From the Novus Vault
- Apr 30
- 1 min read
For nearly two decades, we’ve been building one of the world’s most extensive interoperability libraries—collecting some truly iconic devices along the way. Now, we’re opening up the ‘Device Vault’ to share them with you.
This week’s feature: the Samsung Nexus S — a landmark Android device that helped define Google’s vision for the platform, featuring a curved display, pure Android experience, and early NFC support. It represents a pivotal shift toward simplicity, openness, and the modern Android ecosystem we know today.
FEATURED THIS WEEK: Samsung Nexus S
RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2010 (US; Nexus S line)
Highlights
First handset to ship with Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”.
One of the first Android phones with NFC supported in both hardware and software.
Pure Google experience with unlockable bootloader (carrier variant dependent).
Significance
Helped establish NFC on Android and reinforced Google’s “reference” device strategy before Pixel.
Specifications
Body
Dimensions: 123.9 × 63.0 × 10.88 mm
Weight: 129 g
Display
Type: Super Super AMOLED
Size: 4.0 in
Resolution: 480 x 800
Platform
OS: Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread)
Chipset: Samsung Exynos 3 Single 3110
Comms
WLAN: Wi‑Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA
Bluetooth: 2.1 + A2DP
