Sunday, June 19, 2011

Google's Next Nexus: Straight Android, No Chaser

Google's Next Nexus: Straight Android, No Chaser
Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) soon-to-be-released Nexus 4G smartphone is going to have a dual-core processor, a very large screen, and high-definition video capture capabilities, according to a post on Boy Genius Report.

It's not yet clear whether Google will offer the device under its own brand or will work closely with a device maker to create a flagship device the way it did with the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid.

The device will likely be rolled out to the market around Thanksgiving, Boy Genius Report speculates.

"Thanksgiving will be the ideal time to bring this to market, from everyone's viewpoint," Ramon Llamas, a senior analyst at IDC, told TechNewsWorld. "That's when a whole lot of folks are trying to get their stuff out."

Google did not respond to requests for comment by press time.


The Nexus 4G's Reported Specs

The Nexus 4G will reportedly be an ultra-thin device.

It will have a dual-core CPU running at either 1.2GHz or 1.5 GHz, Boy Genius Reports speculates. That processor will likely be an OMAP 4460 or an ultra low-power 28nm Snapdragon Krait processor from Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM).

OMAP (Open Multimedia Application Platform) is the name for a proprietary line of systems on chips (SoCs) developed by Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) for portable and mobile multimedia applications.

The Snapdragon Krait is Qualcomm's next-generation mobile processor architecture.

The Nexus 4G will reportedly have a large 720p high-definition screen, a 4G LTE radio, 1080p video capture and playback capability, a 1MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear camera.

The smartphone will reportedly run Android 4.0, aka "Ice Cream Sandwich," and will have advanced Android features such as software-based menu controls instead of hardware buttons.

Deconstructing the Nexus 4G Info

"For the most part, some of the reported features are on par with what is being offered, while others will fall into the timeframe of what's going to be introduced by Thanksgiving," IDC's Llamas said.

Chances are that Google is working with a smartphone manufacturer to create the device, Llamas opined. He picked Samsung and Taiwanese manufacturer HTC as the most likely possibilities.

In May, leaks about what was purported to be a Nexus smartphone from HTC that ran Ice Cream Sandwich hit the Internet. At that time, there were indications that Google was testing both an HSPA+ and a CDMA version of the device.

The Nexus 4G will likely be targeted mainly at developers because "it offers Android in its purest form without any of those fancy user interfaces, and developers don't want the extraneous stuff," Llamas said. "Everyone else is secondary."

How the Nexus 4G will be distributed will depend first on who the device maker is and what kind of connectivity it wants, Llamas said.

"Whether Google goes to box stores or carriers will depend on who they partner with," Llamas elaborated. "Best Buy has proven to be a good partner to the Nexus lineup, but the number of locations it has pales in comparison to the number of carrier retail stores out there."

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