The long wait is officially over, as Verizon has just sent out emails announcing the launch of the Galaxy Nexus, with a link to the order page. The Nexus, a hotly-awaited Android 4.0 handset, has been rather elusive since its debut in China a few months ago. The page confirms the pricing of which we got wind earlier – $299 on a 2 year contract. What it doesn’t do, however, is provide any images of the phone.
The order page has actually been around for a bit, snagging some Likes on Facebook. Unfortunately it has been a “Coming Soon” status for the Nexus itself. But now, you can snag your Galaxy Nexus with free next-day shipping from the carrier.
The phone itself is packed with features, including NFC. But you won’t get your hands onto Google’s NFC-driven Wallet application just yet, as Google is still tied up with Verizon over the carrier’s reluctancy to have it on the device. The features that remain, however, are compelling.
- 4.65-inch 1280×720 Super AMOLED HD display
- 0.01 MS response time
- 1.2 GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4460 processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 16 or 32 GB internal storage
- 5-megapixel camera, capable of 1080p video
- Built-in image stabilization
- 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- NFC
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- Gyro
- Barometer
If you were hoping to perhaps save a buck or two by ordering via Amazon, the news isn’t so good. Presently the phone is showing as backordered, with an “expected” arrival date of 8 to 9 days. There is one way that appears to work to save some cash — customers moving from a 3G to a 4G phone are said to be eligible for a $100 discount, but you’ll have to go through a representative in order to be able to ask for it.
For those with a bit more money than sense, you can purchase the phone off contract for $649.
TNW’s Matthew Panzarino has his hands on a Nexus and we’ll be getting up a full review soon. In the mean time, make sure to stay locked to TNW Mobile for the news as it happens.
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