Nexus S Official: Available Dec. 16th, Product Page Live
Those sly cats at Google couldn’t release the Gingerbread SDK without its flagship phone, so in conjunction with Samsung they have officially announced the Nexus S. You can jump right over the Nexus S product page now, even, but don’t expect to purchase it there. Google is done with that model, instead moving the phone through Carphone Warehouse in the UK starting December 20th and Best Buy in the US (on T-Mobile) starting December 16th. Even more, TechCrunch got an early review unit to toy around with. So what is being said about the Nexus S after a few days of use? Well, they are calling it “the best phone on the market today.”
Everything we expected is there. Gingerbread, 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, an NFC chip, and super sleek and slim design. The cheap-feeling plastic of the Galaxy S remains, but we are sure that is forgivable. This is a phone built from a solid Samsung platform and tailored by Google’s demands. It’s kind of a big deal (and you’ll want to be right on top of it by visiting our Nexus S forums).
There are a ton more videos over at the Nexus S YouTube, including a bunch giving various looks at new Gingerbread elements. Check out the new keyboard:
SAMSUNG AND GOOGLE TO DELIVER NEXUS S, THE FIRST MOBILE PHONE IN THE WORLD POWERED BY ANDROID 2.3
Nexus S offers the latest version of the Android platform, Gingerbread, 4” Super AMOLED touch screen with curved design, Near Field Communication (NFC), front and rear-facing cameras and 1GHz application processor
SEOUL, Korea, and DALLAS, US December 6, 2010 — Samsung Electronics, a leading mobile phone provider and the No. 1 mobile phone provider1 in the U.S., and Google™ today announced Nexus S™, the world’s first handset to feature the latest version of Google’s Android™ platform. Powered by Android 2.3, Samsung and Google have packed Nexus S with powerful technology and the latest in hardware features.
JK Shin, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “Samsung and Google have worked together closely to deliver the best Android smart phone experience for consumers. It has been our ambition in working with Google to continue to push the Android platform forward and create a smart phone that has both superior functionality and a stunning user-experience. It is extremely satisfying to see this partnership again bear tremendous fruit.”
“Samsung was thrilled to work with Google to create the first device featuring the much anticipated Android 2.3 OS. Nexus S is powerful proof of Samsung and Google’s commitment to bringing technology firsts to market and launching products that utilize the open and innovative Android operating system,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer of Samsung Telecommunications America. “Nexus S integrates Samsung’s best-in-class hardware and technology with the exciting new features and upgrades of Android 2.3 Gingerbread to give consumers a breakthrough smartphone experience.”
“Google is excited to co-develop Nexus S with Samsung, ensuring solid integration of hardware and software to deliver the lead device for the latest version of Android, Gingerbread,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.
Nexus S is designed with Samsung’s brilliant Super AMOLED touch screen technology providing a premium viewing experience. The 4-inch Contour Display features a curved design for a more ergonomic style and feel when held to the user’s face. Nexus S also features Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which allows you to read information off of everyday objects like stickers and posters that are embedded with NFC chips. Powered by a 1 GHz Samsung application processor, Nexus S produces rich 3D graphics, faster upload and download times and supports HD-like multimedia content.
Nexus S is equipped with a 5 megapixel rear facing camera and camcorder, as well as a VGA front facing camera. In addition, Nexus S features a gyroscope sensor to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right. Nexus S also comes with 16 GB of internal memory.
Android 2.3, Gingerbread, is the fastest version of Android yet. It features support for Near Field Communication (NFC), a new and improved keyboard with multi-touch support, Internet calling (VoIP/SIP support), and a clean new user interface. Nexus S also includes popular Android features such as portable Wi-Fi hotspot, true multitasking, access to Google mobile services such as Google Search™, Gmail™, Google Maps™ with Navigation, Voice Actions, Google Voice™ and YouTube™, and access to over 100,000 apps and widgets on Android Market™.
Nexus S can be purchased (unlocked) online and in-store from Best Buy retailers in the U.S. starting after December 16 and at Carphone Warehouse retailers in the U.K. after December 20.