Google's promise to retire the Nexus brand after the Nexus One was a lie - the Google Nexus S has now been officially announced.
Featuring a glut of new technology and the latest unfettered Android platform, it certainly looks like an early headliner for 2011.
So check out our run down of all you need to know about the Google Nexus S, including when you can get it, how much it will cost, and which new tech-toys you'll get with it too.
1. It features next-gen technology
The Google Nexus S comes complete with Near Field Communication (NFC), which is basically an extension of the tech you get with your Oyster Card or pass to get into your office building.
However, the Google Nexus S can also read information too, meaning you could in the future hold your phone up to enabled movie posters and instantly download a trailer.
2. Google Nexus S UK release date
If you're looking at this launch and thinking that it will be aeons until you can get your hands on this new super phone, we have good news.
Google has given the Nexus S a 'pre-Christmas' UK release date through The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK, so you'll be able to get your hands on one later this month.
3. The Super AMOLED screen is back again
Despite rumours that the OLED tech was in short supply, the Google Nexus S will come with the latest generation of Samsung's superbly sharp screen.
Featuring ultra-high contrast ratios (meaning the blacks are blacker and the whites are whiter) and offering a 1.5x higher brightness than LCD screens, Google is promising the Nexus S will be four times more visible in bright sunlight, which will be a godsend if true.
4. It features on of the fastest processors out there
Using Samsung's 1GHz Hummingbird processor, the Google Nexus S will use one of the fastest-benchmarked CPUs for mobile phones available at the moment.
We would have preferred to see a dual core design in there, but it's a departure from the Qualcomm offering we saw in the Nexus One and is a real vote of confidence in Samsung's proprietary tech.
5. Google Nexus S UK pricing
The Google Nexus S doesn't look like it's going to be a cheap device thought - we're looking at a 16GB unit costing �549.95 SIM free.
It will be a slightly less wallet-destroying �35 per month (with a free phone) but that will on a two year deal - so make sure it's the phone for you before you commit.
However in comparison, the iPhone 4 costs roughly the same for the same storage (around �50 cheaper) but will still cost you �119 when buying on contract, showing how much more Apple's devices hit your pocket.
6. The Nexus S will be ace for gaming
Featuring a separate graphics processing unit, the Google Nexus S will be able to process up to 90 million polygons per second, making it only slightly less powerful than a Nintendo Wii in your hand.
As the Android Market gets filled with games from the likes of EA, this means that you'll be able to get a proper on the go gaming experience from your mobile.
7. Improved sensors mean better gaming
On the same note as the GPU, the Google Nexus S features 'improved motion gesture sensors' for better quality of gaming and location tracking without needing to use the GPS.
Plus it also includes a gyroscope, as seen on the iPhone 4, which is a big attraction as we love flinging our phone around or spinning on chairs to shoot aliens.
8. The Nexus S will fit your face
Google has specified a slightly odd design for the Nexus S - it's curved on the back and on the front.
The rear is designed to fit nicely in the hand, but the front is also curved to fit the contours of your face. Which means all the years we've spent training our faces to sit flush to our touchscreen phone are now wasted.
9. The Google Nexus S updates will be simple
You may have seen a few users have expressed consternation at the time they've had to wait for Android updates - be it jumping from Android 1.6 to 2.1 or a simple Froyo update, everyone from Vodafone to T-Mobile, Sony Ericsson to Samsung has been castigated by customers demanding they release the next-gen tech.
Google promises that this won't be the case with the Nexus S, saying it offers 'a "pure Google" smartphone experience, in which users will be the first to receive software upgrades and new applications as they become available.'
However, this is likely to be only those phones not purchased from a network, as these guys are required to do the correct testing to make sure the phone can still make calls and receive data - which is usually the reason for the delays.
10. Will we see the Google Nexus S Android 3.0?
You have to assume that Google wouldn't leave its flagship smartphone by the wayside when Android 3.0 / Honeycomb launches next year.
Although it's supposed to be a tablet-friendly OS, the word is that a number of phones (with screens of around four inches and above) will get access to the update.
We'd imagine that the Google Nexus S Android 3.0 release date will be around Q2 next year - although there's always a chance Mobile World Congress in February will see some tasty Android treats too.
BHARTI AIRTEL BT GROUP CANON MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS MICROSOFT
No comments:
Post a Comment