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After a bit of a wait, the Apple iPhone 5 will be launched in the Philippines on December 14, 2012. Apple announced this earlier today in its website. Globe Telecom is already taking pre-order at this link.

Rumor is Google will be building three Nexus phones this year, which should be on sale be the end of the year. One Nexus, to be built by Sony, is rumored to be focus on the camera. A second Nexus, to be built by LG is said to be a waterproof and dust proof Nexus phone. The the third, well it would be the successor of the Google Galaxy Nexus, and is rumored to be built by Samsung.

Windows Phone 8 devices now match the specifications of high end Android phones. The new 4-inch Apple iPhone 5 basically matches the specifications of what a high end 4-inch Android would be like (if high end 4-inch Android phones were still constructed, the smallest high end Android phones these days are 4.3-inches). What should Google do with its next Galaxy Nexus S?

Where Google should maintain the status quo.

4.65-inch display. The 4.65 inch display of the Google Galaxy Nexus, with the onscreen keys is about the equivalent of a 4.4-inch display with dedicated hardware buttons. It is not a monster phone anymore by current Android standards These days, 4.7 to 4.8 inch displays with dedicated hardware buttons are the new Android monster phones. Google could come out with a 5-inch phone with dedicates software keys. This would essentially be a Samsung Galaxy S III with on-screen keys. But I think Google should leave the monster smartphone clash to its OEMs. The large a phone gets, the more it serves a niche market. 

Instead Google should focus on building a slightly smaller frame around its current 4.65-inch display. Cut 1-2 mm from the width, and 2-4 mm from the height, and give the same sized display in a smaller package. 

1GB of RAM. The Google Galaxy Nexus already has 1 GB of RAM. It could go to 2 GBs just to upstage the Apple iPhone 5 and it Windows Phone rivals. To me this would make little sense. A Nexus phone runs vanilla Android. Much lighter than the OEM versions with TouchWiz, Sense or other interface which eat more RAM. 

The Android OS should not evolve to something that needs more than 512 GB of RAM for at least the next version (Key Lime Pie) and not more than 1 GB of RAM for the 2014 version of Android. Google should keep its next Nexus to just 1 GB of RAM. Google should leave the 2 GB frontier to its OEM partners.

The processor. While you now have quad core Kraits and ARM Cortex-A15s being available, for the same reason that Googles Galaxy Nexus need not have 2 GB of RAM, it also does not have to come with the most spectacular processor. The Qualcomms S4 with its dual core Kraits in would be a fine option. If Samsung or Nvidia can get an on-chip LTE solution in their chipsets on time, a Exynos quad or quad core Tegra 3, a quad core chip would be a strong marketing point, though not necessarily better than an Qualcomm S4.

The cheap feeling case. Whether you make a case from aluminum or plastic or some other premium quality material, if you want to remove the last trace of creak in a case, it is easy remove the battery cover. But Android owners expect a user replaceable battery, and a bit of creak is worth having the option to replace batteries or replace it with an extended battery.

So basically, what I am describing here so far is a Google Galaxy Nexus with an updated processor in a trimmed down package. But there are some area where Google should make substantial changes, to one up the competition.

As many of you already know the Galaxy S III is the most popular android phone out there now and the Samsung brand is widely know. Motorola in the other hand is one of the android manufacturers which are not so popular but that is going to change as Google has recently bought it and stay tuned for next year to see some effect take on. Today, Motorola on their website and facebook page has uploaded some comparisons between the Droid Razr HD and the Galaxy S III. These include a battery life comparison, build quality, design and 4G LTE speed. The one i most favor is the internet speed test where the catch phrase is "its not easy. 

This year has been a pretty rough year for Nokia and their stocks also hit a 14 year low. In the opposing side with Samsung, they are pretty much doing the opposite of Nokia by increasing the number of sales. The preliminary forecast rankings for the top cell phones manufacturers in 2012 is now out and for the first time in 14 years, Nokia steps down from the #1 spot with Samsung taking its place. The date shows that Samsung is expected to account for 29% of total cell phone sales and accounting 28% of the total smartphone sales. Nokia in the other hand is expected to account for 24% of total cell phones with only a mere 5% of the total smartphone sales. As the smartphone rage continues Apple and Samsung smartphones account for nearly 50% of the market with the other manufacturers having only a small piece.