Earlier this week there was a resurgence in rumours about a Nexus Two handset running Android 2.3. Instead of going with HTC like the original, or being sold online through Google, the Nexus Two was supposedly going to be launched through Carphone Warehouse in the UK, and be made by Samsung (not Motorola). Now there’s a rumour that the official announcement will take place as soon as November 8. Samsung is definitely launching something that day, but is it really a Google™-Approved Nexus Two?
It’s worth taking this rumour with a healthy dose of skepticism, as Google’s Eric Schmidt has gone on the record saying that they wouldn’t be making another Nexus phone. Of course, partnering with a carrier-agnostic retail channel may be enough of an evolution from the Nexus One to make this Samsung handset distinct and separate. The Nexus One, as nice as it is, didn’t do so well in sales, and a big part of that may be attributed to the lack of real-world marketing and retail presence. Google could easily take the same approach in North America by partnering with the likes of Best Buy.
Besides running Gingerbread, there’s no mention of specs or features of the supposed Nexus Two, but if this announcement date is true, we’ll find out specifics soon enough. Even if Samsung just announces an Android phone built with their impressive hardware and leaving the software customizations to Google, I think they’ll have a worthy alternative to the Galaxy S handsets currently available.
[via AndroidandMe]