The latest Google Android reference phone is out. This is going to be a three way fight between the current top Android phone and the latest iPhone. The tale of the tape:
| Samsung Google Nexus S | Samsung Galaxy S | Apple iPhone 4 | |
| Size | 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm | 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm |
| Weight | 129 g | 119 g | 137 g |
| Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| HSDPA 1700 / 2100 /900 | HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | |
| Display | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| 480X800 pixels, 4 inches | 480X800 pixels, 4 inches | 640 x 960 pixels, 3.5 inches | |
| Processor | ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor | ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor | 1 GHz Apple A4 processor |
| RAM | 512 MB RAM | 512 MB RAM | 512 MB RAM |
| Internal Storage | 16GB | 8/16GB | 16/32 GB |
| External Storage | No External Memory | Up to 32GB | No External Memory |
| Data | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP | Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP | Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP |
| Near Field Communications | Yes | none | none |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 720p@30fps, LED video light | 720p@30fps, LED video light, geo-tagging |
| Operating System | Android OS, v2.3 Gingerbread | Android OS, v2.1 Eclair w/ TouchWiz 3.0 | iOS 4 |
| Camera | 5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, LED flash | 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus | 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash |
| Apps | About 100K from Android Market + access to non-market apps | About 100K from Android Market + access to non-market apps | About 300K from Apple app store |
| Battery | Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh | Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh | Standard battery, Li-Po 1420mAh |
| Standby | Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G) | Up to 750 h (2G) / Up to 576 h (3G) | Up to 300 h (2G) / Up to 300 h (3G) |
| Talk-time | Up to 14 h(2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) | Up to 14 h(2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) | Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) |
Based on the specifications, the winner is the iPhone 4 though not overwhelmingly. And it seems the Nexus S in not at all too different from the Galaxy S. Understandable since it’s made by Samsung but not expected since it is newer and Google is involved. So there’s no real reason to get the Nexus S unless you’re developing NFC applications. Just as well since it’s probably going to be priced higher than the Galaxy S which is already overpriced as it is.
