Will Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus Kill iPhone 4S?

[OPINION]

Samsung finally launched the new Galaxy Nexus, which is widely seen as a real threat to the iPhone 4S.

Also known as the Nexus Prime, the Galaxy Nexus is the third handset for search and internet giant Google. Google's first handset is Nexus in collaboration with HTC, and the second one is the Nexus S, which is made by Samsung.

Samsung and Google was supposed launch the Galaxy Nexus last week. But this was postponed because of the untimely death of Apple's co-founder and ex-chief Steve Jobs.

The Nexus Prime does everything that iPhone 4S does not. Here are some of the reasons why the Nexus Prime will kill the iPhone 4S.

Nexus Prime will run on Ice Cream Sandwich, which is the latest version of Android operating system. Android has already become the most widely used operating system for smartphones and tablets and Ice Cream Sandwich will take this to the next level since it will be Google's first operating system that will run on both tablets and phones.

The Android used to be the cheap, open-source alternative to the iOS, Apple's operating system for mobile devices.

But Android, through Ice Cream Sandwich, now has features that make it unique and has an interface that's as attractive as Apple's iOS. The new Android platform features a number of new features and improvements, including, but not limited to Face Unlock, voice typing, Android Beam, based on NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, among others.

According to Google, Ice Cream Sandwich brings:

* Beauty and simplicity -- The new OS makes the power of Android enticing and intuitive. "We created a new font that's optimized for HD displays and eliminated all hardware buttons in favor of adaptable software buttons. We also dramatically improved the keyboard, made notifications more interactive and created resizable widgets."

* Connect and share -- The new People app combines high-resolution photos and updates from Google+ and other social services. Galaxy Nexus sports a high-end camera with zero shutter lag, automatic focus, top notch low-light performance and a simple way to capture panoramic pictures. Shoot amazing photos or 1080p video, and then edit and share them directly from your phone.

* Beyond smart -- Ice Cream Sandwich gives you complete control over the amount of mobile data you use by helping you better understand and manage it. Google is also introducing Android Beam, which uses near field communication (NFC) to instantly share webpages, YouTube videos, maps, directions and apps by simply tapping two phones together. Face Unlock uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to unlock your phone with nothing more than a smile.

Samsung's Nexus Prime also has specs superior to the iPhone 4S -- a bigger screen, 4G connectivity, and mobile payments via NFC.

The Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch 1,280×720-pixel Super AMOLED HD with curved glass, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Ti OMAP 4460 processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 1.75 mAh battery, 1.3 MP front camera and 5 MP rear camera capable of 1080p video, 4G, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, Barometer, and NFC.

The phone has no physical buttons on the front, and instead features on-screen soft keys embedded into the system software.

The Galaxy Nexus will be available in various countries such as the United States and the UK in November. Considering its specifications it offers and many believe that it will directly compete with the latest sensation from Apple, the iPhone 4S.

Apple sold 4 million units of the iPhone 4S in the first three days, the highest ever for an iPhone. Will the Samsung Nexus Prime do much better?

Apple on Oct. 12 finally released the iPhone 4S, which sports a 3.5-inch screen; an 8-megapixel, 1080p high-definition camera; an A5 dual-core chip processor that is seven times faster than the graphics processor in the iPhone 4; 512 MB of RAM; two antennae to transmit and receive data; CDMA and GSM connectivity; 8 hours of 3G talk-time; and new applications like Siri and Find My Friends. Siri is a voice-recognition system that turns the device into a hands-free personal assistant. The iPhone 4S uses the iOS 5 platform.

With iOS 5 boasting 200 new features, Apple says it is taking "a mobile operating system that was already years ahead of anything else and moving it even further ahead." Among others, the new features for iOS 5 include a revamp on its notification system; integration with iCloud, the new storage service of Apple; a new messaging service for all i-gadgets; and full integration with Twitter.

Is the Galaxy Nexus for real? Specs-wise it could go toe-to-toe with Apple.

But while Google is a genius when it comes to search algorithms, it doesn't have a brilliant history in marketing new products. Apple on the other hand has a brand known for providing sleek, beatifully designed and revolutionary products.

An iPhone 4S killer? Dream On!