Google confirms Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Nexus 3

Google’s Andy Rubin has confirmed that we will indeed be seeing a new Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Nexus 3

Published on May 13, 2011

Fresh off the back of Google’s I/O 2011 event we have some news regarding a new Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Nexus smartphone.

Apparently, there is one on the way – although there’s no confirmed release date. We did a rather speculative article yesterday regarding a new Nexus handset, which we reckon should surface after the iPhone 5 is released, and named some of the specs we’d expect Google to include.

Obviously, the device will be the first handset to carry Google’s brand new Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Google says the new OS will launch in Q4 of 2011, so expect the Nexus 3 to follow soon after.

News of the confirmation comes via Android and Me who spoke with Google’s Andy Rubin at I/O 2011:

Andy told the publication this: ‘the Nexus has been the thing that we used to set the bar, and there's always going to be new ones coming out in the market…we'll make an announcement at some point in the future.’

But that’s not all. Way back at MWC 2011, Rubin also claimed that each new version of Google’s Android operating system would be accompanied by a new handset.

HTC made the Nexus One, Samsung the Nexus S and early reports suggest that LG is poised to make the next one.

Thing is, after the recent LG Optimus 2X debacle we can’t help thinking maybe Google should just stick with Samsung – the Nexus S was a fantastic device.