Google Nexus Two 'lands November 8'
The name that refused to die
The Nexus Two will arrive on November 8, according to a blog post citing multiple unnamed sources.
This seems to mean that Google and Samsung will unveil a phone with software designed solely by Google, which may or may not get you excited. It's also rumored that this will be the first device to use Gingerbread, the latest incarnation of Google's Android OS, which is a bit more interesting.
Android and Me reports that Google and Samsung will unveil this mystery Android handset at a Samsung press event in New York City. Samsung is indeed holding a press event that day, and it would hardly surprise us if the company unveiled a Gingerbread phone. We know that Gingerbread is on the way because Google put a large Gingerbread man on its lawn last week:
The Nexus Two bit? "Imagine what would happen if Samsung focused on only the hardware and let Google take over the software duties," says Android and Me's Taylor Wimberly. "That is exactly what you will get with the 'Nexus Two.'"
Wimberly's post seemed to grow out of an earlier report from London's City A.M., which said Google would sell the "Nexus Two" through UK-carrier Carphone Warehouse. City A.M. called it a second Google-branded phone.
At the moment, the rumors are simply playing with words. It's no secret that Google has played a major role in fashioning countless Android phones. The Nexus One was different because it was sold directly by Google, from an online web store. But eventually, Google killed that webstore – likely under pressure from unhappy Android partners – and there's little chance it will reopen anytime soon.
The Nexus One also lacked the sort of custom UI that manufacturers put atop Android – a "Google Experience Phone," it was called; whatever that means – and perhaps this Nexus Two offer a "vanilla" Android install. But this is a small thing. It seems that for the most part, the Nexus Two is the Nexus Two because it's called the Nexus Two. ®
COMMENTS
Well, unlike HTC, Samsung don't actually make phones
It will probably be made by Quanta Comp, and the build quality will be as good as the spec sheet Quanta is given to work with.
Google probably wanted to break any impression that a Google phone is inevitably a HTC, and HTC would be as glad to reciprocate on that idea. Cher Wang is taking her company off into a space where it is recognised as a brand in itself - and burying the HTC logo behind the Google one won't help, second time around, as much as it did the first. HTC wants people to think of their phones as HTCs, in their own right, and not rebadged, hepped-up Google phones.
Google possibly also identified Samsung as one of the companies, currently making the strongest move towards Android tablets and phones, but also one of the most reticent to ship the latest and best Android on its sets. I suspect Google is just trying to chivvy the market along, once more - as it did with the first Nexus. Playing with Samsung, in order to sting the other competition a little seems like the Google way.
So, Google figures Samsung need a hand with their Android firmware
Not surprised. I've suffered with the original i7500 Galaxy for a year. Apart from not fixing the bugs, a year of 'Donut will be released next month'. 'Next month' meaning never. Galaxy S sounds the same story; not bad hardware, let down by firmware. GPS not working, forsooth.
I wonder if Google figured Samsung were slowly tarnishing the Android brand.
Vanilla
I think I prefer the non-manufacturer UIs. Keep it plain and simple, don't spam me with your sponsored apps and candycoated UI to impose your brand.
Because that won't happen with WinMo7..
..oh no, of course not!
Microsoft, allow people to bundle a ton of crap with its OS? Get an upgrade treadmill going that needs you to buy a new phone every couple of years to play catch-up? It'll never happen!
I mean, they have such a proud history...
Samsung? Update?
Hah. The Galaxy S is Samsung's answer to "can you put 2.x on my Galaxy i7500?"
In other words, Samsung would rather you just buy a new phone, despite the OS costing them next to nothing. Make sure, if you want updates, that the manufacturer has said they will update the device. Either that or go down the jailbreak route.
