Galaxy.

First and foremost, I'm aware that I haven't been updating for awhile, for better or worse.

Today's update is gonna be a brief one - nothing too heavy on emotions, but rather a borderline fanboyish post on the gadget that I've been drooling on a fair bit.

Anyone who knows me personally will know that the gadget is none other than the Google Galaxy Nexus.

Every Android fan will know how special is the Nexus line to the ecosystem - it is the one and only Google-sanctioned phone, which means that it is always on the forefront of software updates, straight from Mountain View itself.

Furthermore, since the Nexus line is developed by Google, it will set a standard for all other Android devices in terms of hardware specifications and software performance, as the launching version of Android (4.0 in this case) is optimised for that particular set of specs. In other words, there will be no Android phone with similar hardware that can perform better than the Nexus.

The Nexus line also comes with a vanilla - i.e. uncustomised - version of Android, which means that it is devoid of any customisations, e.g. Sony Ericsson's UXP, Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense. It is Android like how Google meant for it to be experienced.

Honestly, I've never warmed up to TouchWiz and Sense - the former is trying too hard to be an iPhone while the latter is too gaudy. I prefer something elegant and understated. The only customisation I actually like is UXP, but even that has its bugs and annoyances, especially when likeminded apps are present.

Therefore, from a geek's perspective, a Nexus phone is like a white canvas, all ready for customisation. App compatibility will also be at its finest, without any interference from manufacturers' user interface overlays. Having said that, I will really miss Timescape or any other method of social network integration.

For all the reasons above, I have decided that the Galaxy Nexus will succeed my Xperia X10i. I have recently given my X10i a new lease of life by putting in a custom ROM that greatly enhanced its performance, but I think its time is up :)

The only things I foresee I will miss from my X10i will be its 8mp camera as compared to the Galaxy Nexus's 5mp, which reviews say is a tad underwhelming, and of course Timescape, as mentioned earlier. But we'll see - the sum of its parts will definitely be greater than the individual parts themselves.

I can't wait for our local telcos to bring it in. Please let it be sooner rather than later!

Pardon the simplicity of this post; I wanted to give a greater insight, but my mind is a little tired at the moment.