After weeks of waiting, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE has finally arrived. It’s hardly an unfamiliar phone – after all, we reviewed the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus back in November, coming away charmed by its combination of 720p HD display and Ice Cream Sandwich OS – but it brings with it a few advantages and a few potential compromises too. 4G means high-speed downloads on a par with what many people expect from their home broadband connection, assuming you have the coverage, but we’ve also grown used to LTE phones chewing through battery life in record time. Read on for our first impressions.

Head-on, and the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus looks no different to the GSM model. You still get the same 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD display and 2-megapixel front facing camera, with a gently curved “Contour Display” doing a little to help those with regular sized hands stretch their thumb all the way to the top of the screen.