Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone running Android 4.0 (also known as Ice Cream Sandwich), will be available through Canadian wireless carriers starting Dec. 7 and is already shipping in the U.K.. Verizon Wireless still hasn't announced a release date for the device in U.S.
Bloggers are saying that the Galaxy Nexus will be available in the U.S. at about the same time that Bell and Virgin Mobile begin selling it in Canada.
Bell announced on Monday that it will begin selling the Galaxy Nexus on Dec. 8 for $159.95 (Canadian) with a service agreement. Virgin Mobile said it would start shipping the Samsung smartphone on Dec. 7 for $159.99 (Canadian) with an agreement.
A Verizon spokeswoman said the company didn't have a ship date for the smartphone. Google, developer of the Android platform, said it had no comment beyond saying that Verizon is the U.S. carrier.
Verizon has previously said the Galaxy Nexus will run on its 4G LTE network. Some reviewers, including Computerworld's JR Raphael, have tested the device on T-Mobile USA's HSPA+ network.
Google and various carriers have touted the Galaxy Nexus's 1.2GHz dual-core processor and its 4.65-in. touchscreen, which is larger than the screens on nearly every other smartphone.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen, or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.