Google has done its second bid for a chop of the mobile phone market, with the launch of its Nexus S phone.
The Samsung-built device comes reduction than 12 months after the launch of the firm's Nexus One, built by HTC, that unsuccessful to win over many consumers.
The Nexus S will primarily be launched in the UK and US, and will be existing "from the finish of the month".
It is the initial phone to underline the ultimate chronicle of Google's Android working network well known as Gingerbread.
It moreover comes with new hardware such as Near Field Communications (NFC).
This short-range wireless technology is used predominantly in places similar to Japan and allows people to use their phone as a go ticket, make tiny payments and indicate their phone over adverts, for example, to obtain more data about a product.
"NFC allows the Nexus S to read chic objects" mentioned David Burke of Google's mobile division.
These objects contingency have a small, unpowered NFC fragment in them that is activated when the phone is hold near.
"When you put the phone on top, it energises the circuit," explained Mr Burke. "It can relate data back to the phone and the phone can send data to the chip.
"So, you can appropriate a film print and watch the trailer automatically," he said.
NFC is a flourishing direction in mobiles and will beginning to turn more pervasive in the New Year, mentioned Shaun Collins, handling executive of investigate definite CCS Insight.
"NFC is going to be the technology of 2011, in my opinion," he told BBC News. "Most of the BlackBerries will have it and a large tie of midst to high-level Nokias will have it."
The next chronicle of the iPhone is moreover rumoured to enclose the technology.
The Nexus S was initial shown off by Google team leader Eric Schmidt at the Web 2.0 zenith in San Francisco in November.
The 16GB, touchscreen device has been built in team-work with Samsung and is segment of its Milky Way S family of phones and tablets.
Mr Collins mentioned it would vie with other "flagship devices" such as Nokia's N8, the BlackBerry Torch and the HTC Desire HD.
"This is great headlines for Samsung," mentioned Mr Collins. "It becomes the de-facto flagship product for Android."
The finding hulk discharged claims that it was display any injustice towards Samsung or that it was going in to contest with other handset manufacturers that create phones using Android.
"Our design is not to vie with partners," mentioned Mr Burke. "Our goal is to pull the mobile ecosystem forward."
Mr Collins mentioned that Samsung's window of chance with the device was small.
The phone claims to have the "world's first" 4in (10cm) winding display and has front and rear-facing cameras.
Inside it has the same processor as the Nexus One, but with increased mental recall bandwidth to make it more responsive, according to Mr Burke.
The phone is moreover the initial handset to deliver the ultimate chronicle of Android - well known as Gingerbread.
The program is the fifth leading second edition of the firm's program and will be rolled out to many Android phones in the "coming weeks or months", mentioned Mr Burke.
It includes a new user interface, encouragement for new hardware such as gyroscope - used for gaming, for example, and internet calling.
This allows any person to set up a VOIP account that may be used to place and take calls over the internet.
The phone may be configured to use this underline as shortly as it is in operation of a wi-fi hotspot, permitting people to by pass the network operators.
Mr Burke mentioned that he didn't expect any insurgency to this underline from the networks, quite as many of them customise the android program and could " eliminate the underline if they wish to".
The phone moreover has a larger stress on voice control.
"In the US, a in 4 searches done on Android gadgets is done with voice," mentioned Mr Burke.
The phone comes with existing program that allows people to manage navigation on the phone with their voice together with actions searches.
A new set of commands moreover allows people to send content messages, e-mails and set alarms on their phone, amongst other things.
These will primarily usually be existing in the US, while the definite erect the voice models indispensable for its program to cope with other informal accents.
The phone will primarily offering for sale by Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Best Buy in the US. It will not have its own Google web store similar to the Nexus One, that was close after reduction than 5 months after Google certified that it "remained a niche duct for early adopters".
"That didn't work out for Google," mentioned Mr Collins. "But Carphone Warehouse is a not similar round diversion - they have the distribution, brand and presence."
Mr Collins mentioned that Carphone Warehouse was "setting themselves up as the place to go to for Android".
"They see that the working network is increasingly apropos the differentiating reason for consumers and they are aligning themselves with Android," he said.
Mr Burke certified the definite was "going for volume" by partnering with Carphone Warehouse.
In the UK, the Nexus S will advance giveaway with 35 per month contracts or will be offering unbarred - to be used on any conduit - for 549.
The Google blog mentioned it would be existing after 16 December in the US and 20 December in the UK.
However, a orator for Carphone Warehouse mentioned that it would take pre-orders from 1600 GMT today, but it would not be on sale "until after that in the month".
The definite mentioned it was still negotiating contracts with "all of the UK operators" and could not say when a phone systematic currently would be delivered.
"We do not wish to guarantee anything to customers that you can't deliver," she said.
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