The recently announced LG Nexus 4 is here in just a little over a week. So how does the most recent Nexus smartphone compare with the aging Galaxy Nexus? Is the upgrade massive enough to warrant tossing out the Samsung Nexus device and moving over to the latest and greatest Nexus?

This is a great question, and something we will take a look at by comparing the overall hardware of the Galaxy Nexus next to its younger sibling.

As you read this article, keep in mind that this comparison is just looking at the specs “on paper” and isn’t a direct hands-on comparison of the two phones. We’ll do our best to accurately represent the features and options on both the phones– if we miss anything, just politely add to the comparison through the comments section.

Alright, so let’s jump in!

Size and Weight

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus originally sported a weight of 135g and had overall dimensions of 135.5mm x 67.94 mm x 8.94mm. Did the Nexus 4 rock the boat here or is it sporting a similar size and weight? It’s pretty close, for the most part.

The LG Nexus 4 is a few grams heavier at 139g. As for the dimensions, the Nexus 4 is 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm. The bottom line here is that the phones are quite similar in size and shape, it shouldn’t be much of an adjustment for you if you plan on upgrading to the Nexus 4.

The Nexus Display

While the Samsung Galaxy Nexus had a 4.65-inch 1280 x 720 HD super AMOLED display, the Nexus 4 brings the screen size up to 4.7-inches and has an WXGA IPS Plus display with a resolution of 1280 x 768. While the LG Nexus 4 does have a better display, it’s not really THAT huge of a jump.

Processor & Ram

So far what we’ve seen of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the LG Nexus 4 paint the picture of a marginal upgrade. The good news is that this isn’t true when it comes to what really matters, things like processing power and RAM.

When the Samsung Galaxy Nexus debuted, its 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP 4460 processor and 384MHz PowerVR SGX540 GPU were rather impressive. The 1GB of RAM was also more than enough to get the job done. Since then, more and more budget devices are moving to dual-core processors and most of the high-end Android smartphones rock quad-core power.

The LG Nexus 4 leaps ahead with an impressive 1.5GHz Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and an Adreno 320. As for the RAM? This time around the newest Nexus smartphone packs 2GB.

By today’s standards, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is still quite capable and should run just about every app you throw at it. That being said, the Nexus 4 is a major hardware upgrade when it comes to processing, graphics and RAM.

Storage

Probably one of the biggest complaints for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was the lack of microSD. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus instead simply had 16GB or 32GB versions that couldn’t expand the memory.

If you were hoping that the Nexus 4 would change all of that— bad news. Not only is there no microSD on the Galaxy Nexus 4, the storage options are simply an 8GB and 16GB version. If you are heavily invested in cloud streaming, 8GB will probably get the job done okay, but it is still a little disappointing that we don’t have larger storage options.

Connectivity

Not a lot of change here. Both devices have expected connectivity options like Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi and more. The only additions are the support for wireless charging and the added SlimPort-HDMI.

Strangely enough, a version of the Galaxy Nexus did support 4G LTE while the Nexus 4 takes away 4G LTE altogether. It’s fastest supported mobile broadband speed is now the HSPA+ 42.

There is still the possibility of 4G LTE variants in the future though.

Battery

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 1750 mAh battery versus the bigger 2100 mAh battery in the LG Nexus 4. Unfortunately bigger battery doesn’t tell us how much more battery power the LG Nexus 4 actually has— more processing power and graphics probably means need for a better battery to keep up.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are relatively comparable in actual battery length.

Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus originally had a 5MP rear cam and a 1.3MP front cam. For those that are hoping for improvements in the camera department, don’t worry — the camera is better this time around, though not by a ton.

The LG Nexus 4 features an 8MP rear cam, though the front cam stays the same at 1.3MP.

Operating System

Both being Nexus devices, you get a vanilla Android experience here. It is worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has now managed to update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (I believe) in all major markets.

If the latest version of Android is important to you, the Nexus line is well known for keeping up here. The LG Nexus 4 will be the first smartphone to ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean which includes several new features such as an improved keyboard, a Photo Sphere camera feature, improved notifications, improved Google Search and Google Now functionality and more.

Summing it up…

While I may have missed a few other crucial areas of comparison, this should give you a pretty good idea of how the LG Nexus 4 stacks up against its older brother.

If you have the Galaxy Nexus, should you rush out and buy the latest version? It depends. If you have the cash to spare and want the improved camera, better graphics/processor and RAM—sure, why not. Honestly though, if cash is rather tight and the Galaxy Nexus still seems to get the job done when it comes to apps and overall speed, you might want to hang on to the Galaxy Nexus a little longer.

Where the Nexus 4 really shines is for those that don’t have a Nexus device at all, or are still rocking the older Samsung Nexus S. Another MAJOR reason to consider a Nexus device is that it is a powerful yet affordable option for those that use a prepaid carrier that is compatible with the upcoming smartphone. The LG Nexus 4 will be available on November 13th in the US, Canada, Germany, UK, Australia, Spain and Germany. The US pricing is set at $299 unlocked for the 8GB version or $349 for the 16GB version.

So how about it, will you upgrade to the LG Nexus 4 or not?

The post Comparing the Galaxy Nexus to the Upcoming LG Nexus 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Apart from Android ICS and the quad-core power, one of the biggest reasons for getting the HTC One X is certainly the device’s camera with ImageSense technology. Its shooter boasts improved lens, sensor, software, and there’s also a new custom HTC ImageChip. But seeing is believing, right? So we have a new video here which compares the camera capabilities of the One X with that of the Sony Xperia S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The One X’s camera is certainly impressive as it takes a photo in just 0.7 seconds and 4 photos per second in the burst mode (maximum of 99). As you might know, the camera on the Xperia S is quite good too, and the phone comes with a dedicated camera button and fast capture feature. That’s why the S wins during the sleep-to-snap test, as you will see in the clip. But for two other tests, the home-to-snap and burst mode tests, the One X is the clear winner.

Against the Galaxy Nexus, the One X wins in all the tests. And, as you will see below, the burst mode on the S and Nexus requires you to have kung-fu fingers.

Some cool things about ImageSense:

• Superfast Capture – HTC One dramatically reduces the time it takes to capture those key moments. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot, and with a new superfast 0.2-seconds autofocus, continue to take nearly unlimited continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button.
• Good photos in adverse conditions – HTC One delivers dramatic enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X and HTC One S offers best-in-class performance, capturing 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones. HTC One also includes HDR, a market-leading technology, for taking great photos even when there are varying levels of brightness.
• Video Pic (Concurrent Video/Still Capture) – With Video Pic you capture a photo and shoot video at the same time. Now, while you’re shooting HD video, all you have to do is tap the shutter button and it snaps a high-resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot. You are also able to capture a photo frame from a previously recorded video.
• Dropbox integrated with HTC Sense – HTC One gives you an easy way to save and share your photos and videos. HTC has integrated Dropbox into HTC Sense 4 enabling HTC One customers to get 25 gigabytes of free Dropbox space for two years. That’s enough to keep more than 10,000 high-quality photos. Dropbox is also integrated throughout HTC Sense 4, so it’s easy to edit, save and share your documents and other kinds of files.
• Sharing your photos and more – HTC One gives you a new way to share your photos and videos. When you plug in HTC’s wireless Media Link HD* accessory into your TV’s HDMI port, you can easily share your photos, videos, or anything else on your phone with your friends, family or colleagues regardless of the television’s brand as long as it has HDMI.

The post HTC One X Camera Shootout With The Best Android Smartphones (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

According to Expansys, Samsung has indicated that it has cancelled production of the new handset. This comes by way of a post in the XDA-Dev forums, saying that this is “not good news at all.”

Realistically, I don’t think too many people will care. Most of the reviews for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus have been positive, including BGR’s review saying it is their “favorite Android device in the world.” With that crazy Super AMOLED 720p display and Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood, what’s not to like? You know, aside from having “just” 16GB of internal storage. You’d think they would have learned from the Nexus S and put a microSD card slot in there, huh?

The post Upgraded Samsung Galaxy Nexus 32GB Smartphone Scrapped appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

A big, beautiful Super AMOLED display is one of the features that makes the Samsung Galaxy Nexus very attractive. The only problem is the device’s price tag. But now we can have the next best thing. Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy M Style will allow you to enjoy some Super AMOLED glory for a midrange price.

The Galaxy M Style boasts a big 4 inch Super AMOLED display. Hopefully it will also come with a full 720p HD resolution.

The smartphone runs the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS (no Ice Cream Sandwich yet), and features a midrange 1GHz single-core processor, and a 3-megapixel back-facing camera (that’s when an 8MP cam is fast becoming ancient for a smartphone). That definitely won’t impress too many people.

Other features include a front-facing camera, 4GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 1650mAh battery is included in the package.

But all that will be available with a price tag of $500, claims Samsung. And you will also be interested in the handset’s ultrathin size (0.39 inch) and refined metal body which will give you a comfortable grip. And the phone comes in eye-catching colors of Platinum Silver, Blue Black, and Lavender Pink.

The price tag is about $200 less than an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus, currently the Galaxy Nexus is available only to AT&T and T-Mobile customers.

The post Samsung Galaxy M Style Super AMOLED Android Smartphone appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

You might have your own favorite Android apps, but we encourage you to check this one out. The LCD Resolution app will allow you to make the most of your Android smartphone’s high resolution display.

With the LCD Resolution app, which has been developed by Wemobs Labs, you can “force” the display resolution of your Android phone to be better than what it was shipped with. The app just changes the pixel density and it will appear like you have changed the display resolution.

The discovery comes to us courtesy of the folks over at Pocketnow who have released a video (posted below) showing how the new app works.

You just need to have a rooted Android handset for the app to work. And it will be better if your Android handset has a high resolution display, such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Note, the HTC Rezound, or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

After you launch the app, you can adjust the screen density using a simple slider. By lowering the screen density, you will be able to make use of the big screen that is available to you. You can pack in more items on the screen at one time.

But it appears like playing with LCD Resolution might break some stock applications, although most other programs will work just fine. Check out the video to take a peek at the app working on the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S II, and head here if you want to download the new app.

The post Android Handset’s Display Resolution Improved Using LCD Resolution App [Video] appeared first on Mobile Magazine.