- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Samsung Nexus S
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- 3.5G
- 4"
- 1 GHz
#1 in cheapest Orange phones
Released December, 2010
Conclusion Check out the Samsung Nexus S
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Samsung Nexus S
1 GHz
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean 3.5G
by GSM ArenaThe responsiveness of the capacitive touchscreen is top notch.
screen size
4"
4.7"
3.5"
Nexus S by Dennis-H.-Laska--fotogrofurIt's solid and a beauty even though the screen seems small this late in the game.
Nexus S by GSM ArenaErgonomically, the device is well thought out and can easily be used with only one hand, despite its big 4.0” screen.
screen resolution
Nexus S by Mohammed (Nov, 2011)If you need something faster in data go with the Galaxy SII or better....Screen is excellen with vivd colors and sharp details...simply Samsung quality.
Nexus S by c|net (Dec, 2010)We explored the full details of the new OS in this post, but we'll detail the highlights here.
memory
| 0 GB | 1 GB  | 1 GB |
processor
Nexus S by GSM ArenaDual-core powerhouses are nearing their launch dates and that’s where you need to go for high-end performance.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 5 MP | 8 MP |
Nexus S by Barrio (Aug, 2011)The resolution of the screen is great, the camera is great and the interface is very friendly.
Performance Real world tests of Samsung Nexus S
cpu speed
Nexus S by M.-Cox (Sep, 2011)If rooting your phone is your thing, and you happen to want to adjust processor speed, one thing I found out while using the SetCPU app (my use is for down-clocking the processor when the screen is off to help save battery) - well, if you set a profile to down-clock the processor for screen off, DO NOT set the processor to its lowest setting in the profile settings.
Nexus S by nettieo (Aug, 2011)Combined with the pleasantly fast processor, I can tether my laptop at speeds better than most Wi-Fi spots.
browser benchmark
Nexus S by c|net (May, 2011)The Web browser was easy to use as well, thanks to the multitouch interface.
download speed
Nexus S by nettieo (Aug, 2011)It's not 4G, but on HSDPA I'm consistently getting download speeds of 6 - 7 Mbps and HSUPA uploads of 2 - 2.5 Mbps.
Nexus S by Mohammed (Nov, 2011)Very advance phone when it was released in Dec. 2010 ... But now in 2012 , networks started to have hogher data speeds and this phone has a data speed limit of around 7 mbit/sec ... Which is the max of most 3G networks.
talk time
840 min
300 min
300 min
Nexus S by GSM ArenaThe battery is quoted at 6.7 hours of talk time, with a standby time of 17 days in 3G mode (scaled up to 14 hours of talk time and 29.7 days of standby in 2G networks).
Nexus S by Ron (Aug, 2012)You might want to get yourself a nice little case if you ever drop the thing, as well as an additional charger (maybe a car charger) because this battery drains pretty fast.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
3.5 mm -
Android Market (Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) -
Capacitive -
5 MP -
OLED screens are typically higher contrast and use less power -
Enables payment by phone and other wireless communications -
840 min -
42,780 min -
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean -
Play games and use applications that take advantage of device rotation -
Share your cellphone's data plan with other devices -
16 GB
cons
-
Many games and videos on the Internet require Adobe Flash -
limited to the phone's built-in storage for apps and data -
Can't listen to local radio stations -
None -
Single core -
720 x 480 @ 30 fps -
Dec, 2010 -
Doesn't support the fastest, most reliable networks
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 |  Rated by 192 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Jekel (Sep, 2011)  Rated 60% by by Zachary-Cheeley (Feb, 2012)  |
Screen
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 80% by by Benny--Ben (Jan, 2012)So far the phone is nice, the screen is awsome, the responsive screen, facebook app loads fast.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by David-Seese (Sep, 2011)The Nexus S screen seems plenty big, and the phones with larger screens don't have any higher screen resolution.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by Scott-D.-Welch (Sep, 2011)The screen is vibrant, showing crisp clear images.
Carrier
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 77% by by c|net (Aug, 2011)Eight months after it originally went on sale with T-Mobile, the Samsung Nexus S continues to make the carrier rounds by landing at AT&T.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 77% by by c|net (Aug, 2011)When compared with the other Nexus S models, the AT&T handset's audio sounded closer to Sprint's phone than it did to T-Mobile.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 80% by by c|net (Dec, 2010)On the upside, the Nexus S is the first handset with Gingerbread (Android 2.3), and it offers a few improvements like a second camera, an NFC chip, and a three-axis gyroscope.
Operating System
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 80% by by Mohamed-I.-Talaat--MIT (Nov, 2011)OS- I love android, and think that it is better than Ios, Windows mobile, and blackberry.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by Kikineko (Sep, 2011)This cellphone is what I expected and more!!! Very good performance, I really like the Android OS and I also love how this phone looks like.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by J-Sizzle (Aug, 2011)My roommate has a Galaxy S phone (which is also a very nice recent android phone) and he's envious of my beautiful screen and nice clean interface.
Apps
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by nettieo (Aug, 2011)* Sound quality is very good, both for calls and for music/general audio.
Samsung Nexus S | by GSM ArenaSadly, the music player saw no updates with Gingerbread on the Nexus S. It’s is not bad at managing your audio files but there’s definitely room for improvement.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by Happy-Kamper (Oct, 2011)Another thing that I really like is the fact that i can attach many pictures to an email without having to send each picture in several emails.
Operating system
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 80% by by Mohamed-I.-Talaat--MIT (Nov, 2011)It has an amazing OS, and a great design.
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by Mr.-Cory (Apr, 2011)I can argue iOS vs Android but ultimately it's up to the end user, they both have their pros and cons!
Samsung Nexus S | Rated 100% by by Mr.-Cory (Apr, 2011)It is a much better experience having a vanilla build OS vs a custom OS which can hinder overall performance, not to forget being free of carrier control and restrictions!
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | LG Optimus L9 Better than usual battery capacity LG Optimus L9 vs Samsung Nexus S |
 | 2 | Motorola RAZR XT910 Sharpest screen Motorola RAZR XT910 vs Samsung Nexus S |
 | 3 | Huawei Ascend G300 Rated the best by consumers Huawei Ascend G300 vs Samsung Nexus S |
 | 4 | Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 2-way tie: Supports NFC Galaxy Ace 2 vs Nexus S |
 | 5 | HTC One V 2-way tie: OK HTC One V vs Samsung Nexus S |
 | 7 | Alcatel One Touch 995 Fastest processor Alcatel One Touch 995 vs Samsung Nexus S |
 | 8 | Huawei Ascend G330 Transmits music over FM radio Huawei Ascend G330 vs Samsung Nexus S |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
September 6, 2012
Does the Galaxy Nexus have better battery life than the Nexus S?
I've got the Nexus S right now, and these days the battery doesn't seem to last even a day, and thats with light usage. If i use the phone say for skype or calls, or GPS, then the battery really...
Beginner I
3
Answers July 27, 2012
Do your touch buttons ever get hit accidentally?
I'm finding the touch buttons... touchy. Anyone else have this problem?
Beginner I
4
Answers August 28, 2012
Is it still wise to kill apps when running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean?
My phone recently updated to Android 4.1, I use to kill apps after I was done using them, but is it better just to leave them running in the background?
Intermediate I
3
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March 12, 2013
Why Nexus rated HIgher?
In each test Galaxy S scores higher, but the winner is Nexus S, WHY!?
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