So, in spite of Sandy, Google decided to kick off the new devices and a lot more anyway which is good news, so here’s everything that’s new.
Nexus 4
The Nexus 4 is made by LG but kicks away LG’s inability to design a good phone but keeps’ it’s affordable price points. With the Nexus 4 starting from £239.00 off-contract it’s a really good choice for Android lovers and those just getting started with Android.
It really ticks the boxes with wireless charging, NFC, HSPDA+ and a 2,100mA battery. The only missing point is a MicroSD card slot, which is a design decision by Google.
And it’s on Google Play now.
Nexus 10
The Nexus 10 is a 10-inch tablet just as what was leaked (however, much less than the Nexus 4) which starts from £319.00. Yet again this is a good price point as this is targeted as being a more up-market device. It has an “almost-iPhone-5-retina-display” aka 300dpi, but this beats the iPad’s “retina display” so people who can tell the difference between tiny dots will be happy!
It also contains GPS, a Barometer (a weather instrument for those thinking WTF?) and a “Magnetic Pogo pin charger” which means it should cope being flung out.
However, the device appears very rounded which looks odd but I’m sure will be great.
This is also on Google Play now.
Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 now has a 3G version as well as 32GB, which are as shows:
| Storage | 16gb | 32gb | 32gb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connectivity | WiFi | WiFi | WiFi+3G |
| Price | £159.00 | £199.00 | £239.00 |
And this is of course live on Google Play.
Android
4.2 (Jelly Bean)
It seems Google kept Jelly Bean, which skips the tradition of a new name per release which is a shame (but Key Lime Pie would be a mouthful advertising wise).
It has a new Photo panorama feature called “Photo Spheres” which allow you to create what looks to be Google Streetview style photos, previously only available to professionals with Photoshop. Also “Swype” is built-into the stock keyboard in it’s own fashion, just like the direction SwiftKey is going in.
For those who wanted it, multi-user support is officially here in this release which is good to know. Also the “Dreams” API which was uncovered as part of the Android Support Library is fully unveiled as a “screensaver” type of thing for showing off your photos or whatever while the device is docked. I’m sure we’ll see some interesting stuff in this area from developers and it’s going to fantastic!
