Hands on: White Google Nexus S

The White Nexus S
The White Nexus S

All of those of you that wanted an upgraded Google Nexus S - your wish has been granted, if you consider a new colour an upgrade.

TechRadar got a little look at the new handset on test, and if you're in the market for something different when it comes to a new mobile, then the White Nexus S will at least set you apart.

First impressions make it feel like all Google and Samsung have done is chuck a while plastic cover on the back of the phone, but thankfully it's a little more than that.

White nexus s

White nexus s

Firstly, the whole inside of the phone is now white when you pop the cover off, as well as the extraneous buttons - and these are the things that are actually different on view when you consider the differences between the white and black version.

White nexus s

White nexus s

Sat side by side, you probably wouldn't notice the difference between the two phones from the front, with the same 4-inch Super AMOLED screen on offer. We have no idea why the front isn't also white - we can only assume this messes with the colour perception in some way, as the dual tone looks odd.

White nexus s

White nexus s

We put the black plastic cover on the back of the white Nexus S (there's not a lot else you can do when taking pictures of a new cover) so you can see the difference.

White nexus s

White nexus s

Another key difference, and in our eyes an upgrade, is the back is no longer glossy plastic but a slightly mottled exterior making it easier to hold.

White nexus s

White nexus s

Other than that, the two phones are identical. there's no official White Google Nexus S UK release date, but expect to see the phone sometime in April.

It should be landing on the same £30 a month (ish) tariff as its black brethren on Vodafone - at least now you can decide which version suits you better.

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.