Earlier this week we brought you a report that Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus might be coming to Verizon today. Those reports turned out to be accurate, as the phone became available on Verizon’s website early this morning.

The new phone (which does not resemble an iPhone, Apple will surely be thrilled to see) sells for $299.99 with a 2-year contract. It sports a 4.65-inch display, over an inch bigger than the iPhone 4S. It also runs the much-anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The latest version of Google’s Android operating system is a significant revamp of the software, and features deep Google+ integration and a host of fancy new features, including face unlock, which allows users to unlock the phone by pointing the camera at their faces. The OS also includes a few features designed to take advantage of the NFC technology that has been integrated into the phone. Though Google Wallet is absent, users can console themselves with Android Beam, an app that transmits data of various kinds – files, contact info, and more – to other phones within the roughly 1-inch field NFC field.

The new phone is also designed to run on Verizon’s new 4G LTE network. Verizon is even offering new users a deal on their data plans, temporarily doubling the amount of data they get for the price. The company cut things awfully fine with the release of the new phone. Verizon retailers had been expecting the phone to be available last Friday, which would have left a full two weeks of the holiday shopping season. The company announced last week that they were delaying the launch. Today’s release date leaves shoppers a mere ten days in which to get the device. Fortunately, Verizon appears to be offering next-day shipping to those last minute gift buyers who want to get the phone before Christmas.

What do you think of this shiny new phone? Let us know in the comments.