Samsung and Google have unveiled their response to Apple's iPhone 4S and its latest operating system in the shape of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone, using the new 4.0 version of Google's Android software.
The handset, unveiled on Wednesday in Hong Kong, features 4G speeds, an improved camera and the biggest screen to be offered by Samsung on a phone, at 4.65 inches. It will be on sale in November.
Apple and Samsung, the leading maker of Android-based devices, have become bitter rivals in a battle for smartphone supremacy. Both have brought patent cases against one another around the world and each has tried to block sales of its rival's smartphones in certain countries
Apple said it sold a record 4m units of the iPhone 4S in its first three days on sale at the weekend. However, it disappointed Wall Street on Tuesday when it reported sales of 17m iPhones in its September quarter, 2m short of forecasts.
In contrast, Samsung told investors this month that the robust performance of its smartphone business has put its third-quarter profits on track to beat analysts' expectations. The South Korean company is widely expected to have surpassed Apple in the third quarter as the biggest smartphone seller.
The Galaxy Nexus and its operating system, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, match some of the features of the 4S and its iOS 5 operating system.
The camera allows pictures to be taken quickly without the usual lag and has full high-definition video recording - the same as the 4S. Android 4.0 has a new typeface for the highly detailed screen, similar to the Retina display features of the 4S and Apple's obsession with typography.
The Galaxy Nexus has a more curved design though and an almost edge-to-edge screen that does away with any physical buttons on its face.
An NFC chip inside that can be used for mobile payments will also allow files to be transferred between devices. Google executives showed how an Android Beam app could exchange web pages, maps, YouTube videos and contact details when two such devices touched one another.
Other features resemble those of smartphones from Microsoft and HP's Palm.
Bigger pictures, tiling and magazine-style layouts for photos and contacts are reminiscent of the Windows Phone 7 interface, while the ability to toss aside unwanted apps with a swipe is similar to HP's webOS.
One new feature for a smartphone is Android 4.0's ability to unlock the screen when the user stares at it, using facial recognition technology.
Samsung, the world's second-biggest maker of mobile phones by volume, had planned to unveil its new device last week but delayed the launch in the wake of the death of Steve Jobs.
Android handsets had a 43.4% share of the smartphone market in the second quarter, compared to 18.2% for the iPhone, according to Gartner, the research firm.
19/10/2011 - moneycontrol.com
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