When we first got a glimpse of what could possibly be the next Nexus device, we were skeptical at best. Still, the next Nexus handset is certainly on its way, and will definitely be the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich phone. According to the guys over at BGR, the handset could come from Samsung. Again. We’re also hearing that the handset could be named the Nexus Prime, which sounds a bit better than the Nexus 4G.
The Nexus S is a nice phone for what it is but a lot of people were expecting more from the Nexus One successor and were left a bit underwhelmed. It wasn’t until the Samsung Galaxy S 2 appeared that we really began to listen to the manufacturer, and the handset itself is proof that it has learned from its mistakes. So could Google give the reigns to Samsung again for the next Nexus phone? It looks like it. And we’re ok with that.
Dubbed the Nexus Prime, which could end up being the official name, the device itself could bring us a large display with a 720p HD resolution. The handset has been confirmed to sport Samsung’s latest iteration of its AMOLED screens, Super AMOLED HD. The display alone may be worth giving the handset a look, as we love the Super AMOLED Plus display found on the Droid Charge and others.
The handset is also confirmed to sport the new TI OMAP 4460 CPU, which should pack a serious punch. The latest Archos tablets will ship with the 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, so the handset, along with the upcoming tablets from Archos shouldn’t be in short supply of raw processing power.
With the impending iPhone 5 and possibly the 4S on the way, Google knows that it needs to do something to keep that 400,000 daily activation number from slipping, and its plan may be on the simple side. Supposedly Google is releasing Android 4.0 to select OEMs and carriers, with handsets all coming out around the same time. While Apple will likely always stay the top-selling phone on its own, Google’s strength in numbers will help soften the blow, and historically that strategy has worked very well for the search giant.
Ice Cream Sandwich will bring all of the Android Honeycomb features to phones in an attempt to bring one platform that works across all devices running Google’s OS. There may be a slight learning curve on for the tablet-centric OS but it may be a little more intuitive one a smaller display. Maybe.
Given the specs that be may shipping with the Nexus Prime, the summer smartphone war may start to look a bit underwhelming.
So what do you think? Will you be waiting to see the first Ice Cream Sandwich phone before you grab your next smartphone?
[Via: BGR]