The world gets its first taste of Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread today when the Samsung-made Google-inspired Nexus S smartphone goes on sale in the US today. The Android based device will be available from Best Buy beginning when the store opens its doors at 8 am. The Best Buy, the authorized dealer for the phone, has released a statement with all the details about the launch.
The phone, built on a Samsung Galaxy S base, is the first phone in the world to run the new version of Google’s mobile operating system.
While the phone itself comes with 16GB of internal storage, the lack of external storage is an odd step backwards for Samsung.
The design itself is somewhat similar to what the Google Nexus One was, although this Nexus is manufactured by Samsung, not HTC. Because it is manufactured by Samsung, the nexus S offers a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 by 800 pixels and 235 pixels per inch. The capacitive touchscreen is made from curved glass that Samsung designed so that the Nexus S fits in the user’s hand more comfortably. The glass is also coated with an anti-fingerprint layer.
The Nexus S will also be compatible with quad-band GSM (3G) and tri-band HSDPA , which is crucial information for those who want to buy the unlocked version. What this means is that the unlocked version also be compatible with AT&T’s wireless network and any other that uses GSM and HSDPA. The nexus s will also offer Wi-Fi 802.11 n/b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 capabilities.
The phone will be available on two-year contract with $199 upfront or available unlocked outright for $529. And if you have an existing plan, you can tack on a Nexus S for $249.
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