Galaxy Nexus: Samsung missed paradigm shift [look back]
+ Andreas Floemer
14.09.2014, 13:07 clock
The Galaxy Nexus had Google and Samsung in October 2011, the second co-developed the Nexus smartphone series presented. For me it is still one of the devices I remained positive memories. A look back.
After the Nexus S was the Galaxy Nexus (test) the second Google phone that was created in cooperation with Samsung. It was introduced in October 2011 with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) and heralded the era of smart phones with on-screen buttons. Needless to say, not only brought ICS soft buttons by itself, but a variety of other functions. Android 4.0 can be considered as the biggest update of Android then young history, it was a powerful step forward for Android in terms of functionality, brought a consistent aesthetic language and established the Holo UI. Some aspects of this visual language were delineating 3 Honeycomb already in Android, but this iteration was only for tablets of relevance – and then only for a short time. In this article, however, the focus is only partially on Android 4.0 – focus is on the Galaxy Nexus, had presented the Samsung a special in terms of design and feel Smartphone without the otherwise typical physical and capacitive buttons – and a new design language for its Galaxy portfolio could have been set.
I liked the concept of on-screen buttons immediately. Some interfere Although it until today, as these reduce the effective usable display size, this I suppose but happy to accept it, because I think in terms of usability, this solution for ideal and also forms the front of a flat surface without optical interference. As I said, a matter of taste, which does not have any share.
When I held the Galaxy Nexus in December 2011 for the first time in my hands, I did not want to let go of it, was so well it in his hand; of course I fell in love with the type of operation. The great feel is partly due to the fact that it is relatively narrow, with its 68 millimeters and fits perfectly in my medium-sized hands. In addition, the housing sides are wonderfully rounded, so that the device snugly in the hand. But the Galaxy Nexus was my heart still conquer another reason: While many smartphones have a slippery and to top it all shiny surface, Samsung had its second Nexus administered a so-called hyperskin coating on the back cover, through which the receiver can not slip in the hand and is also visually a better figure than did the “glossy” backs example of a few months later featured Galaxy S3. But these days used to come rubberized back Samsungs in golf ball troughs optics is also a good alternative.
What also leads to a positive use experience, is the slight curvature or” nose “on the bottom of the GNex, because thanks to this white one, where is always up and down. This is seen with many other devices no longer so easily and with a blink of the eye – not even the Nexus 5 (test). Thanks to this construction, it is to have to pull out of his pocket and turn again without the device and turn quickly, ready for use. In addition, can also be wonderfully easy to pull his nose out of his back pocket, the Galaxy Nexus. These factors may at first sound trivial, but exactly such design decisions with the everyday practicality in mind are what distinguish a good device.
For this reason I consider the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for still one of the best devices in terms of ergonomics and haptics. And I am of the opinion that this Samsung Design 2011 should continue, even if it contradicted with their capacitive buttons and the distinctive, clearly Apple-inspired home button by success of the Galaxy S devices. The Galaxy Nexus has been incidentally introduced between the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3 – two smartphones, which Samsung had achieved enormous success. Maybe you thought even with Samsung that consumers still “their buttons” need to better orient themselves. But as I had once gotten used to the soft buttons and the concomitant use, I did not want to go back – the operation in my view is simply “natural”
Presumably the soft buttons were a default on the part of Google to show other manufacturers, that these users when can work. Today, they have become popular with many manufacturers: Sony on HTC and LG to Huawei. Ironically, Samsung, however, in 2011 practically the pioneer of on-screen button solution, remained his introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S physical control buttons until today. Some people love Samsung Galaxy devices precisely because this type of control, other like that, outdated, in my view, and above all space-consuming control scheme just is not.
Samsung had already in 2011, a veritable paradigm shift in terms of its hardware can usher design language in order to make smartphones even more compact can. The consistent choice of on-screen buttons would have weakened the allegations of orientation on Apple’s design language sensitive, which had reached with the Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 peaked. Of course it would have been a gamble for the South Koreans to move away from his success devices and introduced with the Galaxy S design – I would, however, which welcomes
But who knows what the second month -. Obviously works Samsung on housing design of its Galaxy smartphones. Currently, once the material on the series, finally comes into play metal. Maybe take Samsung at last leave of the home button along with its capacitive companion?
What you would bear of a Samsung smartphone in polished Galaxy Nexus-style with metal chassis and on-screen buttons?
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