Nexus S available Dec. 16 at Best Buy, ....with new Gingerbread OS

Android Central ^ | Monday, Dec 6, 2010 | Phil Nickinson

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Samsung Nexus S will be available on T-Mobile USA starting Dec. 16. In the UK, you can get it at Carphone warehouse starting Dec. 20. Pricing still has not been announced.

Samsung's full press release is after the break.

Update: Best Buy has announced pricing: 

Customers can purchase Nexus S for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract. Nexus S optimized for T-Mobile’s network is available for $199 with a two-year service agreement and qualifying voice and data plan.

And so has CW: From £35 on contract to £549 SIM-free

SAMSUNG AND GOOGLE TO DELIVER NEXUS S, THE FIRST MOBILE PHONE IN THE WORLD POWERED BY ANDROID 2.3

 

Nexus S offers the latest version of the Android platform, Gingerbread, 4” Super AMOLED touch screen with curved design, Near Field Communication (NFC), front and rear-facing cameras and 1GHz application processor

 

 

SEOUL, Korea, and DALLAS, US December 6, 2010 — Samsung Electronics, a leading mobile phone provider and the No. 1 mobile phone provider1 in the U.S., and Google™ today announced Nexus S™, the world’s first handset to feature the latest version of Google’s Android™ platform. Powered by Android 2.3, Samsung and Google have packed Nexus S with powerful technology and the latest in hardware features.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From PC World:

The Nexus S and Google: Everything There Is To Know

********************************EXCERPT******************************

Samsung Nexus S: Other Specs

So what about the other specs? Aside from what's already been mentioned, past leaks have predicted the Nexus S will have a 1.2GHz processor, a 5MP camera with HD video capture, 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. The site that published those claims -- Android blog AndroidandMe.com -- also says the phone will eventually be available on multiple carriers.

NEXT: The name, the timeline, and the Gingerbread scoop

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And:

The Nexus S backstory: Pure Google

Video at the link

****************************EXCERPT*********************************

The Nexus S will be the first Android phone to ship with Gingerbread, and Google's put together a nice little video featuring the backstory of the device, as well as more on Gingerbread. It's a good look at the "pure Google" experience. Check it out. [Google Blog]

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Nexus S landing page now live: T-Mobile, Gingerbread, 1GHz processor

***********************************EXCERPT************************************

The Samsung Nexus S is now live on Google's phone page, and we finally have full and official specs. Let's break 'em down:

• Carrier: T-Mobile
• OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Screen: 4-inches @800x480
• Processor 1GHz Samsung Cortex A8
• 512MB RAM, 16GB ROM
• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1
• GPS
• Near-field communications
• Size: 63mm x 123.9mm x 10.8mm
• Weight: 129 grams
• Camera: 5MP

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Something new:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication>Near field communication

*********************EXCERPT*********************************

Near Field Communication or NFC, is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeter (around 4 inches) distance.[1] The technology is a simple extension of the ISO/IEC 14443 proximity-card standard (proximity card, RFID) that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. An NFC device can communicate with both existing ISO/IEC 14443 smartcards and readers, as well as with other NFC devices, and is thereby compatible with existing contactless infrastructure already in use for public transportation and payment. NFC is primarily aimed at usage in mobile phones.

[Echo4C]

Kind of underwhelmed by this. If not for Gingerbread, this wouldn’t really be worth mentioning. Think I’ll stick with my Droid X.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LATEST: NFC news in brief • 6 Dec 2010

*******************EXCERPTS******************************

NFC news in brief • 6 Dec 2010

********************************

RETAILERS TEST MOBILE POS: A number of US retailers are now equipping store staff with Apple iPod Touch devices equipped with card readers that can be used as mobile point-of-sale terminals, AppleInsider reports, allowing staff to process payments wherever they are in the store. Retailers are also looking at the potential of the iPad as both a retail kiosk and a tool for delivering personalized shopping services for high-end clients, the report continues.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Stumbled onto this ...Googles page on the Nexus S:

Tech specs:

http://www.google.com/nexus/#!/tech-specs

[rahbert]

Customers can purchase Nexus S for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract...

Meaning what? That I can enjoy any/all available coverage
regardless of provider?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Nexus S can read information from "smart" tags, or everyday objects that have NFC chips in them. These can be anything from stickers and movie posters to t-shirts. *********************************

Not sure if any other phone has this as yet.

[ShadowAce]

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Not sure....I am a neewbie on all this.

[rahbert]

I did a little research. An unlocked phone would allow
you to insert the SIM card from your current provider (assuming your provider uses GSM) and use the phone on your current plan.

If like me you have Sprint (which use CDMA), you do not have this option and therefore would need to buy a plan anyway (to get the valid SIM card).

[MichiganMan]

Customers can purchase Nexus S for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract...

Meaning what? That I can enjoy any/all available coverage
regardless of provider?

Kind of.  Its complicated.  As I understand it, if you have AT&T or T-Mobile you need a GSM compatible version for  voice.  For 3g data with those carriers (as opposed to slower EDGE) you need a model compatible with either specific carrier as each uses distinct frequencies for 3g.  I haven't looked at the specs of the Nexus S.  Its possible that its radio supports AT&T's 3g frequency as well at T-Mobile's. 

If you have Verizon or... Sprint I believe, you need a CDMA compatible model for voice, and I'm am unversed on the data rate distinctions.  Perhaps someone else could flsh out or correct my answer?

An unlocked phone means that you aren't locked into a carrier's plan and can thereby take the phone to any compatible carrier any time you want.  Here in the US the dearth of compatible competng carriers takes a lot of the benefit out of this distinction.  Also the software on an unlocked phone isn't loaded up with the carriers branding, bloatware and restrictions.  For instance, I can use tethering on my AT&T compatible Nexus 1 without any restriction, its built into the Android firmware.  My friend has a Droid 2 from Verizon that doesn't have native tethering and accoding to Verizon can't use tethering without an addictional charge. 

[Hostage]

Google is I think playing it smart. Here is why.

There’s a slew of smartphones flooding the market in time for this holiday season and they are all chasing the Apple iphone.

ATT has an iphone exclusive and their plans are pricey, very pricey if you want to get all the good things from voice, data and texting.

But Google is selling the phone unlocked so you can (be very careful here) get other providers of voice, text and data, and there are quite a few low cost ones now available with good quality and coverage; example mysimplemobile.com and truphone.com. And there are more and more coming into the smartphone movement that are going to undercut ATT and TMobile, and the other big name providers.

So what there is is an oligarchy of cell phone broadband providers with big brand names and then there are a lot of lower profile barbarian providers at the gate, and Google is allowing the barbarian providers to get inside the gates.

Here’s an example (why I said be careful). Samsung also has a smartphone called the Focus that is new and is beautiful and runs Windows Mobile 7 which is very slick and a formidable competitor to Apple’s iphone. BUT Samsung designed the phone for ATT and ATT operates at slightly different bandwidth so IF YOU BUY A SAMSUNG FOCUS AND HAVE IT UNLOCKED, THEN YOU NEED TO GET A SIM CHIP FROM A CELL CARRIER THAT WILL OPERATE AT ATT’s BANDWIDTH. AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN.

So a Samsung Focus Windows 7 phone is tied to ATT by engineering and even if you unlock it you won’t be able to get a SIM chip to make it work with any other provider other than ATT. So you’ll be stuck with ATT’s expensive plans or rates.

Google got Samsung to design them a phone that can be unlocked and that can use a SIM chip for any cell carrier.

Google is allowing customers to pick their carriers without the need for expensive plans and long contracts.

Google is doing to ATT/iPhone and ATT/Windows Mobile 7 or TMobile/Windows Mobile 7 what Microsoft did years ago to Apple and other computer manufacturers. It’s allowing for hardware and software to be more independent from each other.

I wanted to get a Windows Mobile 7 phone but Microsoft is screwing up again like they have for the past 10 years. They are letting big partners (ATT, TMobile) get exclusives with their new mobile operating 7 and it’s a shame because Windows Phone 7 is actually quite good but it’s tied to carriers with expensive rates and plans.

Why should I spend $140 per month including taxes when I can spend $35 or $40 per month for equal coverage and quality?

[antiRepublicrat]

Likes:

4 inch screen. That’s already pushing it, but it’s not the stupid-large size on some of these phones. They are too big for a phone, too small for a tablet.

16 GB internal. Just like an iPhone. For most of your stuff there’s no need to juggle an external SD card.

5 MP camera. Right now 8 MP in a phone-sized camera just introduces too much noise. It’s like the old Intel Pentium 4 megahertz race, where a larger number didn’t necessarily mean a better computer. 5 MP appears to be the current sweet spot for today’s technology.

[for-q-clinton]

Completely disagree with your analysis. Google Android is nothing more than windows mobile which failed in the market place because it was too fragmented and the device makers made some great devices and some garbage devices.

In the phone market it’s critical to provide at least a common level baseline experience. Windows phone 7 does that. Other makers can create phones, but the UI and experience is owned by Microsoft not the cell carrier or the hardware manufacturer. There are some very good android phones and some very bad ones. There is not a bad WP7 on the market. Some are better than others, but all are very very good devices.

WP7 blends iPhone great UI and consistent feel but unlocks you from a single source hardware vendor.

[for-q-clinton]

I think the samsung focus is a better solution. In fact, I love my samsugn focus :-) I really didn’t think i’d like the UI, but that is actually one of my favorite features.

[Hostage]

First I agree with your analysis of WP 7. It is a wonderful operating system.

Second you missed my point and I admit I may not have been clear.

Let’s be clear, there are three players in the smartphone space:

1. Operating System
2. Device manufacturer
3. Carrier.

My point focused or tried to focus on the play between 2 and 3.

My example was that ATT had Samsung design a phone for its particular set of bandwidth frequencies. The result was the Samsung Focus. The Samsung Focus was also designed to run WP7.

The Samsung Focus is a beautiful phone in many respects and WP 7 is a high caliber operating system on par with Apple’s iPhone.

But, and this is the point, if I buy the Samsung Focus and I want to unlock it to use with a low cost carrier (because ATT will nickel and dime so many usage features). then I am going to be unsuccessful because the Samsung Focus is only going to work with ATT.

Now I see what happened. Microsoft was approached by Samsung to help launch the Focus as a WP 7 phone and Microsoft likely didn’t care that Samsung was designing its 3g for ATT.

So Microsoft gets roped into phones that are designed exclusively for ATT, TMobile and future high margin high price members of the carrier oligarchy when I think what they should do is say to device mfgs that WP 7 will be available for a discount to phones that run standard 3G/4G bandwidths because this will ensure maximum compatibility with a customer’s choice of carrier.

But instead the executive ranks at Microsoft are playing by rules that the oligarchy creates.

I think the trend is clear, low cost data-text-voice is the future and ATT/TMobile/SPRINT and the others in the oligarchy are trying to get their high profits now by forcing long term contracts and adding all manner of hidden fees and marked up usage features such as directory assistance which is free if one knows about the free service.

The carriers are dictating all kinds of bloatware, restrictions and shutouts and it annoys people.

So hopefully I made my point more clear that Microsoft needs to assert its carrier access policy to provide access for the customer to as many carriers as possible.

I am going to buy the gingerbread Samsung Nextel 6 next week at Best Buy and I am going to buy it unlocked for $529. Then I am going to get a SIM chip from a low cost but quality carrier administrator such as mysimplemobile.com (flat rate for unlimited everything $50 a month) and I will be free of contracts and annoying fees and usage charges.

If I got the Samsung Focus WP7 smartphone I would pay about $120 per month for equivalent usage and services to ATT. If I have a contract they are going to get $120 x 24 months $2880 + $199 for the smartphone for a total of $3079 on the contract.

Contrast this $3079 with the unlocked Samsung Nextel 6 running gingerbread at $529 for the smartphone and $50 x 24 months for a total of $1729.

Because of this significant savings in operating costs, I say Google takes the smartphone market in 2 years with Apple in 2nd place and Microsoft a distant 3rd assuming current tactics stay the same.

Oh I forgot to mention RIM’s Blackberry. My Canadian friends will think of me as a traitor.

[for-q-clinton]

I see. So the N6 has all the GSm frequencies built in and not the specific carriers?

BTW: I spend $140 unlimited everything on two phones. Plus I just found out I can add a 3rd phone for only 9.99 :-)