Samsung and Google announced the Galaxy Nexus device, which is set to be the first smartphone running the latest release of the Android platform – Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0).

The new platform is said to bring “an entirely new look and feel” to Android, with a redesigned user interface and improved multitasking, WiFi hotspot, NFC support and full web browsing experience.

The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65-inch screen, and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor. It includes HSPA+ connectivity, and an LTE version will also be available “depending on the region.”

Ice Cream Sandwich is designed to unite the previously separate Android platforms for smartphones and tablets – Gingerbread and Honeycomb respectively. Google said that it has “created a new font that’s optimised for HD displays and eliminated all hardware buttons in favour of adaptable software buttons.”

Features supported by the device include Android Beam, which uses NFC to share webpages, and Face Unlock, which uses face recognition technology to control access to the device. The device will deliver a “pure Google” experience, with integrated support for services including Android Market, Gmail, Google Maps 5.0 with 3D maps and turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar, and a redesigned Google+ app.

Andy Rubin, SVP of Mobile for Google, said:  “Ice Cream Sandwich demonstrates the Android platform’s continued innovation with one release that works on phones and tablets and everything in between. Features like Android Beam and Face Unlock show the innovative work our team is doing, and Galaxy Nexus showcases the power behind Ice Cream Sandwich.”

The Galaxy Nexus will be available in the US, Europe, and Asia from November, and will “gradually be rolled out to other global markets” after this.

In a blog post, Google noted that this weekend marks the third anniversary of the HTC-made G1 device, which was the first Android phone. Nine platform releases later, it said that more than 550,000 Android devices are activated daily.