Nexus Prime launches as Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Samsung introduced the newest flagship Google Android phone, the Galaxy Nexus, at a Hong Kong press event on Wednesday morning. The smartphone, long rumored as the Nexus Prime, will be the first handset to run the next version of Android: Ice Cream Sandwich.

J.K. Shin, Samsung’s head of mobile communications, explained the cutting-edge nature of the Galaxy Nexus with its “Super AMOLED screen, curved design and LTE support; in certain markets, the Nexus will be available with HSPA+. It’s a premium user experience combined with Samsung’s best in class hardware.”

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Samsung says it focused on four aspects with the Galaxy Nexus: speed, screen, design and OS. Speed refers to the LTE support for fast mobile broadband and the 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, which the company says is perfect for online video consumption. The large 4.65-inch Super AMOLED screen with 1280×720 resolution offers a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and uses the standard 16:9 aspect ratio used for high-definition video.

The same contour display from the Nexus S carries over to the new phone and is only 8.49mm thick with a small bezel of 4.29mm, so the larger screen doesn’t make the phone too wide. The back uses Hyperskin, a textured design for improved feel.

Remaining specifications correspond to those leaked a few weeks ago, meaning the Galaxy Nexus uses a 5 megapixel rear camera for stills and 1080p video capture. While I can’t comment on image quality, camera demonstrations showed the phone to be fast (zero shutter lag) with numerous software features: auto-focus, face detection, a panoramic mode and new editing tools.

A new barometer sensor is available for developers to use, as is an integrated NFC chip for mobile payments and sharing information with other phones via a bump and tap. This feature, called Android Beam, is one of many new functions in Ice Cream Sandwich; stay tuned for our overview of what’s changed in Google’s mobile platform.