For those of you waiting on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to finally hit Sprint, it looks like you'll just have a week to go. The first Android 4.0 device (but hardly the only one anymore) is now available for preorder for $199 on contract. And on the preorder page, Sprint clearly says the following (and has followed it up with an official announcement):
We'll charge your card for your phone today. Shipping: We'll do our best to get it to you before Sunday, April 22.
That lumps it in with the release of the LG Viper, which also will be released on April 22. The upcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE goes up for preorder on May 7. A release date has not been announced.
Preorder: Sprint Galaxy Nexus; complete Sprint Galaxy Nexus specs
Thanks, rocket321!
Reader comments
Sprint Galaxy Nexus hits April 22; preorder now for $199!
First Sprint phone with 4.0? Huh? I could have sworn my NS4G was just upgraded to ICS last weekend.... ?!
Its still ponders me why anyone would buy a phone that has a sealed battery. HTC LTE is not a iPhone. It is power hungry. You can turn off everything and use it as a dumb phone and it will last all day. But if you use the phone like its intended......your going to need a extra battery or stay by the outlet. Processor wise, there will not be one thing you can do better on the HTV then the Nexus. The camera i do like on HTC. But we will just port that over. Still both phones have no shutter lag. As for the sg3 i will still get that. If its a great phone i will sell my phone $100 less and pay to break the contract and still have money to buy the new phone. Now back to the batter you cant replace.....
dallasfever... you are so misinformed. The battery on the Sprint Evo LTE will last over 14 hours with the new integrated Snapdragon S4 even when using the superior camera with slow motion video and the quietly brilliant Sense UI and widgets. And you can't port over the camera’s image sensor proving engaging in further discussion would be nonsense. And, if necessary, the battery is replaceable like any part. The manufacturers have determined over 98% of users don't fast swap batteries. It's unnecessary.
Developers will use it as their daily driver and only use the GNex to test the development of their apps during their early build stage. They already have the GNex CDMA version for development. They don't need Sprint's.
I already ordered mine!!!
We don't hear you now... GEKKO!
After all your relentless yelling at HTC's CEO, you now quietly lust for the new the superior build and quietly brilliant all encompassing functionality of the new Sprint EVO LTE as your choice for upgrade.
Heck, no worry though ... you'll probably be able to pick up a Sprint GNex on ebay in Aug for $100 just to get your nerd on when you have time to waste.
The Nexus S 4g still sells for around $200 normally. Quit trolling.
Turbo dude... I just checked ebay. There are several refurbished Nexus S 4g's for less than $100 and the price will drop when the used supply increases as people replace that antiquated wimax.
I'm VERY excited about this announcement and I will be preordering.
I am currently on T-Mobile with the Nexus One. Stock android matters to me, but so does not taking a home equity loan to pay my cell bill. Therefore, the Verizon GNex is out of the question.
For people already on Sprint who are now/soon upgrade eligible, yes it's probably too little too late. The EVO One X looks amazing. But for people switching carriers or who are not already using a smartphone... this is good timing, or at least as good as Big Red's exclusivity could allow.
Not everyone wants to be caught in the perpetual waiting game. Some people want their new device now! Yes pre-orders for the Evo LTE start 5/7/12, but when will the phone ship? Who knows... Late May... June?
GSIII isn't even announced yet. Not everyone wants to wait 3 months to upgrade.
If you are upgrading NOW, the GNex is the best phone on Sprint. I plan to take advantage of that.
I had to dump Sprint a few weeks back due to poor service when I am at work and various other locations (I'm in Chicago! Come on Sprint!). I switched to Verizon and picked up a Nexus for $99 at Amazon Wireless (Now it's down to $79). I had an Evo 3d on Sprint which I loved. But this phone blows it away. I rooted it right when I got it, but didn't put any custom roms on for about a week. I experienced zero problems with it. I say to anyone who is on the fence, to go for it! It's a great phone!
I've been dying to get my hands on a Sprint Nexus device for the longest time! I'm not due for an upgrade or anything but I'm also not above buying a phone at retail.
I really want this phone but I think the Evo 4g lte has won me over. Just sounds like every aspect of the phone will be better. The minus is possibly sense which I've never really used and bloat. I just picture CM9 and the new Evo being an amazing combo. I don't think I can wait for the GS3 and my experience with a stock Samsung phone was not all that great, which is why I wanted a Nexus phone in the first place. To Samsung's credit Touchwiz seems to have come a long ways since I last used it on my Epic.
Man this is tough... I believe EVO tho... No wait.. Gnex... Ahhhhhhhh
I owned both an evo3d and nexus s. I eventually just sold the evo becasue I used my nexus way more. I its unfortunate that the galnex has a slightly dated SOC and poor camera, but software has proven to be more important to me. being able to build for the nexus from source is a huge advantage.
Do I get the Rezound, the RAZR or the Nexus? This all sounds so familiar.
I forgot, I can actually upgrade to both (GNex AND EVO 4G LTE). Depending on which one gives the best 3G/4G wireless tether for my laptop when I'm at the mother-in-laws in Ohio. I can upgrade from my main line and I can upgrade my U301 wireless. Then toss (list on eBay) which ever one I hate! Should I do it? Should I get both? (smiling dangerously...)
wow....bad timing on Sprint's part. Samsung has just sent out invites to the SGS3 announcement and Sprint is JUST announcing the GN. HORRIBLE TIMING!! Who will buy a GN when we all know SGS3 is coming soon?
Yeah but something new is always "coming soon" no matter when you get a new device. On the same note, how soon is soon anyway? I've said this I don't know how many time, if we were to keep waiting for the newest device we would never get a new phone since something is always "right around the corner".
The GN has the best hardware/software/specs combination. I absolutely love the phone. I'd still choose it today. I am so glad Sprint customers will get the chance to enjoy it. If you choose to use custom ROMS, go with AOKP.
I don't think you read the specs on the new EVO LTE. The poor camera on the G Nexus alone is enough to turn me off much less the processor ,pentile screen, no memory card slot, etc. Lets face the facts, the phone was released five months and was actually a disappointment to many like myself who was expecting much more.... its simply too little too late right now... it has fallen behind considerably as there a number of game changers right around the corner
To all the people saying they are just gonna get the Galaxy S3...
Don't you folks realize that the Galaxy line of Samsung phones has never arrived before the end of July on Sprint? Do you realize that last year the Gs2 was released in OCTOBER?? We have noooo idea how long it will be until the GS3 is available, or when it will be available in the states, or when it will be available on Sprint. Likely by the time it hits Sprint, the next Gen phone rumors will start and you'll just be waiting all over again...
Real talk
No shit!! We all know its coming later in the states. But this year Samsung is making it closer to a global launch. Maybe 1-2 month wait. Who cares. I had my eyes set on this phone since last year and what's a few more months of waiting? Worry about yourself bro.
Source?
I ain't your bro.
Just trying to bring an aspect of realism to the table.
When the GNex came out, many jumped, but many said "oh, the quad core phones are just around the corner. Wait." Well they're still not here yet (for US carriers, subsidized) and some are still waiting. All I'm saying is that while we all know the Galaxy S3 is coming and its gonna be amazing, we really don't know when. You say its only going to be a month or two delayed, but if its just being announced in May, when is the actual release date? How do you know its only going to be a month or two wait? You HOPE it will be that short.
All we KNOW is what happened in the past, and last year the GS2 didn't hit an American carrier til October. That's a long time to wait, especially considering that then the next Nexus phone will be only a month or so away. It never ends.
I'm really torn. I don't like like all the bloatware put on phones. I'm eligible for upgrade now. Would like to at least see what the EVO looks like. I'm not opposed to HTC, owned a few over time, but having had Epic 4g, Nexus S 4G, the hardware shines. But Samsung sucks when it comes to getting updates out in a timely fashion. That's why I tried the Nexus S 4G and why I'm still leaning towards the GNex. HTC has been okay when it comes to pushing out updates, but they all seem to have issues - no matter how careful they are testing. As far as Sprint's baby - well the Epic Touch 4G was it's baby for the longest and now it's hardly mentioned. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
i really don't care that its a nexus thus im not all wet about it i want the best and thats gonna be the s3. this phone is getting old and people need to stop praising it cuz its a "nexus". i want best in class hardware the software can wait via cm9. besides i actually like touchwiz too lots of useful features that stock doesnt have
I just noticed that the off contract price is $100 less than Verizon too. My upgrade is available on June 1st. Choices, choices, choices.
After owning the Nexus S 4G I don't want to own another Samsung device. I owned an EVO Shift before it and the phone was better in every way other than I didn't care for the keyboard after awhile which is why I switched. I will be glad to go back to HTC. (lack of notification light, the pentile screen that is overly saturated and very pixelated, no fm radio and no sd card really started to annoy me)
There was a time when I was all about the Galaxy Nexus. But the longer they took to release it and the more I used the Nexus S the less I wanted it. The announcement of the EVO was the nail in the coffin.
I am sure it was no coincidence the new EVO was announced before the Galaxy Nexus was available. Sprint definitely seems to want to sell more EVO's. The Galaxy Nexus almost seems like a phone they are required to sell rather than a phone they want to sell. Maybe it has to do with the Google Wallet contract or something.
Its too little too late. But its not Sprint's fault. Verizon had the exclusivity on the GN for a couple of months. That was a big mistake on Google's part. Next time Google, just say a big FU to Verizon and all this exclusive BS. Release the Nexus phones on ALL carriers. Oh well. Now its either EVO LTE or Galaxy S III for me.
The Verizon model has been horribly unreliable for me, you're better off with the new EVO. I left Sprint for this phone back in February and I'm regretting it.
I couldn't even move my music to it because the new MTP file transfer protocol would stall after copying several hundred files. I had to use the Android SDK adb utility to push files over (which worked flawlessly).
The phone has yet to receive an OTA to fix the various problems it has regarding random reboots, sound issues, microphones cutting out, horrible battery life (2 hours off charge to 27% one day), and data dropping. I lose data connectivity on WiFi, wtf.
The GSM version seems to lack these issues.
When it comes to CDMA phones, never buy Samsung.
I got my Verizon g nexus on launch day. Except for a few reboots the first few days I had it, I haven't experienced any of the issues you have. Then again I've been running custom roms almost the whole time so maybe that's why it's working so well.
If you need to use custom ROMs on a newly-released phone to get some minimal level of functionality, that phone is a shameful failure. Nexus or not.
Need vs Want are two very different things. Many of us flash for the fun of it, not to gain minimal functionality but to maximize it.
Do yourself a favor and flash 4.0.4 on your GNexus if you haven't. I did it a few days after it was leaked and I don't have any issues with my phone ever since.
Once again, I shouldn't have to do that to make my new phone work.
If you have to unlock it and flash a rom to make the phone not be broken, it is a failure.
Get the Evo LTE.
I understand that but I rather fix it myself if I can instead of waiting on Verizon lol
There's one problem, they are trying to sell the Nexus to the average consumer and they are not going to buy a phone to root and flash ROM's...so fail.
The Nexus phones are reference phones to give developers a baseline per API level to develop for, not necessarily a phone "for power users only."
If the phone doesn't work out of the box properly, and requires rooting and ROM flashing to make it work properly, it is a failure.
I rode the ROM merry-go-round for almost two years with my EVO (and with a Mogul before that), and I'm sick and tired of playing with a phone. I just want to use it to do normal things.
I want it to have a data connection when I need it or I want to stream Pandora.
I want to be able to move my music to the phone without using adb.
Music fans listen to music and audiophiles listen to stereos. I want a phone I can use as a phone, not a phone I can install the latest release of MegaXBongloadTeamMarshmellowSatanX's new ROM on, and the Galaxy Nexus is a horrendous failure in that respect.
I couldn't agree more!
Switched to Verizon over the weekend and got the Motorola Razr Maxx. The best phone I ever own. I have not charged the phone in 2 days and still have plenty of battery left after plenty of use.
Sprint is just to slow bringing out good phones.
Any word on availability for AT&T?
** groan ** I need to compare it to the new EVO, I guess. I'm eligible for an upgrade so can pick this up for $50 if I want....or wait until June.
I am assuming the upgrade price is $199.
It is, but you also get a $50 credit for signing up with Google Wallet. so assuming you do that (why not, for 50 bucks?) then it drops the price to $149.99. of course, you pay TAX on the $199, but hey, 50 bucks is 50 bucks, right?
Finally!! I'll pick it up and finally have a first taste of vanilla Android ever.
Wow 100 dollars cheaper then the Verizon version wonder it they will have a better car attachment.
Just bought it off contract!!!
Back in January I was all about getting a Gnex this year...but now it is being overshadowed by all the new 2012 "next-gen" devices which will outperform this phone by 2x most likely. Also Phil's One X vs. Gnex article was pretty convincing.
I am still going to consider it for the stock AOSP and hackability factor, but I'm very excited to see what the GSIII will bring to the table.
Oh and thanks for the plug Phil - since I read somewhere that it was going to launch on Sunday I immediately fired up AC this morning to see if it had happened. When I saw nothing posted I checked sprint and sure enough there it was. I'm surprised that I was first to notice :)
I will be picking up a Galaxy Nexus this weekend. Going to use Best Buy's Phone Freedom and get $50.00 more off. Can't beat it. Mav.
$199? . . . Same price as the new EVO?... I think These Carriers intentionally drown out the Nexus Line of phones. But I guess we can't complain about "choices"
Nobody really buys Nexus phones except geeks and Android purist, its always been a low seller. Once again, the average consumer does not care about pure Android. Just like I have done in the past, I'll take the Evo line over the Nexus any day.
Yayyyy finally
The price is more like $150 since they're giving away $50 of Google Wallet credit. As long as you use 7 Eleven :)
Either way, I'll be waiting on the Next Galaxy announcement May 3 from Samsung.
Too late Sprint. Going with the new EVO. I don't see you moving very many of these phones unless you slash the price!
The price is slashed. It was 299 on Verizon. Plus the specs still keep up with the new evo. And its vanilla. Sense is more or less junk imo.
I have a white e4gt with cm9 alpha 2 if anyone is interested.
That's one way to look at it. Or maybe Verizon's price was inflated. And considering the E4GLTE looks like it will out perform the GNex in virtually every category and at the same price I think Sprint dropped the ball on this phones release. Add to that the fact that I like Sense(which from what I read was kept to a minimum on this device) and this becomes a no brainer for me. But to each his own. If I were a developer I would go for the GNex, maybe, :)
sprint dropped the ball? Verizon obviously had a 3 month exclusive on it. imo Google dropped t ball by accepting the ludicrous sum of money Verizon probly said they'd give them for that exclusive, instead of releasing it on multiple carriers simultaneously
Sprint doesn't care. You will be under contract with them either way.
It's already $100 less than on Big Red, as another commenter noted.
I've been waiting for 6 months for this phone. Just put in my pre-order. I don't care if they aren't the shiniest toys, even the shiniest one today will be outshone in a month by something else. I want pure ICS, nothing more, nothing less. GNEX is the only easy way to to that with a new phone.
And now, I shall do the Snoopy "Happy Dance" in celebration.
*music*
*Do da do do do dah do daaah. Do dah do do dah dah doo da dooo*
*Happy Dance*
:)
Good luck with that one battery. Im a power user. Never owned not one android that last all day from texting, internet, talking, email, social networks...No way for a battery to last all day. Once your battery goes dead, no swapping out.
Uhhh.. You do know that the back of the GNex is removable, right? And the battery is swappable. So you can buy a second battery if you want and swap it.
Or do like I'm going to and take your old Palm Pre back, strip off the charging coil applique and mount it into the back of the Gnex, enabling the use of the Palm Touchstone.
EDIT:
Argh.
I just realized you were responding to the guy that is going to get the new EVO. Ugh. Sorry about that. Nevermind... *sigh* I need to learn to read more carefully...
duplicate.
I love the gnex but I have a e4gt. If I get the gnex it will be off contract.