A number of Android smartphones have already shipped with near field communication (NFC) and have already taken advantage of the applications of this technology with Google Wallet and Android Beam. However, it appears that Apple is also planning to include this capability in the next-generation iPhone.

The 5th of November is a very important for the Google Android OS  because the open source operating system was launched on this momentous date five years ago. It also appears that Google is working to ensure that the fifth anniversary for Android will be big one. 

According to the folks at TalkAndroid, Google is planning to introduce five new Nexus devices on November 5th as part of the celebration for the operating system's fifth Birthday.

HTC revealed the smartphones that will get the ICS update last March. The old list contained the brand names of the handsets and was scant on details. However, the manufacturer has updated the list to include the tentative months for arrival of the updates.

Google is now the proud new owner of Motorola Mobility, an acquisition that was made known in August of last year.

Larry Page, the CEO of Google CEO, has announced that his company has successfully purchased Motorola Mobility after overcoming regulatory hurdles.

Waiting to get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for your Samsung smartphone? Well, here's a bit of news that might lift your spirits. The manufacturer's list of phones and tablets to be updated to the coveted OS has been posted via its support web sites. Check out the list after the break.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has already been available for the US market for several months. However, Sprint also plans to offer the first ICS handset as one of its initial 4G LTE handsets. This upcoming Sprint smartphone is expected to offer Google Wallet using NFC (Near Field Technology) technology among its main attractions.

The carrier has decided to release an official video to showcase this feature to folks who are waiting for the arrival of the Sprint Galaxy Nexus. Check out the video below:

Here's some good news for the owners of Sony Ericsson 2011 Xperia phones. The schedule for the Android Ice Cream Sandwich updates for these phones has been announced. The phones will receive the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update from the end of March to the beginning of May 2012. 

The Android operating system has grown significantly since the T-Mobile G1 was launched on October 22, 2008. Google's mobile OS has now grown to a point that more than 700,000 Android devices are activated each day. 

Google’s Andy Rubin recently boasted this number on his Google+ account. At the current rate, it is estimated that new Android device additions may top 1 million units a day by the end of Q2 2012.

It appears that November will be a big month for the Android OS as both the DROID Razr and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will arrive next month. The first smartphone to run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS will hit the US (initially be available as an exclusive on Verizon Wireless) and European markets sometime in November. The handset's release on other global markets will happen at a later date.

As revealed by previous leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch 1280 x 720-pixel Super AMOLED HD display with curved glass face, and a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU with 1GB of RAM.