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Nexus S 4G (Sprint) Video

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Nexus S 4G (Sprint)
Created: 03/23/2011
Video description: Sprint's Nexus S is the first CDMA and first 4G Nexus device. While at CTIA Kent German got a chance to take a look.

Nexus S 4G (Sprint) Video Transcript

-Hi, I'm Kent German, senior editor at cnet.com. I'm here at CTIA 2011 in Orlando, Florida. I wanna show you the Samsung Nexus S. This is the new version for Sprint. They're calling it the Samsung Nexus S 4G. Two interesting things about this Nexus S, it is the first Nexus device that comes to a CDMA carrier. It also is the first Nexus phone to be on a 4G network. Of course this is Sprint, so it runs on WiMax, so 2 firsts really about this phone. Now, it looks exactly like the T-Mobile device we saw last year. It's pretty thin. Feels a little bit fragile on the hand like we saw last year, but I think it's a nice looking phone. It's is very slim. It does have that contour display, so that means you'll see a very, very slight curve. It is a Super AMOLED display, so it's really bright. It's really colorful. A couple of negative things about this phone is there's no LED notifications. So when you get a message or voicemail and the screen is dark, there's not gonna be any sort of light that pops up here, you can see that a lot on Android phones. Also, the phone does not have a microSD card slot. It does have several gigs of internal storage, so that should be fine but we do like an external card slide just for extra. Also, it has a personal organizer. It does have a wireless hotspot. Of course, if you use that feature you will have to sign up for the extra $29.99 Sprint plan. That's $29.99 a month. Also, you have to get the extra $10 a month for this 4G service and that's all on top of at least $69.99 Sprint Everything plan, so a little bit of investment when you get this phone as far as the monthly plan goes. It's gonna be available in April, $199 with a 2-year contract. But still if you like that stock Android experience. Luckily, Sprint hasn't ruined that Gingerbread stock Android. So, if you're an Android purist, definitely a good phone for you. I'm Kent German at CTIA 2011 with the Samsung Nexus S 4G.

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Samsung Nexus S 4G (Sprint) Review

The good: The Samsung Nexus S 4G offers a brilliant display, WiMax support, and agreeable performance. It gains a number of usability improvements from the Gingerbread OS, and its straight Google interface will appeal to Android purists.

The bad: The Samsung Nexus S 4G feels rather fragile, and it lacks a memory card slot and LED notifications. We were hoping for more new features over the Nexus One, and its 4G connection was spotty at times.

The bottom line: The Samsung Nexus S 4G offers a great combination of design, features, and performance. The 4G connection could be more reliable, but the Gingerbread OS, stock Android UI, and admirable call quality make for a satisfying smartphone.

Read full review

Samsung Nexus S 4G (Sprint) Specs

Manufacturer: Samsung
Part number: SPHD720KIT

Product Basic Spec
  • Product Basic Spec

Read full specs