Anticipation for the next Google Android Nexus phone continues to rise and this week, nearly all of the details were leaked out. Russian site Onliner has published several articles showing the alleged Nexus 4, complete with specs, photos and an early review. If Onliner’s information is correct, the new Nexus is loosely based upon LG’s Optimus G but still looks similar to last year’s Galaxy Nexus.
Here’s what the Russian site says makes up the phone: a 4.7-inch IPS display with 1280 x 768 resolution, 8 megapixel camera, 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 2 GB of memory and only 8 GB of storage capacity. While some of those specifications sound like small upgrades, I’m inclined to believe them and this is why my upgrade strategy has been to skip every other Nexus device. I’ll be doing the same this time around — sticking with my Galaxy Nexus — if the alleged LG Nexus specs are accurate.
In a similar vein, speculation had run rampant on the Galaxy S III Mini for several weeks prior, but Samsung quelled all rumors by launching the device this week. Yes it’s a smaller version of Samsung’s successful Galaxy S III smartphone, but many in the tech world seem disappointed by the diminished hardware capabilities. Gone is the high-resolution display to be replaced by an 800 x 480 pixel screen. A 1 GHz dual-core processor, slower HSPA radio and 5 megapixel camera are also inside.
Some had hoped that this would be a 4-inch version of the flagship phone: Highly capable hardware in a slightly smaller package. I can understand the disappointment here. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S III isn’t accessible to every budget around the world and I see the Mini as a smart strategy to get those folks familiar with the Galaxy line for less. We’ll see if that bet pays of over time as Samsung shares sales figures.
Whatever Android device you use, chances are rather large that you surf the web on it. Opera Mobile for Android saw a software update this week and it’s well worth the download. This version includes a wider range of HTML 5 support as well as SPDY, a protocol to help speed up page load times. Based on my hands on time, Opera Mobile is pretty quick indeed and even though I’m embedded in Google’s Chrome browser across all of my devices, Opera Mobile has found a place on my Android phone.
