2:16 pm
Jack
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus runs Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Google's Android software, said Matias Duarte, Google's senior director. Samsung will start sales next month. No price was disclosed. The Samsung handset is Google's latest salvo in the battle to control the $207 billion mobile-phone market.
Apple's iPhone 4S sold a record more than 4 million units in three days last week, helped by the addition of voice-recognition features in the company's iOS software. "In terms of technology and functionality, it's hard to find a big difference between Android and iOS anymore," said Kang Yoon Hum, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. in Seoul. "They are neckand-neck." Google and Apple are racing to upgrade their technology to lure users of smartphones.
Mountain View, California-based Google controlled 43.4% of that market in the second quarter, while Apple's iPhone had an 18.2% share. In Ice Cream Sandwich, the face detection technology is being introduced as a safety feature. Still, that "opens up a lot of possibilities," said Wouter De Meulemeester, a director at IRIS, a Belgian company that provides such technology. Applications such as photo-sorting can be developed, he said after attending the event.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 4S earlier this month featuring a new camera and a faster processor. The device is capable of detecting up to 10 faces while taking a photograph, according to Cupertino, California--based Apple's website. The phone features the Siri voice assistant that marks calendars.
