It was a show in a hurry. Only exactly one hour could be the manager of Google and Samsung period to present a brand new, amazing smartphone and Google's Android software 4.0. Was time for respite at work here. Just a few minutes, for example, had to be sufficient to introduce the long awaited Galaxy Nexus. It is a smartphone with amazing features and, above all, the first phone with Google's Android smart phone software 4.0, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich.
The 11th was originally for the October in California's San Diego planned event had been postponed due to the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs, now she was held in Hong Kong. The number of journalists present was an event of this magnitude very manageable. Been a few dozen, maybe a hundred, seem to be here. The rest of the world could follow the event via live stream via YouTube. Especially popular this webcast would not have been. According to German time she started at four in the morning clock, on the East Coast, it was 22 clock at night.
And yet it was worth getting up early on Wednesday. For the first time you got that phone, the Samsung has developed as a showcase for Google's new operating system to see. In what may be called and how it is, had previously been speculated extensively on the Web. Nexus Prime'll probably titled, was long the conventional wisdom, now hear it officially in the name of Galaxy Nexus.
High-end screen
His outstanding, so outstanding feature is its screen. With 4.65-inch diagonal, it is larger than almost all competing models. Another big feature is especially its resolution: 1280 x 720 pixel display found on the court, 50 percent more than in the highly acclaimed retina display iPhone 4 and 4S. Here, the Galaxy Nexus even touch another is thinner than the Apple phone, because the screen size but taller and wider. A slight concave curvature to ensure that it is still comfortable to hold.
The processor uses a 1.2 GHz Samsung fast dual-core model from Texas Instruments, the 1 GB of RAM available to the side. For mass storage, either 16 or 32 GB built-in flash memory, information is lacking on a slot for microSD cards so far. For the wireless capabilities are well known, they include Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and fast, depending on the version, the fast wireless technologies LTE or HSPA +. In addition, a 5-megapixel and a 1.3-megapixel camera, various sensors and an NFC chip (Near Field Communication) for short distance wireless connections board.
The fact that Samsung has the privilege of being able to deliver the first mobile phone company, a mobile phone with Google's new operating system has a signal effect - and is likely to appease many of Google's critics. They had feared that the Internet company will continue with new developments prefer Motorola, after Google announced that Motorola's mobile division to take over. Instead, Motorola Mobility, presented only a few hours before the Google / Samsung event in New York City, a new smartphone to its Razr series - with Android 2.x on board. Whether the companies have adjusted their timing, remains speculative.
Android 4.0 has a lot of iOS 5
Only a few questions left open, however, the presentation of Android 4.0 with Google. Especially those not how big the difference between Apple's iOS 5 and the new Google software. Which now contains some features and capabilities that Apple users have long since learned to appreciate. Although only a detail, but even more important: Finally you can make screenshots by pressing a button. So far, this special software and some manipulation of the system software were needed. Only some Samsung cellphones had also previously been a screenshot function.
Also, let apps, documents, or organize contacts in folders on the desktop now and customize the favorites bar at the bottom of the screen to their own needs. In multitasking can now be much more comfortable than before between active apps switch back and forth. In addition, the widget can be called mini-apps that show the current weather conditions, for example, or new e-mail on the home screen, re-size to the available space better utilized.
Improvements were also on-screen keyboard, which should now work more accurately and its own spell checker, word for word contains. The one should not necessarily have to use more, because also the built in Android ability to dictate text has been improved. The same applies to the e-mail app, calendar, address book and many other apps that are part of the system. Encouragingly, several new features of the Web browser, which can now save entire web pages locally. In practice, for example, if you have checked in online for a flight and want to create their boarding card in the phone.
Data exchange? Simply rub against each other phones!
Above all, Google has made an effort to simplify operations and to unify. So you can now switch in many apps to wipe a page between different functions, pages, or records. The look is now dominated by the typeface Roboto, the Google Android 4.0, can be developed and promises of it, they will improve readability and clarity.
One feature, however, shown only at the end of the presentation is likely to very quickly find a lot of joy and act as a showcase application for NFC technology: Android Beam. It is called Google the ability to virtually any data, addresses, web pages and similar between the two phones share, simply by holding them together briefly. The process is reminiscent of the infrared-exchange function earlier Palm PDAs, but requires not only input by the user.
An afterburner for NFC
A different technologies, such as it is now offering the Galaxy Nexus had hoped for a lot of Apple fans for an iPhone 5, but then had to settle for the iPhone 4S. Its language assistant Siri is indeed far more powerful than Google's Voice Recognition Technology, impressed his camera as a video camcorder. But it lacks a new, higher-resolution screen and the NFC technology. Observers expect Apple will dispatch on this until the summer of 2012.
Until then, had the Android-bearing plenty of time to build a lead. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in November, Samsung's competitors will now have time to own mobile phones with Ice Cream Sandwich develop. The first models should be expected for the consumer electronics show CES in January. And they are all high-resolution screens and especially the NFC technology are included, which has now got an afterburner Android beam.
Expand Google's Android's status as most popular smartphone operating system with version 4.0 will be, beyond reasonable doubt.
