Samsung Galaxy Nexus Leaked: Image, Specs And Launch Date | Hacker News Reader

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Leaked: Image, Specs And Launch Date

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86 pointstilt82 comments

1280x720 in a 4.5 inch device is staggering.

Can you imagine having one of these just 10 years ago? (first ipod was 2001)

Makes me wonder what we'll have in 2020

I honestly don't know. This physical resolution is basically the same as the (smaller) display on the iPhone 4. And while I don't use one daily, I honestly can't tell the difference between that and the 30% larger pixels on my Galaxy S. I think we're well beyond the point of diminishing returns.

I guess the iPhone resolution could be justified as an integer multiple of the original screen dimensions. And this one matches existing HD video streams, so it makes sense there. But in terms of raw pixels, I think only eagle-eyed teenagers are likely to see any usable benefit from these numbers.

What? You can't tell the difference between 326 and 233 PPI? No offense, but how?

Wow. You, uh, don't think much about Accessibility, do you?

I'm 39 years old, very slightly near sighted (which is a good thing for this application), and start to lose focus on the phone display when I hold it about 7" from my eyes. At that range, I can just barely perceive single-pixel transitions if the contrast is very high.

My eyesight is quite typical. Many (perhaps most, even) will have more difficulty seeing those pixels than I will. And they are your target market.

The extra resolution doesn't hurt anything, obviously. And matching existing content (e.g. 480x320 apps or 720p video streams) makes the higher pitch attractive for technical reasons.

But don't dare to assume that your per-pixel content is visible on an iPhone 4. For huge numbers of people, it isn't.

I'm 39 years old, very slightly near sighted

Hey - me too!

At that range, I can just barely perceive single-pixel transitions if the contrast is very high

I can still see the vague indications of pixel boundaries in fine fonts on my iPhone 4, if I concentrate and squint my eyes. But I can't really see individual pixels with clarity.

And while I don't use one daily, I honestly can't tell the difference between that and the 30% larger pixels on my Galaxy S. I think we're well beyond the point of diminishing returns

I have both (well, I have an iPhone 4 and my wife has a Nexus S). Text on her Nexus S looks terrible compared to my I4. It's OK if I haven't been using my phone for a while, but if I pick up hers after using my I4 for a bit, the lower resolution and those terrible 2 colour pixels really stand out. White backgrounds look speckled, gradient transitions have banding, pure colours look impure, fine lines look stippled, and there are no smooth curves. Again - this is only when looking at her Nexus S after staring at my iPhone 4 for a while. The Nexus S is a fine phone otherwise - responsive, flexible, intuitive. And the OLED screen is arresting in low light conditions. But otherwise the screen looks noticeably worse than the I4's.

I didn't think that I had especially good eyesight - very slightly near sighted, as you said. But if you want to keep using your Samsung S, I wouldn't recommend spending any more time with an iPhone 4. Or just do yourself a favour and get this Galaxy-Nexus-Prime.

I totally agree that developers should not assume that per-pixel content is visible at these pixel pitches.

However, I strongly disagree that the target market should be these individuals, even if they are the typical/average consumer. Sure, there's some cost involved in making the screen this size, but that's no reason to make these people look at pixelated screens.

At this resolution, a tiny, tiny fraction of the population (if that) will feel that the resolution is too low. Don't aim for 50% of the market to feel that the pixel pitch is clearer than they can see and the rest accept it as typical, aim to have 99% of your market rave about the beautiful graphics.

Myopia?

What I really want to see is that kind of density in desktop screens. Goodbye antialiasing!

Unlikely this will happen, unless mobile OS take over the desktop: desktop OS still blow at density independence, and so do their GUI toolkit.

Highest density desktop screens you can find are still IBM's T220 and T221 (from back in 2001) with 204DPI in 22.2" screens (3840x2400 native resolution)

They're getting there. Cairo is fairly neat these days, you can actually take vector screenshots of applications.

That's like saying your language has perfect unicode support because its strings are encoded in utf-*. It's part of the requirements, but a very long way from solving the problem.

All of my icons are SVG and my applications are rendered in vectors. Seems like a pretty damn good start.

> 1270x720 in a 4.5 inch device is staggering.

4.65", not 4.5

That's not really staggering, the screen is huge but at ~316dpi that's a lower density than a Sharp IS03 or an iphone 4.

It's the first time AMOLED has gotten into iPhone 4's territory though.

Oh absolutely. Don't read me wrong, those are great specs for a screen. I just don't think it's a significant enough improvement (over what was previously available) to deserve being qualified of "staggering".

iPhone 4 = 326 PPI

Prime = 313 PPI

It's barely lower density and it's AMOLED. It's gorgeous.

It's also nearly the same number of pixels as my laptop.

Any idea, is it AMOLED+, as on the GS2? (Or, have they dropped the + designation as all post GS2's will be AMOLED+)?

I'm guessing it's not going to be 'plus' (or +).

For Samsung AMOLEDs the plus branding means standard RGB rather than pentile RGBG. At the supposed density I don't think I see much gain from not using pentile. The stated reason for not using pentile in the Galaxy S II was that the large size of the screen combined with the relatively low resolution put it outside of the sweet-spot for pentile RGBG.

> It's barely lower density

it's still lower. I'm sorry about your hurt feelings, but that does not qualify as "staggering"

> and it's AMOLED. It's gorgeous.

Did not enter into the comment I replied to. At all. Again, I'm not saying it's not a great screen, I'm saying calling a 1280x720 4.65" "staggering" in 2011 is overstating it by a mile.

It's not staggering because of the PPI, it's staggering that we're carrying a WXGA display in our pockets. It displays 50% more information than the iPhone 4 screen, which is already pretty amazing.

That sounds a lot like retconning, it makes absolutely no sense in the context of the original comment as the physical screen size detracts from that point. "1280x720 on a phone is staggering" is arguable, "1280x720 in a 4.[65] inch is staggering" is not, because there's nothing staggering about it.

Regardless of your definitions, I too found it staggering. We have reached mobile full HD. The fact that it's a few PPI lower than another device is meaningless--it's full HD and in your pocket. On a consumer device (with consumer pricing!). Staggering.

That's a Pentile display though, so you can effectively take a third off that. So make it 845 x 475 measured in real sub-pixels, which isn't even qHD. Not that it's not going to be a fantastic screen (the black levels on those things are lickably awesome), but 206 PPI is about what AMOLED has been maxed out at for years now. Samsung has been getting higher resolution, but only by making screens bigger. And now at 4.65" they're really stretching (haha) it.

Well, the Galaxy Note is also due this month with a whopping 5.3" screen!

Everyone will need new pants. My pockets couldn't handle that.

Phones are the new razors, pants are the new blades.

I see what you did there, hahaha

I think it looks pretty sweet, and I finally got my desire for a native HD display. Now let's see what Android 4.0 is all about.

On a related note, just looking at Android adoption, it's really interesting to see Android devices turning up the heat.

In the US alone: iPhones are 28% of market.. Android phones: 43%: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/in-u-s-mar...

Compare to July.. 39% and 28%: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/in-u-s-sma...

So Apple are holding steady (in terms of market share) with a 15 month old phone in a massively growing market (these figures are pre the 4S). That's not bad.

Android's growth hasn't been at the expense of Apple, it's just coming out of the general growth in the market (in terms of the absolute numbers) and at the expense of the other players (in terms of the market share).

The reality of the Apple vs. Android battle at the moment is actually Apple and Android both squeezing hell out of RIM, Nokia and Microsoft.

That will change in the coming months (RIM will bottom out, Nokia and Microsoft effectively merge and will throw the kitchen sink at it) but for now it's hard to see with Apple or Android as losers.

>Android's growth hasn't been at the expense of Apple, it's just coming out of the general growth in the market

Many people who have purchased Androids, would have purchased iPhones were Androids not available.

That's possible (though I'd argue that many of them are buying at lower price points and therefore were never really potential Apple customers) but you could also argue that Android has, through raising awareness of smartphones generally, increased the overall size of the market and created more potential customers, some of whom have bought iPhones.

But the bottom line is that Apple have maintained market share and increased the absolute number of units sold. They've also done so while remaining the single largest handset manufacturer globally and in pretty much all key markets, producing the two best selling handsets over the last 12 months (despite neither launching in that time), generated more profit than all the other handset manufacturers combined and registered the consistently highest customer satisfaction and loyalty numbers.

Is Android creating pressure on Apple? Sure, but when you compare how they're performing with RIM (reduced market share, profits down), Symbian (reduced market share, profits down), Windows Mobile (reduced market share, no idea but I'm guessing profits down) then claims about what Android is doing to Apple are put in context.

Up until now, I'd argue that the comparison has been kind of apples and oranges. Being limited to one carrier has been a huge disadvantage to Apple in terms of mass adoption, and the shadow of "the next iPhone" even loomed large over the February Verizon launch. An iPhone launch across all the major carriers is huge - it's not unimaginable that people will just "buy Apple" without the carrier restrictions. In terms of market share, the next 6 months will be far more indicative than the last three years.

"Being limited to one carrier has been a huge disadvantage to Apple in terms of mass adoption"

I think this misses the boat on Apple's supply issues. Apple can't ship 50 million smartphones a quarter like android because they can't physically make 50 million iphones a quarter. Apple's integrated approach and component lockdowns can win on market share in smaller markets they create like ipad and ipod but in already established markets like smartphone and desktop they can't lock people out of making the stuff they were already making and they can't leverage the world's supply like a licensed OS does.

> An iPhone launch across all the major carriers is huge -it's not unimaginable that people will just "buy Apple" without the carrier restrictions

How boring that world would be.

I'm not saying it's good or bad, but that is how the mp3 player and now tablet market turned out, despite a lot of credible competition.

I'm glad they're not cramming a ton of megapixels into that camera. Let's just hope they took a hint from Nokia and stuck a decent lens on it.

The Galaxy S and S II have very acceptable cameras. This might be expected to inherit the same design. Samsung's camera app, on the other hand, is a disaster. But one would expect this will ship with a Google integration instead.

This is too big and lacks hardware 'home' button. I almost like Galaxy S 2, yet it feels slightly too big. I accidentally press sensor buttons all the time, but the home button is really convenient.

Anyone else wish they weren't working w/ Samsung, to me the phone just looks like a cheap 3GS knock off. I loved my N1, hell even the G1 was decent for it's time, this just looks so meh to me(here's to hoping the software is the WOW part)

Uh... it's a touch screen with a computer inside of it. What sort of "look" were you expecting? By that standard, how is the 4/4S not a "3GS" knockoff?

Seriously, smartphones all look the same today (modulo the occasional models with hardware keyboards). If you really believe otherwise, you're way too close to the industry.

If you're looking at a powered-off screen only, maybe all smartphones look the same. Do all laptops look the same? The design and construction of the bezel, sides and back of a smartphone contribute significantly to the user's experience. Design also serves to differentiate devices with very similar hardware and capabilities in a crowded market.

GP may have been referring to build quality/materials, but I could be wrong. HTC devices tend to use more metal and non-slip surfaces that feel solid, as opposed to Samsung's plastic. SGS2 vs HTC Amaze for instance.

I personally think Samsung phones _look_ better, but don't feel as robust as most HTC phones.

Samsung are doing a great job of going toe to toe with Apple in a bunch of spaces - mobile, ultrathin laptops. I think they're a good potential partner.

But your wish will come true - the suspicion has got to be that it will be Motorola get's the next Nexus, and potentially picks up the brand name on an ongoing basis.

no trackball with alerts like the first nexus.

i'm unimpressed.

one, that's absolutely ridiculous, if you match up all the improvements to both hardware and software between the N1 and the NP. being unimpressed makes you sound like a whiny bitch.

two, according to GigaOM, there is a LED notification: http://gigaom.com/mobile/nexus-prime-specifications-image-le...

Yet another resolution for devs to worry about. Thankfully iOS makes it easy for developers.

Android isn't as closely tied to raw screen resolution as you'd think. The device is probably normal-hdpi, which would match most other high-end devices. I'd suspect most apps will work without any tweaks at all.

... because the iPad doesn't run iOS?

Sorry for the rant, I am sure people will downvote me, but this has to get out now:

Why does it has to have those ugly buttons in the front?

If you watch the introduction keynote of the iPhone, you' ll see that the entire point of the big-screen-smartphones was to get rid of all those confusing buttons and let the screen handle any input possibilites that are valid to the current context.

I dont care whether it has a better camera, a faster CPU and all of those things, if you force me to look at those ugly buttons every time I hold this thing in my hands, the clear winner (for me) will always be the more minimalistic device, which is the iPhone in my humble opinion.

if they are software buttons, i have no doubt they will be customizable.

The buttons are incredibly useful. The back button in Android is incredibly convenient. In ios you click on a link from an app, launches the browser now you have to figure out how to go back. Either hold down the home button or as I see a lot of people, go back to dashboard and launch app again. On android a things are able to be shared between apps. Example I take a picture, I can send it right away to dropbox, photoshop.. do what I need to do and press the back button. The menu button is always consistent, no need to try to figure on an app by app basis. This is preferable for myself at least.

It's hard to tell, but I think those are actually software buttons (I think it's been clearer in other screenshots, and it makes sense since this is exactly how Honeycomb tablets work/look). So it's arguably more minimalistic than the iPhone (all screen!) but also arguably more difficult to use without looking at the device.

I hate to be the one to point that out, but... does anyone really care what exactly the Galaxy Nexus looks like? It's just a phone that will sell, maybe, a few million units, which is nice, but not particularly significant in comparison to the 120million+ predicted for "that other phone"...

It's a phone designed by Google, maker of Android, and it has the newest major Android version, so of course it's an interesting device.

And since when do sales reflect how good a device really is? Remember Android devices have to compete among themselves, too. If iPhone 4S had to compete with 20 other "iPhones" in a year, it wouldn't get 120 million units sold either.

Are you suggesting that the iPhone doesn't compete with those 21 Android devices?

Not really directly in my view. People usually first decide if they want an iPhone/Blackberry/Android/WinP7 device then they pick the model. So no I agree with the poster above. I don't think it's a really direct competition on the same level as android vs android phone.

The Galaxy S2 has sold over 20 million so it's very possible that this will do likewise. It's not iPhone territory but it's a very very big selling device.

I do, because I'm interested in buying it. No phone has interesting design in my opinion. I want the one with the best software and hardware.

Design is much more than aesthetics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams#Rams.27_ten_princip...

That's exactly what I mean. Design, all aspects. Software and UX is one thing. Hardware has followed a boring linear progression with no real innovation other than bigger screens and faster cpus, more ram, video acceleration... if it weren't for the miniaturization aspect no one would care.

My 3DS is more impressive.

I disagree, but it's subjective. I loved going from iPod + phone down to just an iPhone. When my 4S arrives I'm going to love getting rid of my point'n'shoot, and not feel like I have to have my DSLR to get decent photos. I have no video camera but am excited to have a decent one in my pocket.

I'm excited about the hardware and software improvements that make the 4S a good camera. Good enough for a point'n'shoot.

It's the first phone with a major new release of the best-selling mobile operating system.

While the phone itself won't sell as many copies as the 4S, Ice Cream Sandwich will have a larger install base than iOS5. There's a lot of people interested in what's in it.

Ice Cream Sandwich will have a larger install base than iOS5

Maybe but when? Honeycomb only has about 2% of the total Android market share 85% are still on Froyo or Gingerbread. What makes you think Ice Cream Sandwich is going to get better penetration?

Ice Cream Sandwich isn't going to have a larger install base then iOS5 anytime soon.

HC's low adoption means nothing in this context as it's only targeted at tablets. However, it's important to point out that 45% of the market is still on Froyo. Google's taking a more heavy-handed stance on updates for new devices, so things should not be as dire on ICS as they have been with past releases. If I had to guess, I'd say 90% of current Honeycomb tablets (thanks to Google's iron-fist control of the source) and maybe 75% of current Gingerbread devices will get the bump to ICS within 6 months.

Honeycomb is a tablet-only OS, so that market share isn't really relevant when talking about Ice Cream Sandwich. The Gingerbread market share would be a better indicator.

And iOS 4 was certainly bigger then gingerbread.

iOS as a whole is also still a tad bigger then Android although that shouldn't last long.

That said I have no problem with the assertion that ICS may eventually outinstall iOS 5.

I wish they would stop with the not so cutsy dessert names. It really makes it confusing to keep track of what's what.

Android version numbers are not search-engine friendly because minor releases are pretty major, and searching for "Android 4" will actually yield results for "Android 2.3.4".

I like full code names for releases as it eliminates confusion.

Google's SERP for Android 4 returns hits about Ice Cream Sandwich as expected... Also, it just launched today, a general lack of cotent may be what you're running up against.

Sounds like a search engine problem, not an operator error.

They're all in alphabetical order. Donut, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich. I assume there were internal releases named Apple and Brownie or something similar.

... Donut, ???, Froyo...

Was there an Eclair or something in there someplace?

Apple Pie

Bubblegum

Cupcake (1.5)

Donut

Eclair

Froyo (Frozen Yogurt)

Gingerbread (2.3)

Honeycomb

Ice Cream Sandwich

Jelly Bean (rumored)

> Apple Pie > Bubblegum

Why haven't these codenames been revealed earlier? I have searched high and low for Android's A and B codenames, but never found a reliable source. Thanks for solving the mystery! :)

Is a random HN comment a reliable source?

They also use numbers. Android 4.0 .

Maybe they should use big cat names?

The next one is Jelly Bean

You are probably correct - the Galaxy Nexus itself will not see anywhere near the sales that the iPhone 4S has. The real significance of this event is that it's the first Android 4.0 phone. And this release is mostly about trying to catch up with Apple on usability and glitz. They won't achieve the simple and clean experience that is the hallmark of iOS devices (especially as the phone vendors screw it up with their crapware), but hopefully this will make the Android experience a little less "clunky".

This is a Google phone. The Google software images have traditionally been pleasingly free of crapware. Though on the whole, you're absolutely correct that Android OEMs and carriers have a nasty habit of Dell-ifying their devices.

> I hate to be the one to point that out, but... does anyone really care what exactly the Galaxy Nexus looks like?

As someone who likes their Android phone, and has been waiting for an upgrade, yes, I do care what it looks like.

I don't think anyone is going to doubt that Apple makes great products, but the smartphone market is large enough for more than one player.

>does anyone really care what exactly the Galaxy Nexus looks like

Not sure if this a troll, but haven't you been keeping up with the numbers?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2106625/android-mar...

A TON of people seem to be caring about Android phones.

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