I "solved" the battery issue with the hyperion extended battery. It's bulky but it does the job. I "solved" the sound issue with volume+. Okay, it's not great sound - in fact, it's a little louder crappy sound but it's loud enough. ANd through bluetooth, it's great sound. The speaker system in the phone is dismal.
Those are serious issues, yes, but not insurmountable. I wouldn't call the gnex a lemon by any stretch of the imagination. I WILL say there have been some of these devices not as well made as others and have had physical failure - other than that, I think this is a good design that could be redesigned into a magnificent one. I'm hoping for a nexus with a built in stylus.
I figure if I put it out there, maybe someone will make it. Why not? You can tap and transfer photos for who knows what reason - maybe they'll make a nice stylus for those of us who like to draw and take notes.