The buzz surrounding Google's release of its Ice Cream Sandwich operating system is similar to every release of the latest Android operating system on a single, debut device. The difference is: this one's a doozy.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first to introduce the Android 4.0 OS, better known as Ice Cream Sandwich (or ICS). Google redesigned or recoded nearly every element of the previous Android OS to create this power-packed software that melds the tablet-centric Honeycomb flavor for tablets with the alphabet of Google's Android smartphone treats.
While the hardware itself is up to spec, the phone without ICS--though very good--is no different from other excellent Android handsets. In fact, replace ICS with Gingerbread and you might find the Motorola Droid Razr or the HTC Rezound edging the Galaxy Nexus.
With Android 4.0, though, the experience is really something different. However, it doesn't solve Android's problems, and in combining the tablet and smartphone operating systems, Google left a few visible seams. See all the handset photos, watch the video, and read all the pros and cons in this thorough review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.