Verizon recently launched its Galaxy Nexus sign-up page and it initially claimed that it was a Big Red exclusive. Well, that sent a lot of people into a hissy fit, apparently, and now the page no longer makes mention of any sort of exclusivity at all.
We’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be a Verizon exclusive before but we’ve also seen quite a few hints that the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich handset would make it to T-Mobile, AT&T, and possibly Sprint. The word exclusive is used pretty loosely these days, as it can mean exclusive in a specific country, internationally, or just exclusive for a certain amount of time. If anything, we’d say that Verizon may have the Galaxy Nexus for a month or so before we begin to see other carriers announce their own variants.
It should also be noted that Google and Samsung already announced that the handset would be released in LTE and HSPA+ variants, so why Verizon decided to throw “exclusive” on its sign-up page is beyond us. That said, those looking for the snappiest data connection within the Galaxy Nexus will need to grab Verizon’s version in the US, which will run you an extra $100 bucks and will add some thickness to the handset. If you’re like me and don’t care about the battery draining data connection right now, then just about any other variant would suit you better.
So what was that all about? It was likely just a tactic that Verizon used so those looking to get the handset first would jump on its network before any other carrier announced it, and not to claim that only it will carry the handset. It’s disingenuous at most but if you’ve been paying attention, you probably didn’t believe it would truly be a Verizon exclusive in the first place.
Now that it’s confirmed that the Galaxy Nexus won’t be bound to Verizon only, what carrier do you want to see the handset land on?
[Via: AndroidCentral]