Galaxy S3-like Galaxy Nexus 2 smartphone shown in Google+ promo video?

A couple of days ago we got another Galaxy Nexus 2 rumor for you – the device was spotted on Carphone Warehouse’s site (the device trade-in section) – at which time we took the opportunity to tell you everything we think we know about upcoming Samsung smartphone.

At the time we noted that there aren’t any leaked pictures available for the handset and we wondered whether the GT-I9260 will look like its predecessor, the original Galaxy Nexus, or whether it will borrow from the design lines of its 2012 brethren, the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
Moreover, earlier today a new Nexus-related rumor suggested that it’s LG that’s going to release a flagship Nexus handset, just as it was revealed a few days ago, thus confirming that the new Galaxy Nexus version will not necessarily be a flagship device.
These are all rumors mixed with speculation from the media, but now that the table is set we can show you a new Google+ video that was published on the Google YouTube channel earlier today. The short clip (just over a minute in length) is just what you’d expect from Google, yet another plug to its growing social network. The video, entitled “Google+ for Android” shows us what Google+ looks and feels like on an Android device.
Before you get bored by the selfless promotion, we’ll point out an interesting thing: the video doesn’t feature just one handset – the Galaxy Nexus, which happens to be Google’s latest Nexus-branded handset – but an extra device which clearly isn’t the Galaxy Nexus.
Is it the Galaxy S3? Is it the Galaxy Nexus 2? Is it a Galaxy Nexus 2 that’s based on the Galaxy S3 when it comes to design choices?

Check out the video again starting at the 0:03 minute mark and stopping after just over 2 seconds. You’ll see the following handset in the girl’s hand. The position of the headphone jack – on the top of the device – combined with the position of the rear camera and the Pebble Blue hue make us believe that we’re looking at a Galaxy S3. But why would Google promote the flagship device of Samsung in its Google+ video? Why not just stick with showing the Galaxy Nexus, which, even though it’s still a Samsung-made device, it’s Google’s third Nexus smartphone.

Galaxy S3 top side – notice the headphone jack

Moving past the 0:05 minute mark you’d be tempted to say that once Google shows us the front of the device it reveals the fact that this Galaxy S3 does not have a home button, therefore it must be a new device. But that’s not really so. In fact, it looks like this is where the Galaxy Nexus steps in to do the demo. The Galaxy Nexus shows up all the way from 0:05 to 0:59, Nexus 7 not included.

Galaxy Nexus bottom side – notice the headphone jack

You’ll notice that Google shows the Galaxy Nexus in action for the better part of a minute. Even the girl that initially appears to hold a Galaxy S3 now plays with the Galaxy Nexus. But then again she changed outfits as well, so maybe she decided to accessorize with the right handset, but I digress. The characteristic battery cover with Google branding can be easily spotted right alongside the teardrop shape and the absence of a headphone jack on the top of the device.
But then, at the 1:00 minute mark a somehow different device appears, a Pebble Blue-ish one that looks like a Galaxy Nexus. There’s no Home button, but we have no idea what else is different, as we’re only shown the front side. And that front side is partly lying. We did notice that the volume keys and the on/off switch are inverted, and the same goes for the camera position. We grabbed a screenshot of the phone,  flipped that image vertically, then rotated the images to present them in portrait mode and this is what we ended up with:

Original image (left) vs Flipped image (right), both in portrait mode

The After image (on the right) shows us a Pebble Blue-ish device that looks like the original Galaxy Nexus, doesn’t it? But then the buttons are clearly not in the right position, are they? Did Google really have to mess up the clip when editing it? Here’s how the phone appears in the video:

Then, after the 1:03 minute mark we move back to the regular Galaxy Nexus. So what are we to think? Here are some hypotheses:

•  Google screwed up the video by mistake, by combining images of the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Nexus in the first part of the video. In such a case the device shown at the end is especially annoying, as the image has been clearly tampered with.
•  The Galaxy Nexus 2 is purposely hinted at in the video, without Google wanting to necessarily reveal it. That would explain the combination of images that we mentioned above, although the handset shown at the end is still rather puzzling.

The first explanation seems more plausible, although we’re just speculating at this point. Are we seeing things that aren’t there? What do you think about the whole thing? Were you able to notice anything else that may have escaped us?
Thanks, tipster!

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