A faster browser.

Near-field communications (NFC) capabilities with "Android Beam", which allows users to touch phones to swap apps, maps and videos.

Software "buttons" replace nearly all hardware buttons.

A better "soft" keyboard.

Read the blog from Google SVP of mobile, Andy Rubin, on the updates.

The lead device using Android 4.0 is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Features include a 4.65-inch contour display and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor over either 4G LTE or HSPA+ 3G wireless.

You can view the entire launch presentation below:



The Galaxy Nexus will launch in November. The Samsung phone follows hard on the heels of other top-flight smartphones such as the iPhone 4S and the DROID RAZR 4G. (See Photos: Moto Gets Skinny With 4G RAZR and Photos: Apple iPhone 4S Launch Day.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile