Eric Schmidt shows off Nexus S, talks Gingerbread and NFC

The Google Nexus S is real - it was revealed by none other than Eric Schmidt himself. It"s got an AMOLED screen, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and NFC built in and it"s reportedly very thin. And that"s about all the info that Google"s CEO spilled - what a tease!

During a talk at the Web 2.0 Summit, the Google Nexus S made a special guest appearance. The manufacturer label was covered but the current rumors say it"s Samsung and that the phone is based on their Galaxy S line. However, Google"s CEO called it "an unannounced phone by an announced manufacturer", so it could be a new device altogether and it may as well dump the "S" moniker.

The Nexus S phone shown of by Eric Schmidt

The particular unit that Eric Schmidt was showing off ran on T-Mobile US network but the Nexus S should be available with other GSM bands as well, just like the Nexus One. It does run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which will launch in the coming weeks - and probably it will debut alongside the Nexus S.

As for the changes between versions 2.2 and 2.3, we"ve heard things like WebM support (Google"s own video format) and official tablet support with high resolution screens allowed.

Anyway, the Google Nexus S features NFC - Near Field Communication - a system that is aimed at replacing credit cards and other smart cards. Other companies have tried it (e.g. Nokia had a couple of NFC-enabled phones), but the tech never gained momentum.

The rest of the specs for the Nexus S are a mystery, but the screen is an AMOLED unit, probably a 4" one and the phone is reportedly very thin.

Here are a few more photos from a hands-on with the Samsung I9020, which supposedly is the real Nexus S (it does look very much like the phone that Eric Schmidt was holding.)

Hands-on photo with the Samsung I9020, which is allegedly the Nexus S

Check out the second photo from the Web 2.0 Summit talk and the third photo from the hands-on. It seems like the Nexus S has a chin.