Google Partners with Samsung for Ice Cream Sandwich Launch

Today Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the Android OS. Google partnered with Samsung for the launch. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will serve as the official launch phone for Ice Cream Sandwich. 

Ice Cream Sandwich introduces a few new features to the Android OS, including one called Face Unlock. Face Unlock uses the phone’s front-facing camera to identify who is holding the device. The phone is unlocked when the owner’s face is detected.

Google also announced that Ice Cream Sandwich will come with native support for HD. This is comparable to the iPhone’s retina display. The official launch phone, the Galaxy Nexus, packs a 1280 x 720 display. This makes makes full use of Ice Cream Sandwich’s HD, but it comes at a cost.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is HUGE. The device packs a 4.65-inch screen. It’s predecessor, the Galaxy S II, only had a 4.3-inch screen. No word on why Android manufacturers feel the need to keep upping their devices’ screen size. These phone are starting to get a little too big. Eventually, Levis will have to start making jeans with bigger pockets. But I don’t want to have to buy new jeans.

It looks like I am not the only one who is worried about covering his arse. The head of Samsung’s mobile division said that the Galaxy Nexus was “carefully constructed around Apple’s patent portfolio.” In other words, Samsung did everything they could to not get sued by Apple. Recently, Apple was granted an injunction against Samsung, which halted all sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab in Australia.

Head over to Techmeme for more coverage of the event.