gdgt

In terms of built-in apps and overall system performance, I'd say it's pretty close, not quite there yet. There still seems to be issues of scrolling lag (it's a lot less noticeable than pervious versions) that I never really got when I had iOS devices. Haptic feedback is a terrible substitute for hardware buttons and I think it's something that should be removed. It's amateurish, but the new animations to mask issues of slowness (something that Apple does with iOS) add a lot more depth to the overall experience. There's clear animated substitutions that the designers used that make it feel like I'm actually in control of the phone, such as the half card-like flip once you reach the end of your app menu (as opposed to the bouncing animation that Apple uses). So far there's a lot to like about ICS. But I still need more time to play with the device to get a better feel of the intricacies of the OS and the added elements.

Re: scrolling lag - I feel like I recall reading or hearing they weren't able to get the proper GPU acceleration they wanted to with ICS so it was one of the stand out features they pushed off to the next big release

The scrolling lag is less prominent than previous versions. It doesn't really bother me. The browser is vastly improved, which is definitely my most used app on any device. So far it's on par with mobile Safari on iOS devices.

I only played with an iPad2 briefly in an Apple store, so I can't really compare, but the performance is extremely smooth. I haven't had a chance to test a lot of apps, but I'll get back to you once I do.

It's huge. Much the same way I felt about the HD7, I found the phone hard to balance with one hand. The back is relatively flat horizontally, so it makes it awkward to hold and I definitely can't reach over all areas of the screen with my thumb. It'll definitely take some time for me to get used to. I'll definitely report back next week about the battery life. I'm hoping it's better than my Nexus S 4G.

I'll give the politician answer of, it depends. If you've used an Android phone and loved the experience, then you'll like it even more. With ICS, high res display and LTE, it's, by far, the best Android phone on the market. If you're looking to switch from iOS and the iPhone 4S, then the unevenness in quality apps and subpar camera will likely have you frustrated.

If you're just looking for something new, then it'll definitely fill that void. Even for Android users, there's so much different (and great) about ICS that it makes for a new experience.

I've only had the Galaxy Nexus for a few hours and it was charged at 40%, so I can't really give an accurate depiction of what battery life is like, but I'll report back after more use.

I picked up a Galaxy Nexus today, just finishing my first full charge now. I'm already planning to get the extended battery, maybe a couple of them, actually. Any idea when these will be available to purchase?

If you plan on using the NFC chip, you should know that the NFC chip is built into the battery, not the back cover of the device, like the Nexus S.

I'm actually not 100% sure since I decided to pay extra for the tethering/hotspot, but I assume that it is. When I turn on the tethering/hotspot, it says that it's checking to see if I'm provisioned for it before it actually turns it on.

I have one, and I didn't pay for hotspot functionality. As such, it doesn't work.