Here at last
The build-up to the launch of a new version of Android is so protracted these days that it's inevitably an anticlimax when it finally arrives. Of the new capabilities featured in Android 2.3, otherwise known as Gingerbread, arguably the most eye-catching is support for NFC - near field communication.
NFC is an ultra-quick form of wireless communication, typically used to exchange information between devices. Unlike Bluetooth, however, it doesn't require the two devices to be ‘paired', and hence allows a much more spontaneous user experience. A good illustration of NFC in action is the Oyster contact point system on the London Underground.
Among the other highlights of Android 2.3 are:
- UI refinements
- Improved text input
- One-touch copy and paste
- Improved app/power management
- Internet calling
- Multiple camera support
Google also decided it was time for a new exemplar platform for Android 2.3, having launched the Nexus One in collaboration with HTC just under a year ago. This one - the Nexus S - is made by Samsung and seems to be an adaptation of the popular Samsung Galaxy S.
Here are some specs and a not especially informative vid. It will be available in the UK via Carphone Warehouse from 20 December, but the price hasn't been revealed yet. Among the tweaks to the Galaxy are a contoured screen and NFC hardware. It still runs the Hummingbird SoC.
