Google are rumoured to be announcing several (five?) new Nexus devices in October/November this year[1].

I'll probably buy my first Android device when they do. As a long-time iPhone user, the Android device market has been utterly bewildering to me. It took me a while to discover that the Nexus handsets were the only ones that (a) offered the naked/unskinned Android experience and (b) received Android updates from Google directly independent of network provider schedules (I think?).

Allowing handset manufacturers to skin the Android UI and bolt on their own wacky additions, then letting carriers determine when updates are provided has diluted and confused the Android handset marketplace, in my opinion. As an end-user, it is not just a choice between hardware; I also have to work out which manufacturer has 'reinterpreted' the Android UI, and which carrier will let me update the phone. (And I still haven't worked out how OS updates work if I buy a second-hand device off contract.) It can be wonderful to have such choice, but the Android phone market is far more confusing than the iPhone one.

[1]: http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/15/3022682/google-direct-sale...

Isn't the Galaxy Nexus $350 or so right now? It's a steal for a phone this great. I'm in love with mine.

Exactly the hidden issue here is whether you will have the newest version of Android or just be stuck on an old version. People are even still selling ICS capable phones with Android 2.3 today.

I might turn out to be mistaken, but I also have some level of confidence that Motorola's commitment to prompt Android upgrades will be considerably higher than it has been in the past. So for Verizon users especially, this should open up several possible additional models.

Actually the more relevant news for the HN crowd is the new Nexus phone user agent.

http://pocketnow.com/2012/09/16/galaxy-nexus-plus-rumor/

I don't get this. The S III has much better specs then the Nexus and with CyanogenMod 10 it runs great. Why is the Nexus so special other then being a AOSP phone? Also, camera sucks I hear

AFAIK, google's update for ICS to JB is only available in Goolge Nexus till now. So Samsung S3/2 will get updates probably a bit later. :)

But again, install CyanogenMod 10 and you have Jelly Bean, pretty much stock. I still don't see the draw

> install CyanogenMod 10

This bit is the problem. I don't jailbreak a device before I am ready to throw it away. I've seen too many issues with non-official hacks of various sorts. Nothing major; just rough edges.

Samsung made it really easy to install Cyanogenmod on Galaxy phones.

They even provide an official tool for rooting.

There's pretty much no chance of bricking your phone, and if you go with a stable CM build, you shouldn't have any problems.

There isn't (yet) a great version of CM10 or any AOSP based rom out for the S3:

http://get.cm/?device=i9300&type=stable

... while the Galaxy Nexus has already gotten its OTA update. Closest I've found is the SuperNexus ROM, but even that's still glitchy.

AOSP.