Galaxy Nexus: what you need to know
The first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone has been announced and it's called the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Want to know more about the handset? Here's everything we have so far.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus UK release date
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus UK release date is November, if an erroneous flyer from Japanese Network DoCoMo is to be believed. We definitely know it'll be available on Vodafone as the network has been in contact with TechRadar to confirm. We also know that it's coming to Threeand O2.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus price
Phones4U is the first to offer up a Samsung Galaxy Nexus UK price, and, while we knew it would be sold at a premium, we didn't expect you'd be paying a whopping £46 per month to get the phone for free – though we're not currently sure how many minutes, texts and how much data that includes. For a £30 up front cost, you can reduce this to £41 a month.
Galaxy Nexus processor
The new handset has a dual-core 1.2GHz Texus Instruments OMAP4460 processor, the same speed as the chip used in Samsung's Galaxy S2. Indeed, several of the Nexus Prime's core specs mirror that of Samsung's existing top end Android handset.
Galaxy Nexus operating system
The Galaxy Nexus is the first handset to feature Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The OS will be coming to other high end Android handsets including the Nexus S. Ice Cream Sandwich is designed to bridge the gap between the user experience on Android 2.x phones and Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets – the same operating system will now run on both types of hardware.
Galaxy Nexus memory
Like the Galaxy S2, there will be 1GB of system memory on board the handset. That's double the amount inside an iPhone 4S.
Galaxy Nexus display
The huge 4.65-inch Super AMOLED screen boasts 720p resolution. It's bigger than the 4.27-inch display found on the Galaxy S2 (and the same as that found on the S2 HD LTE in the US) but thankfully smaller than the whacking great 5.3-inch display found on the Samsung Galaxy Note.
It's also still dwarfed by the HTC Sensation XL by 0.05 inches.
Galaxy Nexus dimensions and weight
The device follows a similar form factor to its predecessor, the Samsung Nexus S, but is thinner at just 8.94mm thick and weighs in just a little heavier at 135g. The footprint? 36 x 68mm.
Galaxy Nexus Design
As you can see, the design language apes the previous Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S2 with the lip at the bottom of the phone.
A button-less display may confuse some always looking to hit the Home key to get back to the main menu, but Google wanted to create a slick, edge-to-edge front to the phone.
While more rounded than the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Nexus is almost the non-identical twin to the current darling of Android users.
Galaxy Nexus camera and video
The Galaxy Nexus shoots 1080p video, just like the iPhone 4S and Galaxy S2, and has a 5-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash. The front-facing snapper is a 1.3-megapixel unit. There's also a panorama mode plus, according to Samsung, no shutter lag.
Galaxy Nexus mobile payments
As expected, NFC tech remains on board from the Nexus S – though the tech is still slow to roll-out across other handsets.
Galaxy Nexus connectivity and sensors
The handset also boasts Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi and HSPA+ (enabling download speeds of up to 21Mbps) over 4G networks, rolling out in the US at the moment. Unfortunately, we won't see these in the UK quite yet. There's also a proximity sensor as you'd expect and, strangely enough, a barometer. We could do with a few other phones featuring that.
Galaxy Nexus storage
The handset will be available in two versions featuring 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.
Galaxy Nexus storage
The handset features a 1,750 mAh battery – far better than the 1,420 mAh unit in the iPhone 4S.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus isn't branded as being from Google
Although the handset still carries the name of the search giant on its rear, this is the first Nexus device not to have the word 'Google' as part of its name, following the Google Nexus One and Nexus S. It also isn't called the Nexus Prime, as was rumoured.
You can register now for Galaxy Nexus updates
Simply go to http://www.google.com/nexus/ to sign up for more details on the availability of the new handset.
Galaxy Nexus: old rumours
Here are the rumours we reported on leading up to the conference:
Google's third Nexus Android phone, officially announced back in May, is expected to be manufactured by Samsung, with many, many recent rumours claiming a model known as the "Galaxy Nexus" - or the Google Nexus Prime, also known as the Samsung GT-I9250, as some outlets have speculated - will be the new flagship Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone.
Samsung itself has already confirmed that a phone under the name "Nexus Prime" exists, thanks to a list of settings discovered on its own site - but the odd mixture of specifications it contained led some to believe it was simply a placeholder, prior to the announcement of the Galaxy Nexus.
And it looks highly likely now that it will actually launch under the name Galaxy Nexus, and the Galaxy Nexus UK release date will be early November 2011. On 11 October it was rumoured that the Nexus Prime UK release date is 3 November.
As for an announcement, Samsung pulled its Unpacked event from an 11 October slot at CTIA, said to be due to the death of Steve Jobs though other rumours are suggesting that a patent dispute over Android 4.0 could be to blame with other rumours now pointing toward a Galaxy Nexus announcement on 18 October, along with Google's latest Android operating system, known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
Here's what else we know about the Galaxy Nexus handset itself.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Google Nexus Prime?
With the impending launch of Google's Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS seemingly confirming that the new phone will be launched too, it's likley the name of the phone will be the Galaxy Nexus rather than the Nexus Prime.
Boy Genius Reports is... reporting that the phone will be announced as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, complete with the undoctored Google OS, despite the Samsung moniker.
Like the way the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 both were seen as the flagship models for Android Honeycomb, it's therefore possible Google is looking to ditch its name from the phone in order to make it appeal more to the mass market.
Galaxy Nexus specs
It's no surprise to learn the Galaxy Nexus will offer a decent leap above current Android phone specs. We're expecting it to be the first to arrive with a 720p resolution display (unless LG beats everyone to it with its HD LU6200, which now seems highly unlikely).
Tech specs are all, of course, unconfirmed, but the most recent leak claims it'll arrive powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP processor - which is dual-core - running with a dual core 1.5GHz processor. It'd better have a big battery as well.
Update: it looks like we've got some information from a leaked flyer ahead of the event - the Galaxy Nexus looks set to debut with a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, 5MP camera and that much-rumoured large screen with HD resolution.
And if it's going to support HD material, it'll need a big screen - the Galaxy Nexus is currently rumoured to feature a whopping great 4.65" Super AMOLED display, running at that HD 1280x720 resolution.
We're expecting Ice Cream Sandwich to completely remove the requirement for phone to have Back, Home and Menu buttons, meaning the Galaxy Nexus should arrive without any front-facing buttons whatsoever. Unless Samsung sticks a big, round Home button in the middle, just to annoy Apple.
We've also seen a possible video of the device from Mobilissimo - whether it's genuine or not, it gives an interesting take on the new handset:
Galaxy Nexus UK release date
UPDATE: it seems the Google / Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be unveiled in Hong Kong on 19 October, with Google confirming that the new OS is going to be launched on that date.
This sits with what Google has previously said about the Ice Cream Sandwich release date being in October or November, so it's safe to assume that, as has happened in previous years with the Nexus One and Nexus S, the Galaxy Nexus will be the hardware flagship for this exciting new Android OS release and will launch simultaneously with the software onboard.
Samsung Romania also made a little error on Twitter, claiming the Samsung-made Nexus Prime would launch in late 2011 with Android 4.0.
Galaxy Nexus will debut with Ice Cream Sandwich
Google has done a remarkably good job of keeping its Ice Cream Sandwich Android update under wraps. We've heard that it'll combine the mobile and tablet versions of the OS, bringing the Honeycomb "holographic" interface to mobiles, unifying the current mobile and tablet versions of the OS – although the oddly disappointing supposed early leaked images of ICS suggested a rather underwhelming, minimal change.
Google always likes to debut a big Android update alongside a piece of hardware that shows it off to its best extent, so we fully expect ICS and the Galaxy Nexus to be announced and shipped on the same day.
Galaxy Nexus price
We can but guess. So we'll guess. Given the cutting-edge nature of the rumoured spec sheet, the size of the screen and the fact that Samsung's Galaxy S II commanded a huge £499 price on release, it's safe to assume you'll need to find at least that much for a Galaxy Nexus if buying outside of a contract.
On monthly contracts, the Galaxy Nexus is bound to arrive at the top end - meaning at least £35 per month. At least, for the first few weeks while demand is still high. If you wait a few months you'll save yourself piles of cash - the Nexus S launched for £429 late last December, but was swiftly chopped down to around £300 a few months after launch. So don't get too excited and spaff loads of cash too soon.
Samsung will make the Galaxy Nexus
Despite Google recently signing a deal to buy Motorola's mobile division, it looks almost certain that the Nexus Prime will be a Samsung-made device, as Google doesn't see Motorola as the automatic choice for making its future flagship phones.
Other, older rumours have claimed LG may have been in the running to make it, plus, of course, it was HTC which made the original Nexus One. But we're 99 percent sure that 2011 will be Samsung's turn. Again.
Galaxy Nexus rivals
Samsung's bitter local rival LG has been making a lot of noise about its plans for future "HD" Android phones, even going so far as announcing the fact it's signed Capcom's Street Fighter IV as an exclusive for an as yet unnamed future smartphone. Plus LG has its HD LU6200 - although that's not yet running Ice Cream Sandwich.
Persistent rumours claim Sony Ericsson may be about to launch a dual-core Android phone, with its unannounced Nozomi regularly popping up in many internet leaks. But again, there's no official word on ICS support there.
The other big unknown is HTC. We've seen plenty of future HTC phones leak - like the HTC Bass and HTC Ruby - but they appear to be standard Android 2.3 phones with buttons rather than buttonless Ice Cream Sandwich handsets. It'll have something, but we don't know what. Yet.
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