The mobile-savvy crowd have been anticipating the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for some time now, due in no small part to the fact that it would be the first Android 4.0 (or Ice Cream Sandwich, as Google seems keen to call it) phone. Well, the wait is over.
At an event held all the way over in Hong Kong earlier this evening, Samsung and Google took to the stage and officially announced the next in Samsung’s line of Android-based smartphones, dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Specs include a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED Plus display with a 1,280×720 resolution, a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, a 5 megapixel camera in the back and a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front, the ability to record (and play back) 1080p video, and Bluetooth 3.0 support.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be made available in two flavors, HSPA+ and LTE. Samsung neglected to mention what carriers will be supported outside of Japan’s DoCoMo, but recent leaks suggest that, at the least, Verizon will be on board. For now, that’s unconfirmed.
As nifty as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus’ specs are, that’s not what most people are excited about – that honor would go to Android 4.0 / Ice Cream Sandwich. Also revealed at the event, Android 4.0 is said to include a complete overhaul of the UI and general enhancements across the board.
One of the more interesting features announced for Android 4.0 is the Face Unlock system. Like the name suggests, the feature scans your face to make sure that, you know, you’re the actual owner of the phone. If nothing else, it will be a handy little security feature, provided it works.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is expected to launch in November worldwide.
