Wireless N On the Nexus One, Could It Be?
| by Kevin Krause on April 22nd, 2010 |
Tear downs of the Nexus One revealed components capable of handling FM radio and Wireless N signals (the chip being the Broadcom BCM4329EKUBG to be exact). At least one of these protocols seems to be finding its way to the N1 in a set of updated drivers just released for Google’s handset. Steve Kondik got a hold of the files and they were compiled to bring Wireless N capabilities to his Nexus One. The video below puts the proof in the pudding:
Could this be just one of the updates that will accompany Android 2.2, now rumored to be coming much sooner than later? It definitely is one more piece of evidence to support that Google will be shortly unveiling a brand new update to the Android OS.
[via Android and Me]
1. mak cho wrote on April 22, 2010
Nice… unlock all the features… fix the bugginess…
innovate!! thanks google
2. Josh wrote on April 22, 2010
Nice, Can’t wait till I get a high end phone with wireless N. :)
3. kwest12 wrote on April 22, 2010
Interesting…. kinda makes me wonder if the Incredible has wireless N capabilities now. Wait, the Inc doesn’t have N natively right? Don’t crucify me if it does lol
4. Shawn C wrote on April 22, 2010
I don’t know how different the hardware is, but I have the AT&T 3G version of the Nexus One and wireless N has worked since day one. I know because my router is in N-only mode and I connect to my network through my phone.
5. amzss wrote on April 22, 2010
@kwest12 maybe the Incredible has the wireless N capabilities , but are you sure that it will get Android 2.2 to activate it >>> LoL .
6. fred wrote on April 22, 2010
I would guess the Incredible has wireless N since it is kind of like a Nexus v1.5 device.
7. tagno25 wrote on April 22, 2010
“The video below puts the proof in the pudding:” All I see is a blurry video showing a nexus one and windows computer connected to a Wi-Fi AP.
8. bml wrote on April 22, 2010
does he throw it down in the end? ha
9. TPR300C wrote on April 22, 2010
If you follow androidforums.com there is a guy name Anonimac which is the guy that had been leaking pics of the incredible, spec sheet, and even the user guide and he currently has an Incredible with him. He announced it yesterday that he confirmed the Incredible had wireless N. Great news for all of us.
10. Steve wrote on April 22, 2010
My Droid has been working on my wireless N router since I got it in December. I have the router set up to use 802.11N only and it works fine.
11. William Laws wrote on April 22, 2010
It seems like some N1’s already have Wireless N….
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=71a1c6a1e16585e1&hl=en
12. kungfo0 wrote on April 22, 2010
I’ve been able to connect to N-only networks on my Nexus since launch.
13. Jer wrote on April 22, 2010
Does no one have high interest in the FM signal bit? That would be very cool if there are both receiving and transmitting capabilities.
14. khc wrote on April 22, 2010
Just got a wireless N router, set it to mixed mode, and nexus one connected using N.
15. Eric wrote on April 22, 2010
I am hoping that this delay in the CDMA version is because they are getting this device straightened out. Fix the multitouch, dust under screen, fragility of screen. I still want this phone! I want the device that will always be compatible with the new OS. Things have been eerily quiet on this device and I was starting to feel like Sprint and Verizon are on the verge of rejecting it.
16. Moto DROID has always had N wrote on April 22, 2010
Not a big news flash as the Motorola Droid has had wireless N capability from it’s launch last year…even when on 2.0. This is definitely **NOT** “one more piece of evidence to support that Google will be shortly unveiling a brand new update to the Android OS”
17. kwest12 wrote on April 22, 2010
@TPR300C, awesome news man! Thanks for posting here, I stopped following the Incredible thread for a bit due to time constraints lol. Anonimac = God Of The Incredible btw!
.
@Eric, I wouldn’t be surprised to see all those fixes, and I don’t think that Vzw or Sprint will outright drop it. I think the problem will be that by the time either carrier releases it, there will be FAR more desirable phones on both networks.
18. hector wrote on April 23, 2010
@kwest12, Nexus still has an advantage: being a Google phone you are “up-to-date”…
19. Frank wrote on April 23, 2010
Eh, if Google properly addresses the Android fragmentation issues as they intend to, it won’t be such a big deal in the future… Plus you can always root your Incredible and just flash it w/a different ROM. Frankly if given the option I’d easily pick the Incredible or Desire over the Nexus One… Then again I don’t mind rooting it if need be.
Think about this tho, software issues you can always circumvent… Or at worst hold out for an update. The slight improvements in hardware that phones like the Incredible and the Desire have brought over the Nexus One you can never really replicate (e.g. touchpad, physical buttons, better multi-touch sensors, etc.).
With the Incredible already out, and the EVO right around the corner, it seems almost pointless to bring out a CDMA Nexus One (’least in the US). Altho giving folks the option of buying an unlocked unsubsidized phone mid-contract is always better than not having the option at all, and the N1 is probably cheaper than an Incredible w/o a contract from Verizon.
20. Russ wrote on April 23, 2010
Research more! The Nexus One has worked with 802.11n networks since launch, this is not news.
21. Kmobs wrote on April 23, 2010
@Frank
Actually the Incredible/Desire/Evo/ ETC all seem to have the system partition SPL locked.
Nexus One > all of those other phones due to the unlocked bootloader.
And it’s not google’s fault android is ‘fragmented.’ Its the hardware vendors that enjoy throwing skins over the stock android UI.
SenseUI is shit compared to the stock look IMO. The only reason those devices have extra ram over the N1 is to cope with the extra bloat.
22. Bob wrote on April 23, 2010
Funny, my Nexus One is connected to a Wireless N network right now at 65Mbps; I’m a decent distance from the access point so its just adjusted to provide the most stable signal at the moment.
23. Tim wrote on April 23, 2010
I wonder does HTC Desire have Wireless-N built-in but yet to be unlocked by Google?
24. Frank wrote on April 24, 2010
@Kmobs
So does that mean you can’t flash custom ROMs to the Incredible, Desire, EVO, etc or just that it’s more work? I’m not terribly familiar w/any of this, still itching to get my first Android phone.
25. Nikademus wrote on April 30, 2010
@russ check the Android forums at google.com/support .11n has had issues on ALOT of nexus ones, it is not OFFICIALLY supported but may work no problem on some devices. Alot depends on how your router is setup and such. This seems to be a fix for the people that could never get it to work.