Android Tablet Update

My name is Taylor Wimberly and I’m an unhappy Verizon customer. Five months ago I walked into a Verizon store, purchased two Galaxy Nexus phones, and ported my numbers over from T-Mobile. I knew there was a strong chance I might regret that decision, but I wanted to try out Google’s flagship smartphone on America’s largest wireless carrier.

Google bent over backwards to get their flagship device on Verizon’s network so we thought they would provide a stellar experience. However, I found the entire experiment to be a big failure and I wish I could go back in time to purchase the unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexus and stick with T-Mobile.

Verizon and Google originally planned to launch the Galaxy Nexus back in October, but numerous bugs were discovered and the launch date was pushed back multiple times. On December 15th, Verizon finally released the Galaxy Nexus to retail stores, bugs still present, and issued a small patch on that same day to address some of the issues.

Unfortunately, the patch from Android 4.0.1 to 4.0.2 only addressed a small number of issues and the Galaxy Nexus was left with a good chunk of annoying bugs.

We were told that Verizon and Google were already working together on another update to address the complaints from those of us that rushed out to purchase the device, and we believed them. But never in our wildest dreams did we think that five months would pass and Verizon would still not release a software update to fix all the known issues.

I’ve already covered the bugs and Google has fixed the majority of them with the latest Android 4.0.4 update. The disappointing thing is that Verizon has been testing this update since February, but they have not rolled it out to customers yet.

We reached out to Verizon to get to the bottom of the delay and they told us they needed more time to make sure the software update “won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.”

I’m fully aware I could hack my phone and flash one of the test builds which would end my misery, but I decided to stick with the official Verizon software build so I could endure the same experience that the average subscriber would see on their device.

For all we know Verizon could announce tomorrow that a new software update is finally available for their Galaxy Nexus, but the public image of this device is now forever tarnished and I would no longer recommend that any Verizon customer purchase it.

Drive-by Conclusions

In my five months with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, I have learned some interesting things:

• The process in which US carriers update the software on their Android phones is completely broken, and Google knows this.
• The average Android phone ships with numerous bugs and it could take your wireless carrier half a year to fix them.
• Most Android users don’t hack their phones, and they have a shitty experience.
• Google’s solution to this whole problem is to just buy a phone directly from them.

At the end of the day, I’m still glad that I got to experience being a Verizon customer. Their in-store staff and phone support is top tier, and I understand there is nothing they can do to fix the problem with Android updates. They offered me the chance to switch to a different smartphone, but I think I’m better off paying the $300 early termination fee and returning to an unlocked device.

Maybe Google will fundamentally change the way that Android devices are updated, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. In the mean time it appears that only a Google backed device should expect regular updates, but even that’s not certain.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is an amazing phone, but customers who purchased the Verizon version have not been too happy with the device because of a number of bugs. After nearly 5 months of waiting, it appears that Verizon could be close to releasing a software update that resolves many of the known issues that users have been complaining about.

Verizon customers with the Galaxy Nexus are still running Android 4.0.2 (unless they hacked their device), while most other Galaxy Nexus models have already moved on to Android 4.0.4. The latest update included over 100 changes and fixed many of the annoying bugs that people were complaining about.

This week several lucky Verizon subscribers started reporting that their device received an upgrade to Android 4.0.4 over the air. This latest software package included a build number, IMM76K, that was newer than the Android 4.0.4 build that Verizon was testing back in February.

Several persistent hackers were able to discover the download URL for the update package, but Google quickly pulled it down after it leaked out. There are instructions floating around all over the web if you want to try and manually flash it, but keep in mind this might not be the final version that goes out to all Verizon customers. I have decided not to hack my Galaxy Nexus because I want to share the voice of the average Verizon subscriber who has no clue what flashing is.

We recently reached out to Verizon to see if they could provide us a statement on the software upgrade for the Galaxy Nexus and we finally received something we could share.

All updates are a result of work with our hardware and software partners and have to be tested on our network just like our phones. When they are ready we push them to handsets but we don’t do that until we are absolutely certain they won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.Company RepresentativeVerizon

Based on that statement it appears that Verizon might be testing a new update with a small group of devices. We don’t know when the broad rollout will begin, but Verizon has a good track record of letting the online media know when new software updates are available.

As we reported last week, a Google employee said they were “very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere.”

It’s unfortunate that Verizon customers had to put up with a device that randomly reboots daily, has multitouch issues, drops call, and suffers from poor battery life, but at least help is on the way.

Going forward, Verizon and Sprint customers should get used to the fact that their Galaxy Nexus devices will likely lag behind the GSM version by at least a month when it comes to new updates.

It might not be that big of an issue after this Android 4.0.4 update is out and fixes most of the known bugs, but it could be annoying when your friends on AT&T and T-Mobile are enjoying Android 5.0, and you are stuck waiting on your carrier to approve the update.

Look for an update as soon as we hear the official update is going live.

If you have an Android device with Sprint and have been waiting on an update to Android 4.0, then listen up. Today Sprint released a statement which read, “Sprint will begin to roll out Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, to our customers in 2012. Ice Cream Sandwich will be available via an over-the-air update to a variety of devices including Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and Nexus S 4G and other key products in our line-up. Stay tuned for more details and exact timing.”

Some might find it odd that Sprint would not mention the EVO 3D by name, but HTC has already confirmed that the device should see Android 4.0 later this year.

Sprint and Google began pushing out Android 4.0 to the Nexus S 4G earlier this month, but we have no time frame for when it will hit other devices. Given the recent speed at which updates roll out, some Sprint customers might be waiting several more months before they see anything new.

At least a slow update schedule is still better than no update, right?

If you own the European HTC One X, you might want to go check for software updates. HTC just pushed out a new update over the air (OTA) that upgrades the firmware to version 1.28.401.9. We don’t have a full changelog yet, but we think this is the update that includes the fix that increases battery life by up to 20%.

Some press units of the HTC One X shipped with firmware 1.26, that had some issues with battery life and this was reflected poorly in some early reviews. HTC updated some devices to 1.27, which improved the battery life and fixed some bugs, and it’s nice to see an official OTA hit the European units now.

A quick check of the software settings shows this latest 1.28 update includes a new baseband version (1.1204.103.14) and new kernel (2.6.39.4-g86aa44d). The build date of the release is April 14th, so this is hot off the presses.

We hear that performance scores have also gone up in the latest software release, but we have yet to run it through all the benchmarks.

If you have the One X, let us know if you grab the latest update.

Though Verizon was the first U.S. carrier to offer an Android 4.0 device, they will be the second carrier to push out an Android 4.0 updates to a couple phones in their lineup. A leaked picture of Best Buy’s computer system shows that Verizon will be releasing the Android 4.0 OTA update for the Motorola DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX on April 4th, while the HTC Rezound will receive the update on April 6th.

In late January, we got a sneak peek at what Motorola’s Android 4.0 build would look like with their updated version of MotoBLUR. HTC’s Android 4.0 update will feature HTC Sense 3.6, similar to what we’ve seen on the HTC Vivid.

It’s encouraging to see Android 4.0 updates making their way to consumers’ handsets, but we’re only scratching the surface. HTC, Motorola, Samsung and others still have dozens of devices which are expected to be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich – a process that will most likely continue throughout the summer.

Do you plan on holding on to your current Android phone and waiting for your Android 4.0 update or will you move on to something new with Android 4.0 pre-installed?

Android software updates remind us of the NBA draft lottery system. You think a handful of teams have a good shot at winning the 1st round draft pick, but the results often surprise you.

When you hear that devices being upgraded from Android 2.x to Android 4.0.x are receiving a 66% performance boost and longer battery life, you get excited. “Wow, my phone might last an extra hour!”

Android 4.0 offers longer battery life.

But then you realize you don’t own the HTC Vivid, and your device will have to wait. People with unlocked phones started seeing an upgrade to Android 4.0.4 this week, which is a good sign that things are moving forward. However, around 95% of you still own a device with an operating system that was first introduced in 2010.

Carriers will tell you they are testing Android 4.0 and upgrades will be coming soon, and they are. A good portion of you with devices purchased in 2011 should see an update.

Verizon just announced 14 devices that will be upgraded to Android 4.0, AT&T named another 10 devices they were supporting, T-Mobile has it coming soon to multiple devices, and Sprint could sell their first Android 4.0 device as soon as April 15th.

So the good news is a large chunk of devices will eventually see a free boost in performance and longer battery life. And if you get tired of waiting, you can always buy a new phone (or just hack your old device).

Can't comment on software updates; Buy a new phone.

Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, or JBQ as he’s so lovingly called, has announced today that Android 4.0.4 is finally being pushed into the Android Open Source Project.

According to JBQ, Android 4.0.4 features “a few hundred changes over 4.0.3,” and it “matches the update that has been sent to a few devices since yesterday” (more on that below). As previously mentioned by Google, “files related to CDMA devices have not been tested in the context of AOSP.” There’s no solid timeframe for when 4.0.4 will reach all of the various Google Experience Devices out there, but some devices are already seeing the update.

The WiFi version of the Motorola Xoom has already been pushed the update, and an update file for the Nexus S has made available online.

That’s right, after months of waiting for Google to finally get their act together, an Android 4.0.4 update file for the Samsung Nexus S has finally been uploaded to Google’s servers, ready to be manually flashed over the botched update to Android 4.0.3.

Coming in at just 18MB, today’s update for the Nexus S is meant strictly for flashing over Android 4.0.3. It has been confirmed to work on both the i9023, and i9020-T (the T-Mobile Nexus S variant). There’s good reason to believe 4.0.4 should hit be available as an over the air update sooner than later, but if you don’t want to wait to receive it on your stock Nexus S, you can download it directly from Google now.

According to those who have successfully flashed the update to 4.0.4, it runs much smoother than 4.0.3, and features quite a few big fixes to well documented problems.

To check and see if your Xoom is ready for the update, simply head to Settings > About tablet. For GSM Nexus S users, check XDA for more info.

I’ve been running CM9 nightly builds on my Nexus S for quite some time now, but I may revert back to stock to see if the update fixes any major problems. Let us know if you’ve given the update a shot.

Update: Google just announced that Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, is rolling out to mutiple devices. The latest update includes “stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.” Some devices are seeing Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others are receiving updates from previous versions of Android 4.x.

More devices will be supported soon, but the first wave of devices includes:

• UMTS/GSM Nexus S
• Xoom WiFi
• HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus

Here is a story I didn’t think I would be writing a year ago. Google is disappointing a lot of Nexus S owners with their inconsistent software updates, as our very own Dustin pointed out earlier this month.

Now JR Raphael of Computer World has graded most of the major manufacturers on their promises to deliver Android 4.0 updates and the results confirm what others have been saying. Acer, Archos, ASUS, and HTC all received better grades than Google when it came to updating their devices to Android 4.0.

Even AT&T, once billed the worst carrier for Android users, rubbed salt in Nexus S owners’ wounds when it updated the HTC Vivid to Android 4.0 this week.

Last year at Google IO 2011, Google and their partners announced the Android Update Alliance to help speed up software updates, but it doesn’t appear to have had any effect. There have been a lack of updates about the alliance, which led some to write that it failed before it really started.

JR summed it up perfectly when he said, “While Google doesn’t tend to promise explicit upgrade dates for its devices, the company has trained us to know that its Nexus and ‘Google experience’ labels come with certain benefits, and early-and-often upgrades are at the top of that list. Worse yet, Google has stayed silent on the matter and given users no update on what’s going on.”

We have already covered the whole mess pretty extensively, so I don’t really have much to add to the matter. Hopefully Google will improve their communication with the Android community and let them know when to expect these updates.

Until then, what’s the point in owning a Nexus device (if you are not a developer)? Maybe as some have suggested, the Nexus series is coming to and end. But then again, the Sprint Galaxy Nexus has yet to be launched.

AT&T is the least popular wireless carrier in the US among Android fans, so it was a little bit of a surprise to see them issue an upgrade to Android 4.0 for the HTC Vivid earlier today. AT&T took the opportunity to too their own horn by saying, “HTC Vivid will be the first U.S. smartphone to receive Ice Cream Sandwich as an update and the first to be issued by a wireless carrier.”

Some of you might point out that the Samsung Nexus S on T-Mobile started to receive Android 4.0 last year, but that update came from Google and it was halted after some issues were discovered. Still, it’s pretty ironic that the AT&T HTC Vivid with Sense UI is being upgraded to Android 4.0 before the vast majority of Nexus S devices. Who saw that coming?

Android 4.0 will also be coming to 10 other devices in the coming months. The list includes:

• LG Nitro
• Motorola ATRIX 2
• Motorola ATRIX 4G
• Pantech Burst
• Pantech Element
• Samsung Captivate Glide
• Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

No one likes waiting for software updates, but at least AT&T is being forthcoming with the devices they plan to upgrade. This information is valuable to customers and our own buyer’s guides since it lets us know which devices will continue to receive software support.

If you are on AT&T, did your Android device make the cut?

We all expected the Samsung Galaxy Note to receive Android 4.0 in Q1, but unfortunately the software upgrade has been pushed back to sometime in Q2. Thankfully this major upgraded dubbed “Premium Suite” will include a lot more than just Ice Cream Sandwich.

Today Samsung shared a video that detailed all the new things coming to the Galaxy Note. The Premium Suite upgrade offers exclusive S Pen applications, enhanced multimedia features, and an Android 4.0 upgrade as expected. It will also unlock 30 Danger Zone levels in the new Angry Birds Space game.

“With the Premium Suite upgrade, we wanted to add features that enrich users’ Note experience even more, including the great advantages of Android 4.0 and innovative applications for S Pen,” said JK Shin, President of Samsung Mobile. “We are committed to providing extraordinary experiences for consumers, and we will continue to provide new features and upgrades to enrich our offering.”

As most of these things go, the exact availability and scheduling of the Premium Suite upgrade will vary by country and wireless carrier. Check out the preview video below for an idea of what to expect when it finally arrives.