Samsung, Google unveil Galaxy Nexus smartphone

HONG KONG: Samsung Electronics unveiled the latest version of its Galaxy Nexus smartphone Wednesday, the first to use the latest version of Google’s Android operating system
The new unit is seen as the Samsung-Google partnership’s answer to Apple’s iPhone 4S, which in less than a week on the market has already sold more than 4 million units
Google executive Andy Rubin said Android’s latest "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system is used and features like Android Beam and Face Unlock showcased Ice Cream Sandwich’s cutting-edge technology.Android Beam allows transfer of data between two smartphones by holding them together, while Face Unlock uses facial recognition technology to activate smartphones, rather than conventional passwords
However, during a demonstration at the Hong Kong unveiling, the Face Unlock feature failed to activate the Galaxy Nexus.
Executives of South Korea’s Samsung said the Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in November in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including China and Japan.
An intensifying patent battle between the smartphone giants has started in which Samsung asked Japanese and Australian courts to block sales of Apple’s new iPhone 4S in those countries over alleged patent violations.Samsung is also appealing an Australian court’s decision last week to temporarily ban sales of Samsung’s new Galaxy tablet computer. Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPad and iPhone and violating Apple’s patents