Google has revealed Gingerbread, the next upgrade to Android, along with the next Nexus phone which will lead the Android 2.3 charge – the Nexus S.
The Nexus S will be the first Android phone to run on Gingerbread (Android 2.3). It was co-developed with Samsung, as previously rumoured, and will bring a “pure Google” experience, meaning unlocked access to Google mobile products.
This smartphone will be the first handset to feature a 4-inch contour display which, according to Google, will “fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face.”
It has a 1GHz Hummingbird processor and front and rear-facing cameras. The phone also has a dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for mobile gaming and video playback.
The Nexus S has 16GB of internal storage and near field communication (NFC) hardware to let users read NFC tags, which can be embedded into objects like posters and T-shirts.
With Gingerbread, the phone has many improved services, such as a new keyboard and text selection tool, internet (VoIP/SIP) calling, improved copy and paste functionality and gyroscope sensor support.
The latest updates of Google Apps are included, such as a redesigned YouTube with a personalised home screen feed, in page playback and a rotate for full-screen gesture.
It also features Voice Action, letting you search by speaking into the phone. Users can use this function to text, open a song, navigate and set alarms.
The phone will see a release just before Christmas – in the US, it will be out on 16 December and in the UK, it will be out for 20 December.
We’ll keep you posted on the Nexus S release date for the Irish market.
