By Somewhere far from America exists the car dock that we’ve all been looking for the Galaxy Nexus. Verizon launched their version with an official cardock but it was little more than a piece of molded plastic as there was no support for the device ‘s connector pins on right edge.
Most users much prefer having the charging cable and headphone jack coming from the dock itself for a much cleaner and easier setup. Well, a three-pin cardock does exist, fortunately.
Unfortunately, it’s not for the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus. Just about everyone but Verizon users will be able to perfectly fit their Galaxy Nexus units inside. When inserted, carmode beautifully activates itself without you having to tell the device to activate it.
There may still be hope for Verizon’s customers as the LTE and GSM versions differ only by a hair in thickness. I’m personally not too sure if the three-pin connector is aligned the same way but if it is then I see no reason why this wouldn’t work with Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus.
You might need to import one whenever they become available but we’re sure our Canadian counterparts will make it easier and cheaper than having to get one from all the way across the pond.
There’s also hope that US retailers offering the unlocked GSM versions will eventually be selling these accessories. Our benefactor are The Unwired who have photos of other accessories, though we’ve already seen these before. Have a look there if you want.
So where can I buy one?
You can pre-order from almost any UK website that sells the Galaxy Nexus. http://www.hantec.co.uk/
This whole thing is just stupid. Stupid enough that I no longer want the phone. Too much BS with Verizon and too much BS around the phone not being a real Nexus along with a completely botched launch (no accessories that actually work, etc).
Ill wait for Gen2 hardware to hit and then probably get a GSM one.
It launched 3 weeks ago. Are you still complaining about that stuff?!? If you don’t like the app that shows you your Verizon data usage then uninstall it.
Dont get it then. One less noob in the Nexus community.
Your gripes are “no accessories” and “etc.”?
Seriously?
No amount of Verizon favoritism can change the fact that this is the best phone on any carrier right now.
I got mine a week ago, and it’s the most fantastic device I’ve ever used.
The only sense its the best phone is that it has ICS and Google updates.. otherwise its far from the best hardware-wise, even among other android devices that came out months earlier. Dont get me wrong, i wish I could get a Nexus, but VZW exclusivity prevents me from doing it.
But the hardware and software work perfectly together! It does not need to have a quad core or 2ghzduel core processor. It is how the phone performs. This phone is the best android phone I have owned. Droid Inc, Droid charge, galaxy s and now nexus.
Not a real Nexus? Says you? It’s everything a Nexus is…which is stock AOSP Android. The rest of the bs definitions of a Nexus are made up by people like you that have no clue what you are talking about.
wait, so the dimensions of the phone are actually different between gsm and cdma? why would it matter? that also makes acessory purchasing suck: because there are now sub versions of the same phone?
seriously Google: wtf?
i believe only lte and non-lte versions have diff dimensions.
No they both have the same dimensions. cdma is only a hair thicker than gsm
Actually it’s just a little over .5mm thicker. Products like these are molded to a near exact fit. Half a millimeter can make a big difference, particularly if the gold contacts don’t line up.
“same dimensions only thicker”? Last time I checked, that was one of the three dimensions.
Smart ass comment aside, that’s still lowsy excuse for a phone. Hate to use the “A” word, but one of the things APple “got right” is thier phone connectors and dimensions are constant: don’t care if it’s on Verizon CDMA or ATT GSM. Vendors can comfortably make accessories they _know_ fill fit the entire product line exactly, even between 4 and 4s and 3g variants.
Google _at least_ should follow the same model, regardless of what their vendors do.
VZWSupport
#VZWCustomers “Because f— you, that’s why.”
This seems short sighted on Samsung’s part. They should have fit both versions of the phone to the LTE dimensions. Instead it seems they trimmed down the GSM version to play the numbers game. That’s an unfortunate mistake.
” When inserted, carmode beautifully activates itself without you having to tell the device to activate it”
Whoa whoa whoa…
The G-Nex has car mode? I didn’t see an app. How do you activate it?
its automatic bro …when you insert it in the dock..the phone goes into landscape mode( with home-screen )
No, it doesn’t. I have the car dock and nothing happens when I insert the phone.
You have the shitty Verizon dock with no pins or charger connection?
are you talking about the verizon dock??
P3droid has the app in his newest version of Tranquility ice which should be released soon. You won’t need a car dock to open up the app.
How about a statement from Verizon or Samsung about why Verizon customers can’t get a proper dock? Anyway, just curious, can the real car dock send power and sound through those 3 pins at the same time?
That would require VZW giving a damn what their customers think. No statement will be forecoming about something so trivial to them.
How about a video of someone trying to use the lte phone in the good dock?
Someone will do just that…as soon as the GSM car dock is available to purchase.
Funnier point….all these folks complaining and its not even available for GSM yet either? Lol!
Honestly, this is the reason I didn’t buy this phone.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s bar none the phone that I want. I know the hardware isn’t the greatest and there are bugs to be ironed out, but that’s the beauty of owning a Nexus device: updates galore.
But my first Android phone was the Droid Incredible, and part of the reason I was so disappointed with it was its lack of usable accessories. No bedside dock, no powered car dock, etc. I felt screwed.
I found myself in the VZ store wanting the GN so bad, but having just read about its lack of accessories like those across the pond, I just couldn’t do it.
So I bought the Razr.
Is there a tinge of disappointment? Yeah, a little. I always envisioned my next device to be a Nexus, but this phone will do. And when I drive home tonight, I’ll happily pop my Razr into the powered car dock to navigate me safely home.
You need GPS to get from work to your house?
:P
:)
No, but it sure looks purdy sittin’ up there on my dash… :D
I am so bad… I will watch YouTube or NFL ……..:-)
Its nice to see traffic updates and delays even on daily commute !
When I was in my local VZW store last week getting an extended battery I asked the salesman about the car dock. He said that it had an sku in his system but it wasn’t available yet. It seems likely that we’ll be getting an lte version at some point.
Has anyone ever considered that LTE and GPS, with the screen on constantly, might just take more power than what can be sent through three tiny pins? Maybe this was intentional, as the LTE version needs a more direct source of power.
The Xoom uses a direct power connection or it’s “tiny pins” to charge as the USB connection doesn’t allow enough power to be transferred, so no.
Interesting. Then there is no possible justification.
LMAO way to be on Verizon’s side… Nope, that’s not the case, it was cheaper for them to get this version, and sell it at the same price. Lower Price to VZW + Higher Price to consumer = more profit.
Please someone tell me when VZdubya ends it stranglehold on this phone.
what strangle hold?!? It is a beautiful phone with vzw not locking it down…
He means Verizon is the only one in the US that gets to have it still, without even rumors of another carrier getting it, without importing from Europe of course. Moving to VZW just for this phone is a no go… For me personally it would mean $70 more /mo for an equal plan. Verizon is over priced and apparently cant even keep their LTE up.
I devote a good amount of my spare time to reading about phones and the like. I waited outside the Verizon store on 12/15 for my G-Nex. I don’t care at all about this car dock issue and that people do shows just how little perspective people have.
You’re not going to buy the phone because of this? I have the Verizon car dock, and it’s 10 times better than the powered one I had for my T-Bolt. It looks better, affixes more securely to the window and is much easier to pop the phone in and out of. Also, I love that it doesn’t put the phone into car mode, because the first thing I’d have to do is exit car mode (the two apps I use, navigation and PlayerPro aren’t available in car mode).
Also, the car charger is easier to connect to G-Nex in the dock than it was to the back of the HTC car dock.
In sum, the GSM car dock MAY be better, but the LTE one is so good that to not buy the phone because of it is absurd.
You are entitled to your opinion, no question. But to call the our perspective absurd… well, let’s just say I think you will find yourself in the extreme minority on this one.
I’ll acknowledge that some of the reasons that I like the G-Nex LTE dock are idiosyncratic.
My larger point: how much will this dock impact your overall enjoyment of the phone? If it’s a lot, then it’s not because of the actual dock, but because you’re upset that your dock isn’t the cool one.
“If it’s a lot, then it’s not because of the actual dock, but because you’re upset that your dock isn’t the cool one.”
This is not a fair assumption. The lack of these particular accessories DOES affect my enjoyment of the phone on a functional level. I dislike having to constantly plug in my phone when placed in a dock. I’m on the road quite a bit, constantly in and out of my car – so yes, it’s a big deal to me.
Granted, the GN is a pretty amazing device. But I’m having loads of fun with my Razr, I enjoy the aesthetics of the device, and on a functional level, it suits me well.
I don’t want to take away any of your enjoyment of your RAZR.
I’ll admit that with phones the little things make a big difference. I miss the smart dialing of HTC and other parts of Sense.
On the plugging it in issue, doesn’t the RAZR dock have a micro-usb port that you plug the phone into? It doesn’t have fancy docking contacts, does it?
My T-Bolt dock had such a connection, and it was not especially easy to plug in.
It doesn’t have the pin connecter, no, but the phone slides easily in and out of the USB port.
All in all, I’m very happy with my phone. It does everything I want it to, with the accessories to match. Which, at this particular point in time, I wouldn’t be able to say about the GN.
And for the record, I really am glad you’re enjoying yours. It’s an excellent device – I’m glad it’s meeting your needs!
Problem is that without a built in power connection it is a phone holder NOT a dock
Phone holder = Phone dock.
Disagree Tim, Dock implies that you drop the phone in and it connects. That’s not the case with this one. This one you have to drop the phone in, fiddle with your power charge until you plug it in. And then if you want to use the actual car dock features you have to go to the app… Its just a piece fo plastic holding a phone. You could get a universal one for a quarter of the price.
I use my phone more as a GPS/Navigation, wireless/bluetooth music jukebox, voice-to-SMS and ECM interface (torque) device more than I actually use it as a phone.
A robust car dock is beyond a necessity, its an absolute hard stop for me. I bought the Gnex on the assumption that it would be available in the US with the exceptional car dock that was available in the UK. Sadly that has not come to fruition.
Furthermore – having to plug he stupid power cable in every time you dock the phone is simply ridiculous. Whoever thought that the customer would be pleased with this solution needs to have their head examined.
Also, with car mode you can add shortcuts to any application you want. Navigation works just fine in car mode – so I don’t understand why you’re complaining about it. If you really want to disable car mode then you could always change the setting in the car dock app that makes it automatically launch when you put it in the dock. Two clicks. That’s it.
I had the car dock for the DX/DX2 and it was phenomenal. Unfortunately I can’t get that same experience with my new phone which I otherwise love.
It wont, b/c I would just go ahead and buy it from Europe rather than giving the money to Verizon.
Do you know if the vzw cardock will hold the phone with extended battery?
I haven’t tried it with the extended battery in (although I have an extended battery). The shape of the dock is one flush concave scoop (like the inverse of the back of the phone with the extended battery in), so I’m 90% confident it will fit.
I’ll try it later today to make sure.
The VZW Card dock *DOES* hold the phone with the extended battery just fine.
I dont think it would prevent anyone from buying the phone… but why buy the car dock? Since it lacks the pins that make it an interesting dock, and make use of a phone feature, why not just buy a cheap ass universal cell dock.. you get essentially the same thing. The irritating thing is that Verizon went cheaper, got the shitty version of the dock, and sold it for the same price.
Once again, VZW lives up to its motto: “We’re not happy until you’re not happy.”
And I thought only the FAA used that motto.
Fail for vzw yet again. And the useless piece of crap they sell as a car dock probably costs more than this one.
I just made one of these:
http://lifehacker.com/5747897/how-to-build-a-car-mount-for-your-cellphone-from-office-supplies; fraction of the cost, more portable, and still not that big a pain to connect the charger I keep in my car. It’d still be nice to have for the LTE version though.
I love Phandroid, but I mean COME ON! Yes, this is news, but not anymore. There are videos of this on Youtube from weeks ago! Unbelievable. (Yes, I’m sure the videos are this version. They were from the UK and had the three pin connection)
Wow all these big words…..I am impressed, not really
Don’t mean to rain on any Verizon Nexus owner’s hoping to get this dock but I had a long chat with a knowledgeable Verizon Rep at the store last Friday.
From what he understood the GSM version of the dock with power/USB/sound through the dock may never be released or compatible with the Verizon LTE version……he stated that the issue of the 3-pins being unable to provide a solid enough connection for power or whatever for the LTE model versus the GSM. Basically he said don’t hold your breath….and he wasn’t even trying to sell me the Samsung OEM dock …he preferred the generic 12$ clamp jobbie that I used for my old phone.