[NewsPoster]

Sprint is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for free on its site. New or renewing customers signing up for a two-year agreement will receive a pair of discounts off the phone's normal $550 price. Sprint does require that customers buying the Android 4.1-compatible phone sign up for a data plan, bringing the monthly cost of the handset to at least $80 per month.

The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65-inch Pentile display capable of 720p output. Inside, it packs a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4460 processor and 1GB RAM. It is among the first smartphones to get the update to Android 4.1, since it is part of the Nexus line. Electronista carried an in-depth review of the Galaxy Nexus last year, finding the phone to be a worthy ambassador of the then-new Android 4.0. The battery life is surprisingly good, and the phone contains a number of features that have kept it up to date even as it approaches a year in age. The camera was a bit underwhelming, though, and the GPS' accuracy was somewhat hit-or-miss. In all, though, the phone seems like a solid acquisition at Sprint's price or on Verizon, which also discounted the Nexus last month.