Galaxy Nexus: Google's Android 4.0 iPhone 4S Killer

Samsung's Galaxy Nexus could go on sale in the U.S. in the next week, and when it does, it will mark the beginning of the Android 4.0 era. Android 4.0, nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich, is more than just a software update because Google has added many new features and even changed some of the basic functions that run so many smartphones out there. One of those functions is the widgets on the homescreen. They're customizable and resizeable now, and even though that seems minor, it's the type of functionality that make devices easy to use and therefore, easy to want.

If that sounds familiar, it's because Apple are the kings of making devices easy to want. Part of that is marketing, but it's also a design strategy that make things like the iPhone easier for people to use in so many ways. If a device looks appealing at first glance, then it will spark interest, and if a device makes people curious, they might want to go in for a closer look. The next thing people will see is the homescreen, and if it looks simple and intuitive, then people will want to take the device for a test spin. That is all it takes in many cases. People see somebody on the street or at work with a particular device and they become curious about it.

Galaxy Nexus is going for just that feel. There's some hype built up around the Galaxy Nexus release, but when people start walking around with the device for people to see, then the Nexus' curved design and 4.65-inch screen may get people thinking about going in for a closer look. That's when we'll know if Google's Android system redesign will have been worth it. There may not be a device anywhere in the world that can replace the iPhone, but Galaxy Nexus is the closest we are likely to get in the next year.

Let us know in the comments if you think the Galaxy Nexus matches the iPhone as far as the allure of its physical design.