentioned the limitations of Nexus screen scrolling, I showed him that my phone also had infinity scrolling. He was surprised and didn?t go any further.
Sure the latest summer phones have better specs, more powerful hardware, and unique features (3D), but for me at least, they don?t really make for a better android experience than a Nexus. Here is a list of widgets I have included on my screens.
Agenda widget keeps an excellent display of my appointments.
Springpad for notes and general organization uses.
Google+ widget, as well as android system widget for general phone info.
I use Jorte calendar to fill up one entire screen.
The control widget for quick access to phone controls.
The Starbuck coffee widget cause I gotta admit, I like my coffee.

Skype video calls work excellently and I use it frequently since most phone users still don?t have Google Talk video. I have combined Facebook with Twitter using Tweetdeck, and this app I keep in an easily accessible hidden dock which contains many of my frequently used apps, one of the best features of ADW EX and used by many ROMs such as Cyanogen.

The overall flow and performance of the phone is flawless, handling multi-functioning easily, Bluetooth works very well, wi-fi at home and at my local Starbucks is good, pictures are adequate and the general feel of the phone is sleek without giving up that much on size coming from an EVO slab phone user. The idea that updates get pushed out to Nexus phones before anyone else will keep me a happy user for some time to come as the Nexus is a developer?s phone hence new applications often come to this phone first, the recent case of Skype video calling is a great example.

What do I miss most, or wished improved? I must admit I do miss that EVO kickstand, which was a nice feature though I can?t help but think it would mess with the sleekness of the Nexus. The missing sd card hasn?t been an issue for me, but I suppose it could be for others. There are times I still miss the LED notification light, though that is minor thing. I have read others complain of the back being slick and a fingerprint magnet, but I stuck an Egrip strip with a cool image to help in handling the phone better and reduce the space for smudges.

Are there better phones out there this summer? Sure, if you go by hardware specs, so if photo quality is important to you with a better camera and more features such as 3D, or if you just can?t live without that LED notification light, the Nexus may not be for you. A dual core phone is slightly faster, but hardly noticeable and does 1 second or less really make that much difference? Do they make better use of the android system though? In my opinion this is where the Nexus excels and for me that is the true strength of this phone and why I suggest giving it a serious consideration.

 

[Pride]

Google. Enough said.

Aside from spotty mobile data connection, I am satisfied with this phone completely. I really hope they continue to make phones like this in the future. Simple, and gimmick free. And I like the contour display. It feels 'just right' when using the screen and scrolling.

 

[eddieras]

hopefully the update monday will take care of the connection issues- at least that's the claim!

Sprint to update Nexus S 4G to address signal problems | ZDNet

 

[Verdes8891]

Well i have had my nexus since this past monday, switching from the EVo 3D. I am loving it so far. The battery life wasnt the best at first, but it has gotten alot better after a few cycles. I love the pure google interface about it and dont have to deal with all the bloatware (now, i wouldnt mind having the Sprint Zone app, since i used that alot to keep up with my account).

The speed of the phone has been amazing. Screen is beautiful. No complaints from me here so far. Cant wait to see what kind of updates are going to be coming this way.

 

[cohoman]

I upgraded from a Palm Pixi (WebOS) smartphone to the Sprint Nexus S 4G last Thursday, and I'm just loving the phone! It's just as thin as my Palm Pixi, but has a much bigger and brighter screen. An absolutely wonderful phone, with the great display, fast and smooth operation, and no Sprint bloatware.

This is my first Android phone, but I have used a Verizon iPhone 4 (company phone) for the last 6 months, so I have been making some comparisons between the two phones. Personally, I really like the Android phone because of its ability to be easily customized. With the iPhone, you really need to jailbreak it to make any real modifications, which can be a pain when you have to upgrade the OS.

All my favorite apps that I used on the iPhone are available on my Nexus S, and more! My wife is itching to get an iPhone 5 when it comes to Sprint, but I told her my Nexus S is much better than an iPhone in my opinion. YMMV.

The only issues I've found are the following:

1) The stock Gingerbread keyboard isn't as good as the iPhone's virtual keyboard. I can type messages much faster with the iPhone with its corrective text feature. To correct this issue, I downloaded and installed a new keyboard (Smart Keyboard) which more closely resembles the iPhone's keyboard (in size and predictive text) so I'm in better shape now.

2) The WiFi Radio Transceiver seems to be weak, and has trouble keeping a connection with my home WiFi router.

3) Likewise, my Cell Radio Transceiver also seems to be weak and often switches between zero bars to 3-4 bars quite frequently.

4) The back cover of my phone is made of plastic and is somewhat slick. I'm worried that I might drop it, so I'm hoping I can find some think rubberized skin cover that will help with gripping it.

With Sprint releasing an update for the Nexus S tomorrow (supposedly), I'm hoping that update will fix issues (2) and (3). If not and I have any substantial issues, I can always return the Nexus S within my 30-day eval period. However, I really don't see myself doing that since the phone is working pretty well for me and is just a great device.

If you're considering getting a Nexus S, my suggestion is to visit the Sprint Store and check one out. You'll see that its a wonderful phone, and will probably walk out the store with one as I did!

 

[acrostar]

I exchanged my evo3D for the nexus yesterday. So far so good, but it has only been a day. I'm not to good at reviews so bear with me.

1) The screen is awesome, and just the right size. Alot more vibrant than the Evo3D.

2) This thing is fast. For a single core processor, it just about keeps up with the wives Evo3D.

3) No damn bloatware.

4) A few things I don't like is the no LED, (there's an app for that) and no 720P recording, but I can live without that.

5) I have had my data go from 3G to 1G, but all I did was turn on airplane mode, then turn it off, and everything was back to normal. My wifi connects good, and my signal is on par with the evo, so I guess I have been blessed with a good Nexus....for now.

All in all, this is one hell of a phone. I'm not sorry at all about jumping on over to the nexus side.

 

[HipHopSince1980]

After 10 days with the Nexus, this is easily the best phone I have ever owned. Ill give it a slight notch above the OG Motorola Droid.

Coming from a Droid Incredible.....my take on both

-The speaker of the Nexus S is much better then the one on my DInc. Everything was clear, the volume was nice and loud.

-Battery life is much better.....I was barely getting 5-6 hours at a time from the DInc with moderate use. With the Nexus, between 12-15 with moderate use, 8-9 with heavy use.

-Vanilla Android>>>>>>> Sense.....dont get me wrong I did like Sense, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly.

-No bloatware......big plus.

Hopefully I wont have any software issues with this phone like I did with the DInc. Having Verizon send me 3 malfunctioning phones in a 10 day span was enough to push me into Sprints arms....which I am happy with.

-If this update fixes radio issues then it will just make the Nexus experience that much better

 

[djcense]

Sounds like a lot of people have switched from the Evo 3D. I am on my last day of 30 day return policy and am wondering if it is worth the switch. My Evo just keeps rebooting and I won't miss the 3D that much.I also miss my CM7 since I had a myTouch 4g before switching to sprint. My wife still has the Evo 3d so if I really want 3d I can use hers. Is it worth switching to the Nexus S 4g?

I also won't miss Sense except for the lockscreen (which I know CM7 has gestures or there is WidgetLocker) I immediately put ADW EX on won't go back to Rosie.

 

[therealbill]

Sounds like a lot of people have switched from the Evo 3D. I am on my last day of 30 day return policy and am wondering if it is worth the switch. My Evo just keeps rebooting and I won't miss the 3D that much.I also miss my CM7 since I had a myTouch 4g before switching to sprint. My wife still has the Evo 3d so if I really want 3d I can use hers. Is it worth switching to the Nexus S 4g?

I also won't miss Sense except for the lockscreen (which I know CM7 has gestures or there is WidgetLocker) I immediately put ADW EX on won't go back to Rosie.

What did you end up doing djcense?

 

[Paul627g]

My personal opinion, review....

If your a ROM flashing junky like most Nexus owners are then this is the device for you. The Pure Google, AOSP, no Sprint bloat or TouchWiz overlay is a ROM dev/flashers dream come true. The device runs so much smoother without all the bloat and junk and the battery life is great. I have been averaging in the neighborhood of 20 hrs on a charge with a fair amount of web surfing, txting and using GTalk. I am rooted running a custom ROM and kernel, but I'm set at the standard 100-1000 Mhz to keep the battery usage under control.

For those who aren't into rooting this is still a great device simply because it doesn't have all the bloat and Sprint TW overlay. You can add what you want and enjoy it how you like. Hardware to software optimization is almost perfect and plenty of workarounds are available here in a sticky to help those out with a few of the "obstacles" thrown at us.
Nexus S Facebook, LED, microSD, Email, Text, & Camera Workarounds

After coming from a Samsung Epic 4g for about 9 months to this I couldn't be happier. Its my Epic 4g without all the junk, minus the physical keyboard. What more can I say?

I'm happy

 

[rem_kujawa]

There is only one thing I would change. Make it out of metal and have a soft touch finish. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[jnl813]

There is only one thing I would change. Make it out of metal and have a soft touch finish. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing.

Agreed