Google’s quest to become more than a search engine kicked into high gear this week with the announcement of a new phone and an innovative operating system. Check out Google’s new offerings below.

Nexus S
The Nexus S is Google’s follow-up to the popular Nexus One, and they tout the phone as a pure Android experience—withholding any customization common to other Droid phones.
The Nexus S ranks among the higher end smartphones, with impressive tech specs, including a speedy processor, crystal-clear screen and 512 MB of RAM for running multiple apps and games. It also has a five megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video chat. Unique features include a Contour display [a slightly curved screen, which Google says is more comfortable when held to your face]; a gyroscope for gaming; and Near Field Communication [NFC], which allows the phone to communicate with devices nearby, such as an ATM or credit card machine. The NFC is limited at the moment, but its possibilities are enormous. Expect this to be a standard feature of phones in the future.
On top of the new hardware, the Nexus S includes the latest version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an updated OS that brings user interface refinements, a new and improved keyboard, enhanced copy and paste, and better gaming—plus a few other tweaks that make this a welcome update to the Android OS.
The Nexus S will be available Dec. 16 for $199 with a contract from T-Mobile.

Chrome OS
Following its success with Android, Google is attempting to change the definition of a computer operating system. Instead of a large and complicated OS, which tends to become bloated and slow over time, Google decided to make a lightweight OS based off of a web browser.
Google highlights six pillars of the OS—speed, sync, connectivity, security, updates and apps. Here are some highlights:
Speed: Chrome OS boots up quickly and resumes instantly from sleep. It also avoids slowing down over time by storing all files on Google’s servers.
Sync: All your settings, apps and documents are stored on Google’s servers, so you’ll always have access to your profile from any Chrome computer.
Connectivity: Includes Wi-Fi and 100 MB of free 3G data from Verizon Wireless for two years.
Apps: Web apps, available from the Chrome Web Store, are stored on a tab with icons similar to those on a smartphone or iPad.  However, the apps are accessed via the web instead of being installed, which helps to maintain speed, storage and battery life.
Initially, Google will test the OS with the Cr-48 laptop, which they will send out to developers. Expect to see the first Chrome OS laptops in 2011.
Source:  Engadget, Google
Photos:  Samsung, Engadget