Samsung Galaxy Nexus and ICS announcement: Live Coverage!
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Welcome to our Live Coverage post, dedicated to the official unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and Ice Cream Sandwich - the latest version of the Android operating system by Google. As you might guess, we'll be treating you with up-to-the-minute updates during the course of the event, so that you can be in the know of all that is happening right now over in Hong Kong, where the announcement takes place.
We’ll be starting our liveblog around 7:00pm pacific time | 10:00pm eastern time. We expect it to finally bring Google’s answer to iOS 5 - Ice Cream Sandwich, a statue of which has already been erected at Google’s HQ. Samsung is expected to back it up with the Nexus Prime, a 4.6” technological behemoth with a curved glass display, dual-core processor, LTE and everything else you can imagine save for a built-in coffee machine.
Live event tracker
| 21:59 | Ray from PhoneArena thanks you as well... :) Well, that's all, folks, thanks for being with us once again! |
| 21:58 | Kim Titus is back on stage. He thanks everyone for being there today. |
| 21:58 | The ICS SDK is available right now, by the way. You hear that, developers? |
| 21:57 | If developers pick up that technology, they will be able to use it for lots of different stuff like initiating multiplayer games. |
| 21:56 | Android Beam is a new NFC feature that can be used to transmit web pages, maps, YouTube videos, and more. |
| 21:54 | You can answer a phone call using a Quick response, it sends a pre-defined text message to your caller. |
| 21:53 | There are new APIs for visual voicemail integration with the call log. |
| 21:50 | The People app has been totally redesigned. |
| 21:50 |  |
| 21:49 | "We've put people at the heart of Ice Cream Sandwich." |
| 21:49 | Continuous focus, zoom while recording, time lapse and video snapshots will all be available with the Nexus's 1080p video recording. |
| 21:47 | Panorama shots are coming standard with Ice Cream Sandwich, they are now doing a demo of how you do that. |
| 21:46 |  |
| 21:45 | Now here's something more interesting - built-in photo editing capabilities! |
| 21:45 | Face detection is built in the camera app, and so are digital zoom and touch to focus... nothing new here. |
| 21:43 | There's a new data usage tool, which will be able to make predictions of how much data you'll be using, based on your usage history. |
| 21:41 | The calendar app is taking advantage of pinch-to-zoom, allowing you to see more details within the bounds of a single view. |
| 21:40 | Users will now be able to do offline searches in their Gmail inbox. |
| 21:38 | You can select multiple messages and manipulate them. |
| 21:38 | Gmail has also been redesigned - you get a preview without having to open a message. |
| 21:37 | Save for offline reading is also available. |
| 21:37 | They've built in the option to call the desktop-version of a site! No more scrolling to the bottom of the page... |
| 21:36 | They are now looking at the internet browser. Tabs will use the same interface as the multitasking functionality. |
| 21:35 | It uses facial recognition to unlock the phone... Matias just failed to unlock his phone using Face Unlock! |
| 21:34 | With ICS, they are implementing a new unlock method - Face Unlock. |
| 21:32 |  |
| 21:32 | They've been giving the QWERTY keyboard "a lot of love"... |
| 21:30 | Power + volume down will now take a screenshot, no matter where you are in the interface. |
| 21:30 | Matias is now paying attention to the new multitasking interface - the one we know from Honeycomb. |
| 21:29 | Homescreen folders will work similarly to iOS. |
| 21:28 | Widgets will now be resizable with ICS, so you'll be able to customize your environment even further. |
| 21:28 |  |
| 21:27 | Multiple homescreens and widgets are here to stay it seems. Surprised? |
| 21:26 | Galaxy Nexus will have no buttons on the front, it will have virtual ones.  |
| 21:25 | There goes the new lock screen.  |
| 21:24 | They've been looking at the latest trends in graphics design for inspiration. |
| 21:24 | Roboto will be the name of the new UI style for ICS. |
| 21:23 | "Android is enchanting!" - It sure is, Matias. |
| 21:22 |  |
| 21:21 | Matias Duarte is now on stage! |
| 21:21 | So much for the Galaxy Nexus, now they are shifting the focus to Ice Cream Sandwich! |
| 21:20 | Samsung Galaxy Nexus will launch in November across the US, EU and Asia. |
| 21:20 | He's now talking about the 5MP camera with zero-shutter lag and 1080p video recording. |
| 21:19 | The back will have something called Hyper Skin - some kind of texture making the phone feel good in the hand. |
| 21:18 | The bezel around the display will be just 4.29mm. |
| 21:17 | The idea of the curved design is to be ergonomic - being very sleek and comfortable to use. |
| 21:17 | He'll now go through the design of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. |
| 21:16 | They have come to conclude that a real estate of 4.65" will actually work pretty good with ICS. |
| 21:14 |  |
| 21:14 | The Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Nexus will have an HD resolution. |
| 21:14 | So that's the combination they were hinting about - great hardware and new OS in ICS. |
| 21:13 | He talks about all the good stuff that comes with LTE, which will be supported by the Galaxy Nexus, of course. |
| 21:12 | He outlines four key areas: speed, screen, design and OS. |
| 21:11 | "Samsung is now number 1 manufacturer of Android-based smartphones." |
| 21:11 | The Galaxy Nexus will now be introduced by Kevin Packingham, senior VP for product innovation. |
| 21:10 |  |
| 21:09 | They are rolling a video about the Galaxy Nexus now. |
| 21:07 |  |
| 21:07 | Now it's time for Mr. Andy Rubin to show up on stage... it's the father of Android! |
| 21:06 | Super AMOLED, dual-core processor, and LTE will all make it into the new phone, as well HSPA+, for some markets... |
| 21:05 | "Today Samsung and Google unveil the first Ice Cream Sandwich phone!" |
| 21:05 |  |
| 21:04 | Talks about the success of Android, and the partnership between Samsung and Google. |
| 21:04 | J.K. Shin, Samsung president is now taking the stage! |
| 21:03 |  |
| 21:03 | Kim Titus from Samsung comes on stage.  |
| 21:01 |  |
| 20:58 | Hey, it's Ray S. here, getting ready to liveblog the Google | Samsung event tonight. So, who's wanting that 4.6" ICS behemoth? |
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Motorola MOTOACTV hands-on 
Samsung Galaxy Nexus is officially announced with LTE and HSPA+ variants 
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124 Comments
1. protozeloz posted on 18 Oct 2011, 20:57 0
The most interesting thing here might be the OS since manufacturers now can add more robust hardware to it
45. tooBADtooSAD posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:38 0
why don't they talk about how weak the gpu of the nexus is compared to the likes of the powerVR 543mp or even the mali 400?
69. protozeloz posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:05 0
because any manufacturer can put ICS on the hardware you want
65. GoodFella posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:02 0
NFC is hands down the most exciting addition in my opinion!! It will be awesome to see what developers do with this.
2. roldefol posted on 18 Oct 2011, 20:58 1
And PA is still calling it the Nexus Prime, despite the words "galaxy nexus" plastered all over the event stage.
4. yougotkilled1 posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:00 3
Nexus prime sounds better than "Galaxy Nexus" IMO
5. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:00 0
i wish it would have stayed the prime..
lets get it on!!
is there a live feed somewhere?
8. protozeloz posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:04 0
Here and "this is my next" and youtube but my net is crap today :/
http://www.youtube.com/androiddevelopers
90. tooBADtooSAD posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:21 0
hardware wise the Nexus is inferior to the gs2
6. tooBADtooSAD posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:01 1
1.2ghz dual core Ti omap 4460, 1 gig ram, and a 5mp camera. I knew this phone can't beat the gs2! For all of those saying the Prime is ALL! HA!
9. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:04 1
they both have their ups and downs.. wait for the official announcement and any surprises before making final judgements.
11. roldefol posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:10 0
People really need to get over the 5 MP/8 MP thing. Just because Apple caved to market demands doesn't mean Samsung must follow suit. Just give me a really great camera and I'll be happy.
36. Sackboy117 posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:31 0
In my opinion, I think the Galaxy Nexus is simply the constant variable in the next gen world of superphones. First 720p Resolution screen and ICS, so more and more androids will come out constantly improving the specs of ICS phones.
59. roldefol posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:52 0
Well, there it is, folks. No lag photos. I'll definitely take that over a 3 second shutter lag on an 8 MP camera.
10. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:07 4
nerds watch it live :)
http://www.youtube.com/android
16. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:15 0
its working. its a google event, they probably blocked apple stuff.. lol.
j/k
im sure there are millions streaming right now.. jsut give it time it took a few minutes for the feed to load up
54. shelley.bevacqua posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:45 1
I love you remixfa !
I don't know if I want the Galaxy Nexus or Moto Razr !
74. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:11 0
between the 2? nexus all the way... though the razor is a very nice phone no doubt.
103. roldefol posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:37 0
Nexus has the edge in visuals and aesthetics and the OS seals the deal.
75. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:13 0
it said fastest 4g
that negates ATT's HSPA.. lol
id be surprised if it isnt on all 4 carriers though... when it drops is the bigger question.
17. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:16 0
The screen doesnt look 4.6 but maybe it's just i'm so huge to phones with 4 inch displays being towers.
19. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:18 0
the phone isnt as big as other huge phones like the streak since it doesnt need all those buttons. more display, less area.
25. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:22 0
Wow I need some rest, that was a huge fail on my part. My apologizes.
76. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:13 0
no apologies needed com-padre.. lol
18. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:17 0
love when he said "when you compare it with any device 4 inches or greater, you wont find its equal"... lol.. slick way to get past the retina ppi
21. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:19 0
nearly bezeless.. hspa+ version thinner than LTE version (duh..lol.)
22. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:20 0
just took a side shot at "anyone claiming thin design or good battery life while using old tech.. we do it with top end tech" .. lol
24. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:21 0
built in video stablization and camera enhancements...
barometer..
pogo pen?
time for ICS updates! :)
28. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:24 0
poking at android's weak points.. lack of devotion, ease of use... building to ICS enhancements..
sounds like iRobot speeches. lol.
sounds like they want to build a rabbid loyal iphone like fanbase.
ROBOTO
33. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:29 0
search bar is see through.. cool looking.
virtual screen buttons can be turned off to hide useless buttons per applications. kinda neat.
honeycomb app widgets.. scrollabe/stackable/ ect.
ICS swypes left and right through apps, not big scroll bar. when swiping the new page "flies in"..
35. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:30 1
simplified folders with easier drag n drop..
folders in "favorites" tray at bottom of screen.. now customizable with stock android by dropping app to bottom bar.
37. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:33 1
ICS uses honeycomb multitasking scroll window, but adds "flick to turn off" functionality. take "app window" and flick it out of the list and it turns off.
NOTIFICATIONS:
now has images
built in music player controls even usable from within apps
"flick to remove" singular notifications instead of just "clear all"
notifications from lock screen
39. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:35 1
improved cut/paste/ spell check.. which was already way ahead of iOS :)
TALK TO TEXT
instant text to screen as you talk.
it still acts like T2T (aka its not 100% accurate at full speed speech though it only made 1 mistake for him)
can pause longer between sentences before time out
41. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:36 1
FACE RECOGNITION
it didnt recognize him.. hahah lol.. woopsie.
woulda been really cool had it worked properly :)
51. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:42 1
browsing
mobile still default
DESKTOP VERSION ENABLED IN STOCK BROWSER!!! WOOO HOOO!! :)
*full sync with google chrome
*dl pages for offline reading, saving important pages like schedules, tickets, ect
*incognito mode.. for all your porn needs! lolol
Gmail updates
*new action bar.. changes as you use them "most common actions used" are shown on bottom.
*action bar is contextual.. changes depending on where you are in gmail (inbox, reading email, ect)
* "chips". basically its name tags..
*can search up to 30 days of email, even if its not synced for that
G-Calendar
*simplified interface
*P2Z to see more/less calendar details.
55. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:45 2
*tracks data usage..
with PROJECTIONS of future usage!
*ability to set warnings for "thresholds" of data usage.. your choice..
*specify your own data limit controls and shut offs..
*ability to track individual apps and data usage during any period
*ability to set usage parameters for individual apps
57. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:51 1
CAMERA TIME
*drag lockscreen to the left to go right to camera.. near instant camera opening from lock
*improved instant sharing :)
*auto face detect/focus... touch to focus anyhere
*zero shutter lag!
*multiple shots per second!
*built in photo editing tools built into gallery app.. FINALLY.
*new "magazine style lay out".. no more 3d layout of gingerbread/honeycomb.
*panoramic photos.
super quick panoramic hardware "stitching"
worked wonderfully!
of course includes instant upload from G+.. which rocks btw.
1080P video
continuous focus
FOCUS WHILE RECORDING
time laps
VIDEO SNAPSHOTS.. take pics while taking vids!!
veeeery pretty video. even in LOW LIGHT.
60. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:56 1
People app
very.. umm.. windows 7 like in initial presentation.
much deeper integration of services under contacts than WP7 though.
1 stop shop for EVERYTHING under contact name... EVERYTHING.. contacts to facebook, to tagged pictures as well as emails and such.
tapping contact picture brings up a quick box to decide how they want to contact him (shows every way possible)
profile photo now is background for phone calls
new APIs for VISUAL VOICE MAIL integration into call log!
can "speed up/slow down" voicecalls.. not fast forward.. speed up.. ya know.. make em sound like a mouse.. lol
can "swype up" when someone calls and send a "quick responce" like "go bugger off" instead of just ignoring the call.. lol
62. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:59 2
Android Beam
android to android content sharing.
share anything from one phone to the next.
touch phones together to share what was on screen (phone B instant loaded the web page phone A was looking at when they touched)..
COOL.
instant porn sharing for the next time a celebrity gets their phone hacked.. lol
ok.. or to share directions n videos.. n pretty much anything (no not gamer scores.. lol)
BUT
if you have a game on your screen, and touch another android, it auto takes phone B to the market to download it!!!
use it to join games, share photos, whatever a DEVELOPER CAN THINK UP!
s-u-p-e-r-c-o-o-l
38. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:34 2
NO MORE ACCIDENTAL PRESSES WOOHOO!!!
67. GoodFella posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:04 3
This is what a live feed is for buddy... thanks for posting exactly what PhoneArena posted above... minute by minute commentary.
72. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:09 0
i posted in much much greater detail. :)
think of it as the bonus u get on a special edition DVD.. you can skip right past it if you like .:)
77. GoodFella posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:13 0
LOL- Yes, better detail and a bit of comical commentary ;)
I will admit though, the fact that the facial recognition for the unlock feature did not work was hilarious!
84. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:19 1
lol..
i guess this is how ibots feel every year. I havent been this excited for an android update in ..well.. ever.
at least he took it in stride when it failed. jobs would have yelled at the phone for "seeing him wrong".. lol.
82. taz89 posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:17 1
ICS looks awesome dont you think...no one can say android is ugly and not user friendly anymore...i just want it now,i never thought i would be more excited for ICS than the galaxy nexus!!!!!!
20. roldefol posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:18 0
I noticed he only mentioned the thickness of the HSPA+ version... meaning the LTE one may be thicker.
29. Tre-Nitty posted on 18 Oct 2011, 21:25 2
Said once and i'll say it again. Android doesnt allow its devices to grow. Sgs2, Atrix 2, Galaxy Nexus, droid bionic, droid razr. The consumer has choices but to many honeslty.
87. remixfa posted on 18 Oct 2011, 22:20 0
only an iOS user would say too many choices is a bad thing.
