Samsung Nexus Prime to be a World Phone? Report Says FCC Approves GSM Version

A rendering of the Galaxy Nexus — A press conference will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 19 (Hong Kong time) where it is expected that Google and Samsung will reveal the Android Ice Cream Sandwich and the Nexus Prime. Screenshot/YouTube/Samsung Mob

At a time when rumors are rife that Google and Samsung's imminent smartphone Nexus Prime or Galaxy Nexus is going to be launched on Oct. 27 after its scheduled launch on Tuesday got postponed, new reports have emerged stating that it has passed through the FCC earning approval for a world enabled version.

A TmoNews report, based on a FCC document, has revealed that Google and Samsung's upcoming smartphone with GSM is possible. Despite indications in the past few weeks that the Nexus Prime will be a Verizon exclusive in the U.S., the report suggested that a GSM version with AWS on board is likely supporting traditional SIM cards.

This GSM version, known as the Samsung GT-i9250 supports AT&T world bands as well as T-Mobile's 1700 AWS band allowing for the possibility of a T-Mobile supported model, said the report.

Yes, the Samsung unpacked event, initially scheduled on Tuesday, is delayed. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the actual launch and release date of the newest Nexus smartphone has also been delayed. It's possible that Samsung will unleash the phone with the latest Android version, Ice Cream Sandwich, before Thanksgiving.

The Rumored Features

According to the growing rumors, the Nexus Prime or Galaxy Nexus will the first phone to run Android 4.0, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich. The latest version of the Android OS is a hybrid of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Unlike Gingerbread and Honeycomb -- exclusively for phones and tablets, respectively -- the Ice Cream Sandwich is a single build for both phones and tablets.

As per the information provided by an unattributed source to BGR, the 9mm thin Nexus Prime will feature a Texas Instruments OMAP4460 processor - a dual-core, Cortex A9 chip that is expected to run at 1.2 GHz. It will come with 1 GB of RAM and 32 GB of built-in storage.

The Nexus Prime is expected to have a 4.65-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD curved glass display. There would be a 1.3-megapixel camera in the front and a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080P video would be in the rear.

The Nexus Prime, with internal wireless connectivity running up to Wireless-N, is expected to sport a 1,750 mAh battery. The phone will also have LTE/HSPA support depending on carrier, according to the BGR report. There is no information available yet regarding its actual standby time, talk time or heavy-use time.

The Nexus Prime also has near-field communications support, which Apple hasn't embraced in its iPhone 4S. NFC allows for simplified transactions, data exchange and connections with a touch. A smartphone or tablet with an NFC chip could make a credit-card payment or serve as keycard or ID card.