NexusS
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Nexus S still leaking on public photostreams, showing exciting new angles
We know that Samsung's upcoming Gingerbread-powered Nexus S is curved in a pretty unusual way, and a new photo on Picasa -- on one of the same photostreams where we've seen "Nexus S" and "GT-i9020" in the EXIF data before -- gives us a new glimpse of the phone at a three-quarter view where we can really see just how curved it is. It's still unclear to us whether the display is involved in the curving or if it's restricted to the bezel above and below the actual screen, but either way, it's a distinctive design element that's sure to attract a lot of attention. Interestingly, the picture was captured on a Google employee's stream just this weekend, suggesting devices are definitely still out in the field -- so let's hope it launches right alongside Android 2.3 in the next few weeks. [Thanks, John]
Rumors: Samsung Nexus S using fancy curved display Sprint had to pass on, HTC EVO Shift 4G is the Knight?
We've been fed some information by an established tipster today that paints an interesting picture of what sort of Android gear Sprint will -- and won't -- be getting next. First, we're told that the EVO Shift 4G trademark HTC recently filed for is the device known as the Knight, a downsized EVO 4G with a four-row sliding keyboard and a larger battery. Interestingly, as far as our tipster knows, the front-facing camera is off the table -- but in light of all the buzz around video calling these days, we wouldn't be surprised if it had been added back. Perhaps more interesting, though, is some buzz around the display on the Nexus S. You might remember that we noticed it's concave on the front during its brief reveal at the Web 2.0 summit yesterday, an extraordinarily unusual design element for a full-touch phone. Well, our tipster tells us Samsung's been shopping this curved display technology to carriers for a while -- as early as CES at the beginning of this year behind closed doors -- claiming that its research showed such a design improved perceived usability over a perfectly flat display. Sprint bought the line and wanted to get a curved-display model on shelves in time for the holidays this year, but Sammy was apparently unable to deliver product in the volume it was asking for... so that's where the Nexus S might come into play; seems the Google-branded model could be the first to ship with it. We're unconvinced that it'd be any better, but our judgment is fully reserved until we've got a device in our hands -- which hopefully happens sooner rather than later. [Image via xda-developers] Note: Commenters are pointing out that the Dell Venue Pro also has a curved display, but it's a different situation -- that's longitudinally convex glass over a flat display. Here, it's laterally concave -- though we don't know whether the underlying AMOLED component is curved or not.
Nexus S teaser by Eric Schmidt now available on video
Ah, the "unannounced product" that Eric Schmidt brought along for his latest interview -- you want to see more of it, don't you? We know you do, so we've naturally tracked down the full 44-minute marathon chat session between Eric and his Web 2.0 Summit hosts, which thankfully kicks off by delving right into the phone that we know and love under the Nexus S name. Notably, the Google chief never calls it that explicitly, though he takes a moment to stress that in the past he was quoted as saying there'd never be a Nexus Two, not that there'd never be a Nexus successor at all. See the whole thing unfold after the break. [Thanks, Thomas]
The Nexus S: a closer look
Google CEO Eric Schmidt showed the world the Nexus S from a distance just a little while ago, but we knew you'd want more, and so we managed to convince the man to show us the device in person just a few minutes ago. What should you know about the heir apparent to the Nexus One? Well, it's exceptionally thin -- we weren't able to compare, but we'd say it's at least comparable with an iPhone 4 if not slimmer still -- and it's thinner in the middle than at either end, giving it a mildly concave profile. There's a glossy plastic bezel up front housing an AMOLED screen, a pair of discrete volume buttons on the left side, and a black plastic back (textured similarly to the BlackBerry Bold, though patchier) which seemed too roughly manufactured to be anything but a prototype. We saw the handset for all of three seconds and weren't able to snap a single picture nor touch it for ourselves, but as Schmidt walked away he left us with one last lingering look at Gingerbread -- the screen shutting off. When he pressed the power button, the image winked out like an old CRT TV, an animation which you'll see a carbon copy of right after the break. %Gallery-107479%
Eric Schmidt shows off a Nexus S at the Web 2.0 summit, says Gingerbread coming in 'next few weeks'
We had a feeling Eric Schmidt would be doing something surprising at the Web 2.0 summit, and the man didn't disappoint -- he just showed off the Nexus S running on T-Mobile, and revealed it has NFC features, a technology he thinks will eventually replace credit cards. Unfortunately, he also called it an "unannounced phone" from an "announced manufacturer," and the logo was taped over, so we're not any closer to a release date here. Update: We've added some more pics to the gallery, including some close-ups that show the carrier is indeed T-Mo. We'll let you know if Schmidt drops any more details on this thing. Update 2: Schmidt said Gingerbread would be out in the "next few weeks," so we're assuming this bad boy will come along with it. %Gallery-107479%
This is the Nexus S
Here it is: the Nexus S, your Gingerbread-running Google phone from Samsung, and the presumed sequel to the HTC-produced Nexus One. These pictures were taken about a month ago, but it's still unclear exactly when we can expect an announcement. Needless to say, if you happen to be near a Google or Samsung campus, keep a keen eye out for these things right now. [Thanks, Christian] Update: We contacted Google for comment and were told that the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation -- the usual drill. %Gallery-107227%
Google Nexus S is the Samsung GT-i9020? (update)
We've already established that the Nexus S is almost certainly a Samsung -- but what else do we know about it? Well, a quick search for pictures taken with a Nexus S on Flickr and Picasa produced some 5 megapixel results, believe it or not, and some of those users' albums had been using a Samsung handset with model number GT-i9020 just a few days earlier. If we had to guess, a recent firmware update changed the EXIF identifier for these shots from the code to the actual retail name -- Nexus S, that is -- which explains the switchover. We've got both an FCC filing and a Wi-Fi Alliance certification for the i9020, and it's definitely a smartphone with 802.11 b / g / n (single-band, unfortunately) and AWS 3G, a radio choice that ties it in nicely with T-Mobile as the Best Buy leak would have us believe. Interestingly, a little digging reveals that all of these shots on photo sharing sites are coming from Google employees and families of Google employees -- and Sammy's i9000 series is closely tied to the Galaxy S line, which makes sense considering how much the Nexus S seems to look like a Galaxy S. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the FCC label documentation for the i9020 lines up perfectly with the leaked picture. So yeah, it's all kind of coming together -- all we need now, Google, is an official Gingerbread and hardware announce. Let's do this thing. Update: It appears there are actually two very similar Nexus S candidates that passed the FCC: the GT-i9020, and the GT-i9020T. We're starting to think one of them might be destined for Europe, as it's labeled "EU" (the other is "TMB") though both appear to support AWS for 3G. In case you need any extra corroboration, Samsung specifically calls out the GT-i9020T as a Google Android handset with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, Bluetooth, WiFi and dual-band 850/1900 GSM frequencies. [Thanks, Armo]
Is this the Nexus S?
Woah, what do we have here? A new "In Store" web-based flier from Best Buy Mobile has this little nugget on its front page: a previously unseen Galaxy S, running stock Android (possibly 2.3, based on the green icons and black notifications bar) and harboring what looks to be a front facing camera. Sounds like a Nexus S to us! Paired with this morning's little Nexus S slip-of-the-tongue from Best Buy, we're starting to get our hopes up. Don't let us down, Google / T-Mobile / Samsung / Best Buy / planet earth! [Thanks, Ryan C.]
Nexus S for T-Mobile gets brief Best Buy Mobile nod: there and gone again
Well, this was rather unexpected. Earlier today, Best Buy Mobile published a humble (if not incomplete) ad for the "Nexus S for T-Mobile," touting both its "pure Google" experience (i.e. vanilla Android) and holiday availability exclusively from Best Buy. It's gone now, saved only by the grace of Google cache. To be honest, all we can do is speculate beyond that. An anonymous tipster to RadioAndroid pegged the Nexus S name late last month and claimed it would feature Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, and a Hummingbird processor. TechCrunch later described a Samsung-borne "Nexus Two" that has since been delayed due to some serious hardware issue. Is this a placeholder from the online devs? Does / did the S stand for Samsung, or something else entirely? And most importantly, is this presumed follow-up to Nexus One actually coming out, or did you just get your hopes up for nothing?
