IC Sammich phone rumors... Nexus Prime

[Pliablemoose]

Google is two devices deep in a quest to deliver its vision of what a mobile device should be, while pushing the envelope forward as far as specifications and collaboration is concerned. BGR has exclusively learned that Google’s next Nexus device, possibly called the Nexus 4G, is going to be an absolute beast. We have been told that the Google Nexus 4G will feature a next-generation dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz CPU, and contrary to reports about it featuring an NVIDIA Kal-El processor, our source indicates it’s most likely an OMAP 4460 or a, ultra low-power 28nm Krait-based Snapdragon. The display is said to be a 720p HD “monster-sized” screen, and it won’t feature physical Android menu buttons below the screen anymore — everything will be software-based. More after the break.

Additionally, we can expect a 4G LTE radio, 1GB of RAM, 1080p HD video capture and playback, a 1-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. The 5-megapixel camera, however, is said to be an advanced 5-megapixel sensor delivering class-leading image quality in addition to superior low-light performance. The Google Nexus 4G will run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and hold everything together in an ultra-thin package. We were told that Google is aiming to make the phone available around Thanksgiving, and our source couldn’t confirm a carrier, leading us to believe this might be one of the first AT&T 4G LTE smartphones. It’s also possible that this device will just be the flagship/reference Ice Cream Sandwich device — just like the Motorola DROID and Motorola XOOM were for Android 2.0 and Android 3.0, respectively —*and not a Google Nexus-branded product, so we’ll have to wait and see. In either case, this sounds like an incredible phone regardless of what label is under the dress.


http://www.bgr.com/2011/06/27/googl...tured-by-samsung-possibly-dubbed-nexus-prime/

I'm already hearing gadget reviewers talking about how burned out they're getting reviewing new Android phones, this will kill them . Major phone releases from most manufacturers on all of the carriers at the same time...

 

[Anubis]

no CDMA no care

 

[Pliablemoose]

no CDMA no fucking care

CDMA and GSM are going the way of Edge... Embrace LTE my son...

 

[Anubis]

CDMA and GSM are going the way of Edge... Embrace LTE my son...

in 10 years when i get coverage i will. i do not for a second beleive VZ when they say they will have 100% coverage by 2013

 

[boomhower]

in 10 years when i get coverage i will. i do not for a second beleive VZ when they say they will have 100% coverage by 2013

From the money they are going to be making off the new data plans they had damn well better be pretty close.

 

[vshah]

damn, it this comes out on Verizon I may just have to switch.

I was very happy with Tmobile being google's preferred partner for nexus devices though . I guess GSM's days are numbered.

 

[Deeko]

720p screens, nice. Knew they were coming sooner or later. And I'm glad to see more people getting on the "its about lens/sensor quality, not megapixel size" bandwagon...hopefully it comes with a Xenon flash too.

 

[Pliablemoose]

damn, it this comes out on Verizon I may just have to switch.

I was very happy with Tmobile being google's preferred partner for nexus devices though . I guess GSM's days are numbered.

They're suggesting it may be AT&T's first LTE phone...

 

[vshah]

They're suggesting it may be AT&T's first LTE phone...

i have a couple lines eligible for an upgrade on my tmo family plan...I wonder if that will carry over if the deal goes through....hmm.

 

[iahk]

Pliablemoose: redo your op with this link instead -- http://www.bgr.com/2011/06/27/googl...tured-by-samsung-possibly-dubbed-nexus-prime/

the link you have was already discussed here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2172008

 

[ponyo]

720p is the only thing that impress me from the rumored spec.

Im sort of burnt out on smartphones and tablets, iOS and Android. I think Im going to have to skip a generation or two to get excited again. Im more excited about Motorola Triumph on Virgin Mobile than this phone. I want to see prepaid growth in this country and phones like the Triumph will be the key in getting people to switch.

 

[Slick5150]

It's strange that it really wasn't very long ago when the only thing that really mattered about phones was the design, and what kind of a signal you could get. Now everybody's up in arms about what OS it has, the CPU, how BIG it is, etc...

The worlds of phones and computers collided very very quickly.

 

[MagickMan]

and it'll run 45 minutes on a single charge...

 

[Mopetar]

Sounds a bit excessive to be true, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. The real question is about how large the screen is going to be if it really is 720p. If it's any smaller than ~4.5 inches the DPI would be higher than the retina display on the iPhone 4. It's probably possible to fit that resolution into a 4.3 inch area, which would put it in line with existing Android devices.

It's going to be difficult to pack all of that technology into such a small space, though and not run into issues with overheating. Regardless, hopefully the device is more of a forerunner like the Nexus 1.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Funny thing is that the main point I took from the OP is the following:

I'm already hearing gadget reviewers talking about how burned out they're getting reviewing new Android phones

I never thought about that before but I'll bet you're right.

 

[vshah]

Sounds a bit excessive to be true, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. The real question is about how large the screen is going to be if it really is 720p. If it's any smaller than ~4.5 inches the DPI would be higher than the retina display on the iPhone 4. It's probably possible to fit that resolution into a 4.3 inch area, which would put it in line with existing Android devices.

It's going to be difficult to pack all of that technology into such a small space, though and not run into issues with overheating. Regardless, hopefully the device is more of a forerunner like the Nexus 1.

the CPUs they are using will probably be on a 28nm process which will give some thermal headroom compared to current 45nm parts.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Man, this next Nexus has turned into the ultimate chimera of dream phones. Just like site after site tries to mock-up the next iPhone with features they dream it will have (4 inch screen, NFC, etc.) this Nexus has now filled that role for Android fanboys:

You like power? First it came with a quad core, now it comes with a superfast 28nm dual-core. I guess pretending quad-cores will hit the market this year is even too much for dreamers.

You like high res screens? Well even though qHD is crappily supported by Android (and itself- too much pentile), this phone apparently goes even further. Tablet apps on your phone? Why not, the phone apps will look crap at that resolution and magnifying lenses are cheap.

You like LTE? Then be the first to experience AT&T's awesome LTE in an incredible five whole markets!!

You like cameras? Then this device has the perfect "smugcam"- low Megapixel to screw up consumer who buy by that metric, with higher quality. Steve would be proud.

You don't like buttons? Perfect device for you! You get the "joy" of having Honeycomb-esc soft-buttons filling a part of your screen all the time!

Sounds like a winner. (Yes I am skeptical).

I like how this article at least hints that it won't be a Nexus. Every other Nexus has been the company that makes it's flagship phone for that year reformulated. So I bet this isn't a Nexus.

 

[Mopetar]

One of the original purposes of the Nexus line was to serve as a phone for developers by incorporating bleeding edge hardware and design concepts so that developers would have access to them in advance of the majority of the industry incorporating those technologies into their own designs.

If Google wants the future of Android to move towards devices with fewer or no buttons, high-res screens, etc. then it's a good idea to get those technologies into the hands of developers as soon as possible. That way developers start thinking about how to make their applications look good at 720p, work without having the usual four physical buttons on most Android phones, and use new technologies like NFC.

This phone will probably be sold unlocked and without a contract, much like the previous Nexus phones. Some consumers will pick them up simply because they want the best phone that money can buy, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not something designed for the mass market.

I hope that Google is ambitious with this phone. Right now it seems as though carriers are dragging their feet in terms of advancing the state of the art and are more interested in adding gimmicky features such as 3D photography.

 

[poofyhairguy]

One of the original purposes of the Nexus line was to serve as a phone for developers by incorporating bleeding edge hardware and design concepts so that developers would have access to them in advance of the majority of the industry incorporating those technologies into their own designs.

If Google wants the future of Android to move towards devices with fewer or no buttons, high-res screens, etc. then it's a good idea to get those technologies into the hands of developers as soon as possible. That way developers start thinking about how to make their applications look good at 720p, work without having the usual four physical buttons on most Android phones, and use new technologies like NFC.

This phone will probably be sold unlocked and without a contract, much like the previous Nexus phones. Some consumers will pick them up simply because they want the best phone that money can buy, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not something designed for the mass market.

I hope that Google is ambitious with this phone. Right now it seems as though carriers are dragging their feet in terms of advancing the state of the art and are more interested in adding gimmicky features such as 3D photography.

My whole point is that Google doesn't make any phones- they are dependent on the phone manufacturers. Therefore the Nexuses have NEVER pushed far beyond what the phone manufactures push because quite simply they lack the leverage to do so.

Nexus One = reformulated HTC Desire

Nexus S = Galaxy S 1 without MicroSD and with NFC chip

The only "developer related" difference so far between the Nexuses and the flagship phones from the same manufacturers at the time was the NFC chip addition. Otherwise the Nexus phones have piggybacked on what the manufacturers have done. The only reason these phones have "bleeding edge hardware and design concepts" is because all flagship phones have bleeding edge hardware that is underutilized on launch.

If this phone has a 720p screen it is not because some Google executive demanded a 720p screen. It is more likely that Samsung developed a 720p screen and went to Google and said- we want this supported, make it happen.

The Nexuses are just flagship phones without carrier branding and manufacturer launchers.

 

[Bateluer]

Man, this next Nexus has turned into the ultimate chimera of dream phones. Just like site after site tries to mock-up the next iPhone with features they dream it will have (4 inch screen, NFC, etc.) this Nexus has now filled that role for Android fanboys:

You like power? First it came with a quad core, now it comes with a superfast 28nm dual-core. I guess pretending quad-cores will hit the market this year is even too much for dreamers. Nvidia is shipping their quad core Kal El in October, there's a very good chance you'll see it in tablets before the end of the year. In phones, doubtful.

You like high res screens? Well even though qHD is crappily supported by Android (and itself- too much pentile), this phone apparently goes even further. Tablet apps on your phone? Why not, the phone apps will look crap at that resolution and magnifying lenses are cheap. Because all the qHD phones use pentile screens . . oh wait, the Evo 3D and Sensation don't. And they look pretty damn good. qHD is perfectly supported by Android. Whether or not developers have 'tuned' their apps to run/look good at that resolution is debatable. But, 99% of apps on your phone are going to run and look perfectly fine at the qHD resolution. And since it is 1/4 HD, all those 720p and 1080p movies scale perfectly and keep their ideal aspect ratios.

You like LTE? Then be the first to experience AT&T's awesome LTE in an Who said it'd be an AT&T only launch? AT&T is an extremely restrictive restrictive carrier. Granted, so is Verizon. But Verizon has a good 2 to 3 year head start on AT&T building out LTE.[/B]


You like cameras? Then this device has the perfect "smugcam"- low Megapixel to screw up consumer who buy by that metric, with higher quality. Steve would be proud.What the the heck are you talking about with this sentence? Did you even think before you typed it? Any high end phone worth is salt these days will have an 8Mp+ rear camera, and a 1.3Mp+ front camera. Picture quality is fine for the bulk of pictures taken, if you want that professional quality, you get a real digital camera. People use their cell phones to snap spur of the moment pictures or of their friends at the bar, not professional photography. Where they need to improve is with applications for these cameras. Most people don't have Skype, Tango, or Qik accounts for video calling. And in some cases, the carriers block your access to video calling entirely. Complain about that, not the cameras in the phone.

You don't like buttons? Perfect device for you! You get the "joy" of having Honeycomb-esc soft-buttons filling a part of your screen all the time!That 'buttonless' prototype was proven to be a complete photoshop and fake.

Sounds like a winner. (Yes I am skeptical).

I like how this article at least hints that it won't be a Nexus. Every other Nexus has been the company that makes it's flagship phone for that year reformulated. So I bet this isn't a Nexus.Finally, the one thing you posted that actually makes sense. Rather than make a Nexus device, make it the launch phone for ICS with spins for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

So much misinformation. Bolded parts are to correct your gaffes.

 

[poofyhairguy]

So much misinformation. Bolded parts are to correct your gaffes.

That is why you are a lifer and I am not.

qHD is perfectly supported by Android. Whether or not developers have 'tuned' their apps to run/look good at that resolution is debatable. But, 99% of apps on your phone are going to run and look perfectly fine at the qHD resolution.

I disagree with this though. I would say its more 95%. And I know- I have extensive experience with both my Nook Color and a friend's Atrix. In fact, when programs break down on my Nook Color due to a high resolution (Chuzzle for example) I get him to load them on his Atrix and half the time they are still screwed up on the Atrix.

Android has done WAY better about scaling apps than Apple does (iPhone apps on the iPad look like ass), but too many premium Android apps are made with absolute sizes that target WXGA. It will take over a year for that to be fixed.

 

[zerogear]

http://www.bgr.com/2011/06/27/googl...tured-by-samsung-possibly-dubbed-nexus-prime/

We reported that the handset would nix physical menu keys going forward, and would feature a monster 720p -resolution display, and we have now confirmed with our source that the screen itself is branded as a “Super AMOLED HD” display.

:awe:

 

[Bateluer]

I disagree with this though. I would say its more 95%.

That's still 9 out of 10 apps.

If dev's want to make money, they'll fix their crap quickly.

 

[aka1nas]

By the specs, isn't it basically an Evo3d then with the 3d camera stripped out?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Why TI OMAP when Samsung can make their own CPUs? Or is this going to be non-Samsung? I just thought of them because of the whole SAMOLED deal.