In case you had not noticed, Android 2.3 Gingerbread came out, and with it the Samsung Nexus S. This is Google’s newest flagship phone, and perhaps their future developer phone (succeeding the Nexus One). Without further ado, let me introduce you. The Samsung Nexus S is pretty much a Galaxy S variant phone, with a few changes. Here are the specs:
- 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor (sorry, no dual-core yet)
- 4 inch Super AMOLED 800 x 400 pixel Contour display, with ergonomically curved glass
- GSM Quad band
- HSPA on T-Mobile’s AWS band
- 5.0 megapixel camera with VGA front-facing camera
- 1500 mAh battery that supposedly lasts for nearly 18 days (!) of standby time
- Gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity and light sensors, digital compass
- Stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- Near Field Communications (NFC)
While the Contour glass is a new take, the really fresh piece is the inclusion of NFC radio. NFC will allow you to use your phone as a credit card at certain terminals, and the uses in marketing are really endless. Check out the videos below to learn more. So what is new in Gingerbread land? Well there were a few UI tweaks including a changed status bar (it’s black now), slight icon changes to include more “Android green,” there are new options to make copy-and-paste functions and text-input easier (redesigned keyboard, finally!). There is SIP calling through WiFi so you don’t have to waste your mobile minutes. The built-in task management system is more robust, killing off unnecessary background processes. Things are going to be generally faster, and less battery consuming.
The user manual is embedded below and the highlights from the Android developer website are here.
The new Nexus S is priced just like the old Nexus One: $529 flat or $199 if you sign a 2-year contract with T-Mobile. Best Buy will start carrying them on Decmeber 16.
Ready for some video? We got plenty featuring multiple helpings of Gingerbread in the Nexus S cookie jar:
Android 2.3 Official Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx3pdWBlZ34&feature=player_embedded
Nexus S: The Backstory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjaYKNwWWiQ&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread Refreshed UI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SBMrauRSX0&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread VoIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXPPSTvsdaw&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Voice Actions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIZ56bIfWzI&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Near Field Communication
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk5mUdeEF8c&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Google Maps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unAapajqgQ8&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Navigation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL5hqOY7lmw&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Google Instant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybJ-Y1JI8c&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Google Voice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjVC_Quw2KU&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Google Goggles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY0a4dzRLVA&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread Keyboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vdqfVIcuJA&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread Connectivity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUbrBmy93XM&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread Sensors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoAVhdfG1U&feature=player_embedded
Explore Nexus S: Gingerbread Multitasking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_OmfumzGb8&feature=player_embedded
If all those were not enough, please enjoy some photos.
If you want to start hacking/developing, check out the developer site for the SDK.
Source:intomobile