Google Nexus S vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Price | $39 | $45 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,500 mAh | 1,750 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 1 GB |
| Storage (max) | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4.65 in |
| Main camera | 5 MP | 5 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 129 g | 135 g |
| Released | Dec 2010 | Nov 2011 |
Summary: Google Nexus S is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy Nexus is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Google Nexus S is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, 16M colors (GT-I9020/A) or Super Clear LCD (GT-I9023) | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 4.0 inches | 4.65 inches (~63.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 480 x 800 pixels, WVGA | 720 x 1280 pixels, HD (~316 ppi density) |
| Protection | Contour Display with curved glass | Dragontrail Glass |
Platform
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| OS | Android 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean | Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), upgradable to 4.3 (Jelly Bean) |
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 3110 (Hummingbird) | TI OMAP 4460 |
| CPU | 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 | Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX540 | PowerVR SGX540 |
Memory
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 16GB (1GB internal storage, 15GB "USB storage") | 16GB or 32GB storage, 1GB RAM |
| RAM | 512MB | — |
Main Camera
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP, autofocus | 5 MP, 2592x1936 pixels |
| Features | LED flash, geotagging | LED flash |
| Video | 480p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Selfie Camera
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Single | VGA | 1.3 MP |
| Video | No | 720p |
Battery
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 1500 mAh, removable | Removable Li-Ion 1750 mAh battery |
| Stand-by | Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G) | — |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 6 h 40 min (3G) | — |
| Music play | Up to 45 h | — |
Body
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm | 135.5 x 67.9 x 8.9 mm (5.33 x 2.67 x 0.35 in) for GSM variant |
| Weight | 129 g (GT-I9020/I9020A/I9023) | 135 g (4.76 oz) |
| Build | Plastic body | Plastic body, Dragontrail curved glass front |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | — |
Comms
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 3.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | Yes, with A-GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 |
Launch
| Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
|---|
| Announced | 2010, December 06 | October 2011 |
| Status | Discontinued | Released November 2011 |
| Release Date | 2010, December 16 (US) | — |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
Samsung Galaxy Nexus — 1,500 mAh for the Google Nexus S versus 1,750 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Which is lighter, Google Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
Google Nexus S — 129 g for the Google Nexus S versus 135 g for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Which is newer, Google Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
Samsung Galaxy Nexus — Dec 2010 for the Google Nexus S versus Nov 2011 for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Is the Google Nexus S or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus rated higher?
We rate the Google Nexus S 6/10 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 7/10.
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