I don't think most people will make their decision between an iPhone 4S and a Galaxy Nexus because of a slightly better camera. Sure, it might be even a lot better, but at the end of the day, they are both far from point and shoot quality.
I think most people would rather choose between them because of each one's software or even hardware. Company allegiances/principles/beliefs will go a long way in making the decision, too, for some people.
I agree. Personally, I don't expect great photos from my phone, but I am really excited about how fast the camera is. (This was one of the things that made me really envious of the iPhone 4S.) Because if I want to take really nice photos, I'll bring my DSLR. But the phone camera is for situations when you want to capture a moment, and speed is more important in that situation than quality, at least for me.
True, but personally, I have no allegiance to either Android nor iOS, although I've used the 4S a lot and really like it. Ultimately both offer a fast OS which does everything you'd expect, and both have drawbacks and advantages, but if your in neither ecosystem then things like the camera do actually become more important than you'd think (especially to the non-tech savvy demograph). [EDIT - I guess, in my original post, "so so camera" is a pretty unfair assessment...]
I'd like to try out the nexus and see if the form factor and ICS UI works with me, although it certainly looks lovely!
Untrue. That is the one point that is currently making me swing towards the iPhone.. My current point&shoot produces worse pictures than either (in fairness, it's 3 1/2 years old). Two years of better pictures is an issue to me..
I think most people would rather choose between them because of each one's software or even hardware. Company allegiances/principles/beliefs will go a long way in making the decision, too, for some people.