Google And Samsung Announce October 11 Event: Nexus Prime Imminent

It looks like the wait for the elusive Nexus Prime may soon be over. Samsung has just started sending out invites for a special Samsung/Google event that’s being held on October 11 at 11:30 AM in San Diego. The topic isn’t listed, but the invitation says we’ll see “what’s new from Android”.

The Prime, which has been rumored for months but is still unconfirmed, is expected to be the first device running Ice Cream Sandwich — the next major Android update, which will unify for ‘mobile’ Gingerbread OS with ‘Tablet’ Honeycomb.

It’s also expected to be a beast specs-wise, with a dual-core processor, 4.5″ or 4.65″ screen, and 4G. Oh, and my favorite rumor: it’s supposed to be running on Verizon’s top-notch 4G network.

Google’s Nexus line of phones, which have included the Nexus One and Nexus S before now, are unique in that they come with ‘Vanilla’ Android, without any carrier or OEM modifications. They’re also typically the very first devices to get updates as they’re released by the Android team.

I’ve been using a Nexus One as my primary phone for nearly two years now and have also used the Nexus S extensively — both of them have been excellent, and I’m not expecting the Prime to disappoint (though I am a bit concerned by the rumored huge screen size).

Aside from the Nexus Prime, the event may well feature other Samsung-made Android devices — perhaps we’ll see a Nexus tablet as well.