Ever considering that Google told use that they were planning another Nexus device to pilot Ice Cream Sandwich, we’ve waited patiently (feel: spamming F5 on Google’s weblog every 5 minutes) to see what’s in store for us next. Rumor has it that Google has narrowed it down to just a couple of large players, which includes one “big surprise”. And what a few large players they are.
We continue to see a few devices rise from the dozens, so we have to assume that there is at least some truth to the rumors. Among these supposed prototypes are a Samsung device with a dual-core 1.5GHz OMAP4460, and HTC with dual-core 1.8 Ghz Krait Snapdragon MSM8960 (/drool), a Sony Ericsson with dual-core 1.two GHz Scorpion MSM8吸, and an LG with dual-core 1.five GHz OMAP4460. Rumor also tells of a “rather svelte” “really large surprise” with an Intel CPU, which is intriguing simply because it would be Intel’s 1st foray into the Android market. That said, could they be any a lot more vague?
Still, any one of these devices would make for an outstanding telephone. This author has his eye set on the HTC device for a lot more than a few factors, the largest of which getting its unreleased Krait Snapdragon processor. This CPU delivers up to twice the density of any chip previous to it, although its 28nm draw does far more with much less power. Many would argue that these processors won’t be prepared in time for a release this year, but sources tell us that HTC is working about-the-clock to make this a reality. Definitely, a device such as this has the prospective to be the next “developer telephone”, a la the Nexus One. HTC’s stance on rooting just makes it all the much more appealing.
As to the “big surprise”, it had much better be a doozy. We’ve observed Android released on so several devices (phones, watches, Television’s, etc), that Google would have to release an iPhone to genuinely catch this author off-guard.
The Goolge Nexus S is available in the U.S. via T-Mobile, but it sadly only supports 3G. Sprint aimed to fix that by offering the Nexus S 4G, which runs on their WiMax 4G network. It was officially launched in May for $ 199.99 with 2 -yr contract. Well, if you didn’t buy it because you were waiting for a price drop, then today is your lucky day. Sprint is now offering the Nexus S 4G for only $ 99.99 with a two-year contract. Most third party retailers, such as Best Buy, offer these phones at a low price, but this one is directly from the carrier.
Just to refresh your memory, the Nexus S 4G is running Gingerbread (2.3.4), with a 4-inch curved display that’s packing a 480 x 800 resolution. The device is also has a 1GHz Hummingbird processor under the hood, along with 16GB of internal storage, a 5MP camera, and a VGA front-facing camera for video chatting and such.
So, are you planning to grab one from Sprint now or you are waiting for the next Google device? Why do you think Sprint cut the price of the Nexus S 4G in half? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook Wall!
Today’s launch of the space shuttle Atlantis may have been the last for NASA’s veteran fleet of manned spacecraft, but it is only the beginning of new research being undertaken with the help of the Android powered Nexus S The Nexus S was on board the final shuttle launch to help test a new breed of small, free-flying satellites known as SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites). The handset becomes the first phone to be certified by NASA to partake in space shuttle missionsand cleared for use on the International Space Station.
The Nexus S isn’t the first Google phone to find its way to space — the Nexus One has seen the upper limits of our atmosphere in the past. You can read more about the SPHERES program and the Nexus S in space in the presser below.
SAMSUNG’S NEXUS S ABOARD NASA’S FINAL SHUTTLE
NASA has equipped a trio of SPHERES with a Nexus S by Google smartphone to head to the International Space Station
Kennedy Space Center – July 8, 2011 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), a leading mobile phone provider and the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. 1, and Google™ today announced Nexus™ S, is aboard NASA’s final space shuttle. As a leader in technology and innovation, Samsung is pleased to be a part of this moment which will most certainly be marked in history. Nexus S from Google is part of research that will equip small, free-flying satellites called Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) used by the astronauts to provide a broader range of capabilities and give better communication between land and sky. Nexus S is the first commercial smartphone certified by NASA to fly on the space shuttle and to be cleared for use on the International Space Station. The experiment will use the smartphone-enhanced SPHERES as remotely operated robots to conduct interior survey and inspections of the station, to capture mobile camera images and video, and to study how robots can support future human exploration. The addition of Nexus S to the SPHERES will add to the capabilities of each individual satellite while further increasing NASA’s understanding and exploration of space. Lead engineer in the Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., DW Wheeler, explains, “By connecting a smartphone, we can immediately make SPHERES more intelligent. With a smartphone, the SPHERES will have a built-in camera to take pictures and video, sensors to help conduct inspections, a powerful computing unit to make calculations, and a Wi-Fi connection that we will use to transfer data in real-time to the space station and mission control.” “Samsung is proud to have the Nexus S chosen to be aboard NASA’s final space shuttle launch, an event that is historical,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile. “The research that is being conducted with SPHERES using the Nexus S will help monitor and communicate from the International Space Station.” Research Overview In 1999, a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) undergraduate students, in conjunction with the Department of Defense and NASA, built five volleyball-sized free-flying satellites. These satellites are now referred to as Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reporient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) and three of them have been on the International Space Station since 2006. Each SPHERE satellite is self-contained with propulsion, power, navigation and computing equipment. When first designed, the usage possibilities of today were far from conceivable, thus an “expansion port” was built into each of the SPHERES. Additional appendages and sensors can be added to the satellites, allowing wireless power transfer systems and cameras to become parts of the systems. Nexus S is the first commercial smartphone to become a part of the SPHERES via this expansion port. With the addition of Nexus S, it allows SPHERES a wider range of capabilities on the satellites and improved communication between the land and sky. Mission control can remotely operate Nexus S-enhanced satellites to perform relatively mundane tasks such as running inventory or environmental surveys on the space station. Thus, astronauts will be able to dedicate more time to science experiments and other work rather than having to respond to routine maintenance demands. About Space Shuttle Atlantis Space shuttle Atlantis will embark on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-135 mission is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Atlantis’ STS-135 mission will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts to sustain space station operations after the shuttles are retired. About Nexus S Co-developed by Google and Samsung, Nexus S features brilliant Super AMOLED touch screen technology, a 4-inch Contour Display with a curved design and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which allows information to be read off of everyday objects. The smartphone features a 5 megapixel rear facing camera and camcorders as well as a VGA front facing camera. Nexus S is powered by Android™ 2.3, the latest version of Google’s Android platform, making the smartphone not merely a telephone but a powerful mobile computer at the same time. Nexus S also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networking, as well as 16 GB of internal memory.
1Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Q1 2011 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.
We saw earlier that a few Sprint locations were more than willing to part ways with the new Nexus S 4G a few days ahead of schedule, but now we have the above video showing the catch in all its glory. Android Forums members wallstreet777 gives us a quick look at the handset and confirms that, yes, the wireless tether hotspot is active on his brand new Nexus S 4G. Anyone else have luck grabbing one of these early?
Google just tossed a tweet out around a half hour ago letting the world know that Gingerbread has begun hitting Nexus One handsets. Finally, the “next few weeks’ has come to a head, right? Not so fast. According to the tweet, it could take a ‘few weeks’ to complete. So, sit patient. Just a few more weeks. Seriously. We mean it this time. Technically speaking, we were right back on the 15th when we heard “within the week” as we’re just hitting the seventh day!
Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) update now rolling out to Nexus S and Nexus One. Be patient, may take a few weeks for OTA to complete. – via twitter
Well, the Honeycomb porting train is ahead full steam with the Google Nexus One latest to receive. We had heard some HTC devices getting it earlier last week from XDA-Developers (of course), and now we have another HTC device to add to the list. Apparently there really isn’t much working on this port other than just booting into Honeycomb. You can’t make calls, text, or use the camera, but no doubt they’ll have those working in no time.
If you want to find out more about the Nexus One Honeycomb port, and keep up to date on new features working, follow this thread.
Take this one with a big grain of salt, but MobileCrunch’s Greg Kumparak is reporting that a Google employee at MWC “casually mentioned” that a Gingerbread OTA for the Nexus One is around the corner. Other sources confirmed to him that the OTA will be on the way later this week or early next week.
For those of you in Australia looking to pick up a Google Nexus S when it becomes available on Vodafone, there’s some bad news. The Nexus S to be distributed in Australia will not have a Super AMOLED display, instead sporting a Super LCD display.
Vodafone announced earlier this week that it’d be carrying the Nexus S in 24 countries, though it hasn’t been determined whether other countries will have to settle for the downgraded Nexus S screen. However, the Super AMOLED version of the phone appeared on a Vodafone Germany preview site. Perhaps the situation will vary from country to country.
Despite the screen issue, Australian users will still enjoy the following features of the Google Nexus S:
Just as with the original Nexus One it looks like Google’s trying to get this thing out to more than one carrier. The Nexus S has recently passed certification at the FCC, it would appear. FCC only handles devices intended to be sold in the United States, but Canadians – who operate on the same wavelength as AT&T – can import anyway. Let’s hope Google can actually get the device on all four major carriers this time as they were unable to do with the original. [via WirelessGoodness, Thanks Teney!]
Is the Google Nexus S heading to AT&T? The Nexus S is available now through T-Mobile, but it looks like the other major American GSM carrier will be getting its own Nexus S as well. Above is a screenshot showing different Nexus S model numbers going through the FCC.
Sources at PocketNow are confirming this:
So far three Nexus S versions have gone through the FCC: the original GT-i9020, followed by the GT-i9020T and GT-i9023. But thanks to the Bluetooth SIG, we now know that a fourth variant exists which hasn’t appeared in any other databases, including the FCC: GT-i9020A. According to the descriptions of these models on the Bluetooth certificates, all are destined for North America except i9023, which is supposedly bound for Europe.
While the release of the Nexus S on AT&T is a good thing, the flagship Android device will be competing with pretty hot Android devices on the carrier, namely the dual-core Atrix 4G, which also has a laptop dock being released with it.
The addition of the Nexus S would be good for business, as AT&T is losing exclusivity of the Apple iPhone; Verizon Wireless is gearing up to release the iPhone 4 on its CDMA network in February.
Yesterday we got our first look at renders of a before unheard of white version of the Nexus S by Samsung. Today brings us our first look at the handset in the wild. If the original renders didn’t have you drooling for what we like to call the Nexus Sexy, maybe this image showcasing the subtle diamond pattern texture over that pearly white battery cover will convince you otherwise.
This new shot also comes with word that the handset will be a Vodafone exclusive (or at least released on Vodafone) in the UK and most likely throughout all of Europe. No release date was mentioned, however, so for now we’ll just have to look but not touch this little beauty.
A couple of days ago, we told you about the upcoming update that will prevent sending texts to the wrong person on the Nexus S. We’ve been expecting to see it start rolling out over the air soon, but maybe you’re tired of waiting? Well, there’s a simple manual update that comes straight from Google. Read More…
Just yesterday we got word that an update was poised for release on the Nexus S and that it would fix the SMS bug seeing text messages sent to the wrong contact, and now several of you readers have reported in to inform us that the update is starting to reach handsets now. Never mind that yesterday we heard it wouldn’t be out until next week, the update bring the version number on Android on the Nexus S to 2.3.2.
Update is going out over-the-air right now, so hang tight and it should hit your Nexus S shortly if you have one.
Not to be left completely in the dust by its successor the Nexus S, we are also receiving word that the Nexus One is also receiving an update today. The N1′s latest software brings it up to Android 2.2.2, which appears to be a maintenance update more than anything else. We’re still looking into whether or not this update also fixes the SMS bug as does the Nexus S’s Android 2.3.2 update, but we get the feeling it does. Nexus One owners expect this one over the air over the next few days.
At least Google is good to keep their phones updated. If I was an average consumer I would gladly pay a higher price for constant updates. As chance would have it though, Google has started to push an update out to the newly released
href="http://androidspin.com/tag/Google-Nexus-S/" target="_blank">Google Nexus S, moving its OS version to 2.3.2. The latest update is just a bug fix OTA that is set to resolve the SMS issue of sending texts to the wrong people. I’d say it’s a rather important thing to fix, sending a revealing message to your wife that ends up in your boss’s phone by accident could pose a problem. In fact, I can think of a lot of situations where this particular issue could pose a problem.
If you are one of the few owners of a Nexus S, be on the lookout for your OTA which should be hitting soon.
Today, the Samsung Galaxy S Support Team has stated on their official Twitter page that an OTA update will soon grace the Nexus S. The update will address an SMS issue where messages are being sent to the wrong contact. Apparently, this has not only been a problem for Nexus S owners, but has also plagued other devices running previous versions of Android. Have you received the update yet? Let us know if you have received the update in the comments below and whether or not it addressed the issue.
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about whether or not the Nexus One will ever see some Gingerbread love, but Google wants you to know that the update to 2.3 is coming soon.
Due to the fact that the N1 is a “purely developer” phone, we would have expected to see Gingerbread on it not too terribly long after release. The device got 2.2 love just 6 days after the source code release of Froyo, making it the first device to officially receive it. So now everyone wants to know – where’s Gingerbread?
Google’s response is to simply keep on keeping on. They say that it’s on the way, and rumors are circulating that “there have been no unexpected hurdles and that the rollout should be starting soon.”
What are your thoughts on the updates for the Nexus One? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
If you’ve got a Nexus S and have been wanting to toy with its ability to read NFC tags, now you can! Read Write Web has some info about two apps that recently hit the Marketplace: Taglet and EnableTable.
These apps make use of the ability to read NFC tags that is found on the Nexus S model. Unfortunately, the Nexus S isn’t currently able to transmit information via NFC, but that limitation is soon to end. At that point, we should see an explosion of apps that are able to let phones communicate with other devices and objects in all sorts of innovative ways. But in the mean time, these two apps make excellent use of NFC, despite the limitation.
EnableTable is an approach to traditional customer rewards cards, but with an NFC twist. No more physical card, just scan the NFC tag present in the restaurant’s menu and enjoy the coupons that arrive on the phone! Their site states the following: “No scavenger hunts, elaborate rules, or games required. You don’t have to check-in and we do not try to follow you around.” Which I must smirk at because, while they may not have your precise GPS coordinates, they’ve still got a timestamp associated with a physical location! Small detail, right?
Taglet lets you read tags and assign a meaningful action to it. One example would be scanning the tag out of another NFC enabled handset to pick up its phone number—no more hassling with Bluetooth contact sharing. Or, say you want to catalog your Betamax and Laserdisc collections. Start slapping tags on them and Taglet would let you load up the IMDB page associated with the title. …I’m not the only one who collects ancient analog formats, am I?
This video shows Taglet in action, and has some sweet tunes to keep your body movin’!
Also of note, Google has announced that it is looking to hire someone with NFC experience. Combine that with the fact that Google will soon be enabling Nexus S handsets’ ability to transmit as well as receive information via NFC and you get a lot of speculation about how long it will be before mobile payment services begin to show up en masse. It probably won’t take long!
The “S” in Nexus S just might stand for Speed after all, as the boys over at Android Community put the latest Dev phone through the benchmark test with Quadrant. We already knew the phone was fast, packing the latest Hummingbird processor, but it’s nice to see just how it stands up against its peers. The Nexus S in this test was running one of the recent nightly builds of CyanogenMod 7 and didn’t have ext4 implemented, nor was it overclocked. As you can see in the graph, it blows past its predecessor, the Nexus One, by quite a fair margin. Read More…
Samsung has filled a new device with the FCC with the model number “GT-i9023″, and speculation is stirring that this is a new version of the Nexus S which will ship with Android 2.4. Let’s take a look at the evidence, shall we?
First of all, the outline of the device (seen above) looks exactly like the Nexus S. Also, a video has leaked showing a Nexus S in the wild (supposedly) running 2.4, with the baseband version in the About text reading i9023. Secondly, some European retailers are listing the i9023 as a “Black Silver” Nexus S, and why would Samsung make a new filling simply for a change in the color scheme?
This is all speculation at this point, but some of the evidence is fairly compelling. I suppose we will have to wait and see what happens with this one, but for now you can hit up after the break to check out the previously mentioned video.
Hey there, oval-shaped Samsung phone with nary a name or image to go along with your sexy model number and T-Mobile radios. It’s the Samsung GT-i9023 hitting the FCC this time, and some folks are saying its outlines match up almost exactly with the Nexus S’s. Alternate color? Possible, but it’s unlikely that’d be the only change here.
Other theories include this being a Nexus S with 4G radios, but that’s more wishful thinking right now. There is the Vibrant 4G, of course, but those with good eyes are saying this FCC outline looks too rounded at the corners to be that phone. I’m stumped.
Don’t forget we have yet to get to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress where Samsung will be announcing some exciting new products. I love the guessing game, but I’d rather much wait until then. (Or until some tasty spy shots of this thing land into our inbox.) [via Engadget]
For those of you who are into running alternate operating systems on your Android device, here’s a story for you. A clever developer has figured out how to run MeeGo on a Samsung Nexus S. This was accomplished by installing it on the rootfs image on the internal storage, so nothing needs to be flashed.
Also, Ubuntu has been ported to the Nexus S using the same methods. You can check out all the details by visiting the XDA thread here.
If you would like a full set of instructions, be sure to check out developer Steven Troughton-Smith’s post here. Also, continue after the break to check out a video of MeeGo running on the Nexus S.
The Goolge Nexus S is available in the U.S. via T-Mobile, but it sadly only supports 3G. Sprint aimed to fix that by offering the Nexus S 4G, which runs on their WiMax 4G network. It was 
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