US Android users have received an early Christmas present from Google with the release Android 2.3, codenamed Gingerbread, today.
The updated OS will be first made available on Samsung’s Nexus S smartphone and by partnering with Samung Google worked to combat some of the strongest criticisms of the Android platform, mainly that variations in the hardware have undermined the quality of the OS.
Indeed, according to Google, less than two years after the release of the first Android device the OS is now shipped on over 100 different devices.
This marriage looks to have paid off, the Nexus S is one of the strongest iPhone competitors on the market with a 1GHz processor, front and rear-facing cameras, a respectable 16GB memory and state-of-the-art, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Have a look at NFC in action in this video.
NFC is a version of short-range radio technology that allows a greater number of devices to communicate with mobile devices. The technology will allow the phone to automatically communicate with inanimate objects, so walking past a film poster could trigger the download of the trailer, or restaurants could automatically upload their menu onto your phone.
Full Nexus S spec
Hardware
- Haptic feedback vibration
- Three-axis gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Digital compass
- Proximity sensor
- Light sensor
Battery
- Talk time up to 6.7 hours on 3G
(14 hours on 2G) - Standby time up to 17.8 days on 3G
(29.7 days on 2G) - 1500 mAH Lithum Ion