Samsung and LG make Google’s Nexus devices

The Nexus 10 tablet, left, and the Nexus 4 smartphone are shown at a Google function in San Francisco, Monday. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean electronics giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics yesterday unveiled new mobile devices to be sold by Google under its Nexus brand, a move that is expected to help the two manufacturers gain market share and the search giant bolster its Android operating system.

Samsung unveiled a 10.1-inch Nexus 10 tablet PC, while LG announced a 4.7-inch Nexus 4 smartphone, the two companies said in separate statements. Both are powered by Google’s latest Jelly Bean operating system. While Samsung has previously made smartphones for Google’s Nexus brand, this is LG’s first collaboration with the U.S. search giant, whose Android platform is competing against Apple’s iOS.

According to projections by technology research firm Gartner, iOS is expected to command 44 percent of the tablet PC market next year, while Android takes up 40 percent. In the smartphone market, iOS is forecast to claim 23.1 percent of the market, while Android captures 57.9 percent.

The high-end Nexus 10 tablet PC carries the world’s first 300 pixel-per-inch display and supports enhanced connectivity features that enable Wi-Fi speed three to four times faster than existing modules, according to Samsung.

The device runs on Samsung’s dual-core processor and comes with a 9,000 milliampere-hour battery and near-field communication antennas that support data transaction and mobile payments. The model follows the Nexus 7 tablet PC, Google’s first low-end tablet PC made by Taiwanese manufacturer Asus.

The Nexus 4 phone runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor which runs faster than existing chips, according to LG. The phone also comes with new user functions, such as a “Photo Sphere” function that allows users to take 360-degree images, the company said.

The Nexus 4 phone will be available at online Google Play stores in the United States, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and China, while the Nexus 10 tablet PC will go on sale on the same date at Google Play stores in the U.S., Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and Japan, according to the official Google blog.

Yonhap