Google Unveils New ‘Nexus S’ Smartphone
Google unveiled a new smartphone on Monday made by South Korea’s Samsung.
The Nexus S is powered by the latest version of Google’s Android mobile operating system, "Gingerbread."
Google vice president of engineering Andy Rubin said the new phone would be the first Android device to ship with the new version of the Android operating system.
Rubin said in a blog post that it will be available in the U.S. from December 16 from Best Buy stores and from December 20 at Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy retailers in Britain.
He said that the Nexus S is available in the U.S. with a service plan from T-Mobile.
"Nexus S delivers what we call a ‘pure Google’ experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates," he said.
The touchscreen Nexus S features a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, front and rear facing cameras and 16 gigabytes of internal memory.
The device also features near field communication (NFC) hardware that turns it into a virtual wallet, allowing users to "tap and pay" for financial transactions.
Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said last month that he expects the tap-and-pay mobile technology to "eventually replace credit cards."
Google launched the Nexus One in January last year to challenge Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry devices.
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