Samsung Galaxy Nexus to launch in the UK on 17 November

Samsung is to launch the Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the UK on 17 November, the first device running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, as the firm aims to challenge the success of Apple's iPhone 4S.

The handset has a 4.65in Super Amoled HD screen with a resolution of 1,280x720, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and the choice of 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.

The 135g smartphone also includes a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with LED Flash, zero shutter lag and full HD recording capabilities.

Near field communication (NFC), HSPA+ and LTE connectivity are all provided, and buyers can share content using the NFC-enabled Android Beam app. The Galaxy Nexus also features face recognition technology for locking and unlocking the device.

Samsung has not officially set the price of the Nexus, but Amazon is offering a 16GB SIM-free model for £550, making it £50 more expensive than the 16GB iPhone 4S.

O2 and Phones4U have confirmed that they will offer subsidised handsets, but pricing has yet to be announced.

V3 managed to get its hands on the Galaxy Nexus at a launch event on Thursday to see the highly anticipated new Android operating system in action.

Samsung will also launch the Galaxy Note hybrid smartphone/tablet in the UK on 2 November. The device boasts a 5.3in WXGA Super Amoled screen with 1,280x800 resolution, and is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor.

One of the Galaxy Note's key selling points is the S-Pen stylus, which allows users to interact with documents and images, and jot down memos.

The device comes preloaded with Android Gingerbread 2.3, but Samsung plans to roll out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update shortly after release.

Carphone Warehouse, O2 and Phones4U have all confirmed that they will stock the Galaxy Note, but there is no word on pricing at present.

V3 also got the chance to see the Galaxy Note in action on Thursday, and Samsung was keen to show off the capabilities of the S-Pen stylus.