Google announces Nexus S smartphone with 'Gingerbread' Android
Google on Monday unveiled the Nexus S smartphone from Samsung, its second flagship Android device it hopes will take on Apple's iPhone, with a unique curved screen and integrated near-field communications technology.
The Nexus S features a 4-inch AMOLED screen with a 480-by-800-pixel display on a unique "contour display," with curved glass. It also has forward- and back-facing cameras, a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, and 16GB of flash memory.
As was previously rumored, the Nexus S will also include an integrated near-field communications chip, which allows for short-range wireless data transmission for activities like an "e-wallet."
"Nexus S is the lead device for the Gingerbread/Android 2.3 release; it?s the first Android device to ship with the new version of the Android platform," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google. "We co-developed this product with Samsung?ensuring tight integration of hardware and software to highlight the latest advancements of the Android platform.
"As part of the Nexus brand, Nexus S delivers what we call a 'pure Google' experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates."
The Nexus S will be available unlocked for $529, or $199 with a two-year T-Mobile service plan in the U.S. It will be sold in Best Buy stores across America after Dec. 16, and Carphone Warehouse stores in the U.K. after Dec. 20.
Early this year, Google released the Nexus One smartphone, a device branded by Google and manufactured by HTC. The device was eventually canceled,in April, citing "amazing innovation" in competing smartphones that run the Android mobile operating system.
The Nexus One was also cited in Apple's lawsuit against HTC. It, along with other Android phones like the myTouch 3G and Droid Eris, were accused of violating Apple's patents related to the iPhone.
The Nexus S features a 4-inch AMOLED screen with a 480-by-800-pixel display on a unique "contour display," with curved glass. It also has forward- and back-facing cameras, a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, and 16GB of flash memory.
As was previously rumored, the Nexus S will also include an integrated near-field communications chip, which allows for short-range wireless data transmission for activities like an "e-wallet."
"Nexus S is the lead device for the Gingerbread/Android 2.3 release; it?s the first Android device to ship with the new version of the Android platform," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google. "We co-developed this product with Samsung?ensuring tight integration of hardware and software to highlight the latest advancements of the Android platform.
"As part of the Nexus brand, Nexus S delivers what we call a 'pure Google' experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates."
The Nexus S will be available unlocked for $529, or $199 with a two-year T-Mobile service plan in the U.S. It will be sold in Best Buy stores across America after Dec. 16, and Carphone Warehouse stores in the U.K. after Dec. 20.
Early this year, Google released the Nexus One smartphone, a device branded by Google and manufactured by HTC. The device was eventually canceled,in April, citing "amazing innovation" in competing smartphones that run the Android mobile operating system.
The Nexus One was also cited in Apple's lawsuit against HTC. It, along with other Android phones like the myTouch 3G and Droid Eris, were accused of violating Apple's patents related to the iPhone.
Comments
Google on Monday unveiled the Nexus S smartphone from Samsung, its second flagship Android device it hopes will take on Apple's iPhone, with a unique curved screen and integrated near-field communications technology.
The Nexus S features a 4-inch AMOLED screen with a 480-by-800-pixel display on a unique "contour display," with curved glass. It also has forward- and back-facing cameras, a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, and 16GB of flash memory.
As was previously rumored, the Nexus S will also include an integrated near-field communications chip, which allows for short-range wireless data transmission for activities like an "e-wallet."
"Nexus S is the lead device for the Gingerbread/Android 2.3 release; it?s the first Android device to ship with the new version of the Android platform," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google. "We co-developed this product with Samsung?ensuring tight integration of hardware and software to highlight the latest advancements of the Android platform.
"As part of the Nexus brand, Nexus S delivers what we call a 'pure Google' experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates."
The Nexus S will be available unlocked for $529, or $199 with a two-year T-Mobile service plan in the U.S. It will be sold in Best Buy stores across America after Dec. 16, and Carphone Warehouse stores in the U.K. after Dec. 20.
Early this year, Google released the Nexus One smartphone, a device branded by Google and manufactured by HTC. The device was eventually canceled ,a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/26/google_cancels_verizon_nexus_one_blackberry_6_comi ng_q3_2010.html">in April, citing "amazing innovation" in competing smartphones that run the Android mobile operating system.
The Nexus One was also cited in Apple's lawsuit against HTC. It, along with other Android phones like the myTouch 3G and Droid Eris, were accused of violating Apple's patents related to the iPhone.
Not sure why but this video is hard for me to watch, very disorienting.
"As part of the Nexus brand, Nexus S delivers what we call a 'pure Google' experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates."
This needs to happen a lot more often. All the manufacturers release phones with stock Android installed and their custom UIs as a separate package. Give us the pure OS so it can be updated easily and quickly across the board and let us decide how we want to change the UI.
The Nexus One was also cited in Apple's lawsuit against HTC. It, along with other Android phones like the myTouch 3G and Droid Eris, were accused of violating Apple's patents related to the iPhone.
Couldn't leave without getting a parting shot in there eh?
Not sure why but this video is hard for me to watch, very disorienting.
Agreed, but in a couple of instances, it made me chuckle like the shoes that looked like they were floating on top of people, until it was revealed that they were just very big shoes!
while you might think i would jump all over this with android ferver.....i have to ask, what is apple related about this?
You have to wait for the outcome of Apple's lawsuit to determine just what Appleness is in Android that violates Apple's patents.
You have to wait for the outcome of Apple's lawsuit to determine just what Appleness is in Android that violates Apple's patents.
And which decade will it be when we finally hear of a resolution?
This new phone with the new OS, you kinda think Verizon got a little angry because it was not them first out of the gate with this.
Honeymoon must be over.
You have to wait for the outcome of Apple's lawsuit to determine just what Appleness is in Android that violates Apple's patents.
ah. yes.
but i am not liking the housing. plasticy cheap and not that svelt looking.
Not sure why but this video is hard for me to watch, very disorienting.
That video made me dizzy. I could tell if the video was about the phone or shoes!
This needs to happen a lot more often. All the manufacturers release phones with stock Android installed and their custom UIs as a separate package. Give us the pure OS so it can be updated easily and quickly across the board and let us decide how we want to change the UI.
What what part of that model makes that attractive for any handset manufacturer trying to differentiate itself from its competition?
That's the Achilles heel of Android... the more handset makers customize, the more fractured the platform becomes as a whole. The less they customize, the more price becomes their only competitive tool and the race is on to the bottom.
What what part of that model makes that attractive for any handset manufacturer trying to differentiate itself from its competition?
That's the Achilles heel of Android... the more handset makers customize, the more fractured the platform becomes as a whole. The less they customize, the more price becomes their only competitive tool and the race is on to the bottom.
Which is why I said to include it as a separate, exclusive item to install. If we want to use HTC's Sense or Motorola's BLUR to Samsung's TouchWiz, we have the option to turn it on. If not, it'll be stock Android. This way, the core of Android can be updated across the board and the only thing that manufacturers will be responsible for is updating their themes.
As it is, all Android phones can use a home launcher replacement app from the Market to essentially bypass these UIs. A lot of them are very well made and gives cross-device features. For example, my launcher allows my DX to have the same "pinch to reveal previews" gesture that's exclusive to HTC's Sense.
"We co-developed this product with Samsung?ensuring tight integration of hardware and software to highlight the latest advancements of the Android platform.
I bet HTC, Motorola, LG etc. are just thrilled at playing second fiddle to Samsung. I wonder how long before they get fed up with Google using them ... after all, the handset makers get none of Google's ad revenue, lots of cut throat competition from the other Android phones, and are always going to be one OS version behind Google's own phone. Very appealing.
The "Ya Ya", Oui Oui" French music, with the dizzying feet and shoes does nothing, but distract us from the fact that this phone does nothing new.
"Duh. I want the phone I saw on TV with all the shoes and the French music!"
I bet HTC, Motorola, LG etc. are just thrilled at playing second fiddle to Samsung. I wonder how long before they get fed up with Google using them ... after all, the handset makers get none of Google's ad revenue, lots of cut throat competition from the other Android phones, and are always going to be one OS version behind Google's own phone. Very appealing.
Google takes turns working with each manufacturer to push out a device then moves onto the next one.
And in the case with Motorola, if they didn't get Android, they wouldn't be around anymore. i'm sure they're very pleased with Google
Which is why I said to include it as a separate, exclusive item to install. If we want to use HTC's Sense or Motorola's BLUR to Samsung's TouchWiz, we have the option to turn it on. If not, it'll be stock Android. This way, the core of Android can be updated across the board and the only thing that manufacturers will be responsible for is updating their themes.
As it is, all Android phones can use a home launcher replacement app from the Market to essentially bypass these UIs. A lot of them are very well made and gives cross-device features. For example, my launcher allows my DX to have the same "pinch to reveal previews" gesture that's exclusive to HTC's Sense.
While there is nothing wrong with what you want, it will doom android to a niche in the market. Most people will hear the phrase "use a home launcher replacement app from the market to essentially bypass a manufactures UI" and head for the iPhone.
I bet HTC, Motorola, LG etc. are just thrilled at playing second fiddle to Samsung. I wonder how long before they get fed up with Google using them ... after all, the handset makers get none of Google's ad revenue, lots of cut throat competition from the other Android phones, and are always going to be one OS version behind Google's own phone. Very appealing.
The manufacturers are behind because they choose to be. Google supplies the base source code, the only thing manufacturers would TECHNICALLY need to do is maybe write drivers for their hardware and utilize new OS features.
Many manufacturers try to "differentiate" themselves by putting their custom software and UI skin on the OS. This is what bogs down the time it takes to go from source code to release. Modders on XDA move faster than some of these OEMs and that is pretty sad.
With that said i'm half tempted to buy this device (or the PSPhone, or Tegra 2 device) simply because i know it will be updated to the latest and greatest and unmolested. My Vibrant is essentially the same as this phone, but my Vibrant would still be lacking Froyo if it were not for me rooting my device and installing a custom ROM.