Handsets

Verizon readying new update for Galaxy Nexus, could it be Android 4.2?

65

 

Verizon’s Twitter support handle dropped some interesting news in a response to one curious customer. Apparently a new update is almost ready for deployment by Samsung, but there is little to tell us what we might expect. The wishful thinkers among us will hope for a build of Android 4.2 or higher, bringing the Galaxy Nexus in line with its other Nexus brethren.

For now, there is no way to tell if we will be seeing a minor bug fixer or something a bit more substantial. “Soon” is a relative term, so that could mean any indefinite amount of time in the future.

Nexus owners are no doubt frustrated at Google’s seeming insistence on neglecting the Verizon LTE version of the phone. Whether that has to do with their relationship with Verizon, or more with the hardware they are dealing with isn’t quite clear.

[via DroidLife]

Kevin Krause
Pretty soon you'll know a lot about Kevin because his biography will actually be filled in!

Patent wars: America Invents Act

Previous article

Rovio, Dreamworks team up to bring official “The Croods” game March 14th [VIDEO]

Next article

You may also like

65 Comments

  1. This is blasphemous!!!

  2. Doubt it’s hardware neglect since the Sprint version is near identical and they’ve pushed 4.2.1 already. My guess is this all falls on Verizon.

    1. Carriers are ALWAYS to blame in these situations. So glad I switched to GSM when I decided to get my Nexus 4. No waiting for me

    2. Concur wholeheartedly. Sprint was miles ahead despite having closed CMDA radios (As are verizons). This is of no fault of Google.

      I finally got fed up with Sprint, loving my unlocked Nexus on “3G” that is as fast (or faster in most cases) than Sprint’s LTE network.

  3. This is my last straw with Verizon. I bought the Galaxy Nexus strictly because I wanted the latest updates from Google as soon as possible. It has been 4 months now since they announced Android 4.2. This is absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care about their “testing” process. It obviously wasn’t a huge factor for the GSM version that rolled out immediately.

    1. Im with you – Im either going to get eh Galaxy S4 or the Nexus 5 for my next phone and I don;t care which network it is on..and yeah, yeah I know about rooting but choose not to.

    2. That is a huge disappointment especially since 4.2.2 is great on battery life with the N4 probably the same with the GN

      1. Batter life is unbelievable! I easily get twice what my pos vzw gnex got.

      2. What’s wrong with CM10.1 builds?

    3. I’m on 4.2.2 with my Verizon Gnex. Just unlock the boot loader, flash a custom ROM (I like Cyanogenmod) , and you are no longer a slave to Verizon’s wishes. You get an up to date Gnex on a great network.

      1. Until the binaries are added by devs it is just hybrid roms that we can get, not to mention basebands that are uber-old and outdated kernel bits. Fortunately with devs like Mmuzzy and Franco we can stay mostly up-to-date, if not ahead (with Franco’s kernel having 3.0.66 source merged while stock 4.2.2 kernels are still 3.0.31)

  4. I’m going to be pissed if it’s 4.1.2 and not 4.2 like it should be.

    1. It actually should be 4.2.2….I am running AOSP 4.2.2 on an S3 why should the Nexus get it?

  5. Meh. I’m no longer angry about this since I’m ditching Verizon as soon as the contract is over. Besides this Galaxy Nexus fiasco, Verizon still doesn’t offer reasonably priced unlimited texting or data, and I have no reason to stay with a carrier with an outdated pricing model just so that I can stray an extra mile in wilderness without losing phone signal.

    1. I am with you. Mine ends right after IO so I will probably be looking to get a Key Lime Pie device.

    2. +1

  6. This is Verizon … I will believe it when I see it.

  7. Blame Verizon not Google

  8. Not but 10 minutes ago I had a call from Verizon begging to get me to come back after I just cancelled my Xoom 4G contract.

    I told them to pound sand…. reasons:

    1) Now that they can’t double charge me for tethering, why should I have a data plan on both my phone and my tablet (he tried to use this as an excuse to justify the loss of unlimited data plans, yeah right)
    2) I had to wait 8 months after I bought my tablet before it worked on the 4G network. Epic fail.
    3) Their Android tablet selection is HORRIBLE.
    4) The Galaxy Nexus that I was using to talk to him on was 4 updates behind the latest AOSP. Inexcusable.
    5) Google Wallet. Nuff said.

    The guy literally was speechless.
    Can’t wait to cancel my Galaxy Nexus contract and move to a contractless life.

    1. That… Was… AWESOME. Wish I could have heard that conversation.

    2. Good for you. I can’t wait for my contract to run out. VZW = highest price and worst phone support.

      1. I see you weren’t grandfathered into unlimited data. Sad day mate. I still have $29.99 unlimited data from my Samsung SCH-i730 pocket PC which I used to tether and hack the crap out of. There used to be a driver I could install on my laptop, plug my phone in via usb, then dial a number into the phone, and boom… tethering. I still have that brick.;

        1. I tether my GNex to my laptop almost everyday, listening to youtube videos on repeat and stuff. It gave me the 2G soft-cap warning a few days ago. I couldn’t be any more proud of myself.

    3. Ya I agree I’m contract less for 3 years now, and I managed to get a better plan, because now the carriers know that I will just ditch them when I feel there is a better offer around.

  9. Too little too late. As soon as my contract is over I am gone. I paid for a nexus and instead was given a carrier device that lags months behind the real nexus devices. I bet it is going to be 4.1.2 anyway.

  10. only 4.2 all other newer Nexi are at 4.2.2 no wonder Verizon doesn’t get the N4

  11. No its Verizon!!!

  12. All I want is a Nexus 4 with LTE on AT&T or Verizon Wireless for $199. Why is that so much to ask for when everyone else can make an LTE phone for $199 on contract for Verizon? Damn you Google.

    1. So Verizon can delay updates for months for the Nexus 4 also? There’s no point using Verizon if you want a Nexus, they’ll never let Google push updates themselves, and VZW will never push updates on time.

    2. Wow. You have no clue how carriers work.

      1. I’m sure I have a good understanding of carriers. And if Apple can push out timely updates to all of their devices on Verizon, then Google should be able to arrange that too. I’m not putting all of the blame on Verizon here.

  13. Eh. I’ve pretty much come to peace with my GN being the black sheep of the Nexus world. What makes me more angry about this is how absolutely incompetent and untrained VZW’s customer support staff is. They literally just make up their own ideas on the spot.

    I was having issues with my Nexus after the Jelly Bean update where it would hang on the Google Startup logo for 3-4 minutes before moving onto the Nexus logo, which it had never done before. Did a factory reset to see if it would fix itself and it didn’t so I called them to get it replaced under the extended warranty.

    Person #1 – I assume the first lady I spoke to has never held a smartphone in her life. When I told her my problem, she decided to lecture me about how a phone is like a computer and doesn’t turn on instantly (no sh*t….). Then she said before they could do anything, I would have to do a factory reset, and reinstall one of my purchased apps every 5 days to find which one was the app that was incompatible with JB and causing the bug. After giving her the simple explanation of how absurd that was, I finally got her to transfer me to who I needed to get my claim through and she transferred me to Samsung for some reason.

    Person #2 – Relayed my entire issue again and he told me that I could send the phone to them and they would do diagnostic tests on it and I would be without a phone for about a week. Realizing I was not in the right place they transferred me back to Verizon to start over again.

    Person #3 – Actually really nice lady. Told her what the first person said and how it sounded absurd to me to which she replied “because it is!” She agreed that it was ridiculous for me to have to start slowly doing my own diagnostic that would take months to complete at which point I would likely have stopped being on warranty because the phone would be old. She said the offices above her were closed for the night and told me exactly who to call and how I do have the right to a replacement without all the crap and if they try and deny me to just get assertive on them.

    Person #4 – On a hunch I called anyways and they were in fact open and they guy started to give me the whole factory reset crap all over again. I just stayed on him and he gave in pretty quick.

    1. Also if you look at the other posts from VZW on twitter, they’re clearly the most outsourced canned responses ever.

      “Samsung is our friend that pushes updates to your phone.”

      “Once avail, will be pushed out.”

      I especially love “Oh boy, are you in for a treat or what! The benefits of the update are endless and can be viewed at…..” The link of course takes you to a page with a pdf that tells you all the benefits of updating to 4.1.1 -_-

      1. That was priceless. I saw that too.

    2. My VZW GNex has the same issue. With Jelly Bean it sits at the Google logo for a long time before moving on with booting the ROM. Doesn’t happen with ICS ROMs. It sounds like a common problem, but I’ve never seen a solution.

      1. The Devs have pretty much been of the opinion that the kernel is doing a disk check during that period.

        1. Well my GNex wasn’t rooted (I know I know lol) and it was having the issue. Sent it back to VZW (after the ordeal from above), got a new one. Honest to god have not had the same problem since. It happened the very first time I turned on my phone after doing the OTA to Jelly Bean. I don’t know what the problem was but it seems to me based on my experiences with my new one that it’s not something the phone should be doing naturally.

          Can’t say the same for the random reboots but that’s a different story…

  14. The 4.2.2 binaries for VZWs G-Nex are posted to the developers’ site.

    https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/drivers#torojdq39

    Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) binaries for Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39)

    So it may be happening after all.

    1. Looks like it includes new radios as well. Who knows…their phone might actually start to work…as a phone.

    2. Those have been there for quite awhile, how do you think we build cm10.1 for the gnex and have it run so well?

      1. I’m pretty sure these are new as of today, readying for the Toro update VZW has been hinting at.

  15. I just want something that will fix my issue with the proximity sensor that Verizon refuses to acknowledge. I’ve sent it in for repair and it’s still not fixed. However there is a 600 post thread of people complaining about the issue on google’s site…. Seriously I thought I was leaving the sinking ship of T-Mobile and going to a reliable carrier. Looks as though I was wrong. I’m happy with the coverage but everything else has been worse.

  16. I got the Nexus thinking it would be a great phone, the Day I bought it I went through 6 phones at Best Buy before 2 would work for me and my wife, my kids LG Lucids, worked out of the box and got updated to ICS, no problems, the past week has been a exercise in futility with the phones and my wife and I got rid of them and got Nokia 822’s no more android fragmentation for us, The kids can keep the Lucid’s they have no issues, and now my wife and I dont have any issues. The phone amazingly works as a phone not a device I have to restart 2 times a day for it to stay connected to anything or make a call with bluetooth. Best thing i have ever done. Stupid Nexus phones and stupid Verizon for letting them get that bad.,

    1. I understand that some of us have had trouble with this phone. I understand that we have had difficulties getting the updates etc. But, honestly, i’m really getting tired of posts like this. I am sure there are folks out there that have an issue with the Nokia 822 and have returned it as well. Move on from the nexus forums to your Nokia page with the other twelve 822 owners. What does the above comment even have to do with the article? Were you expecting to get some update right out of the box? what was wrong with your phone? You say it was an exercise in futility, what sort of futility? Your lemon of a phone would actually support the concept that VZW is doing the right thing by holding back software updates to make sure bugs are all ironed out, the hardware is Samsung’s issue, not VZWs. I for one, love my nexus and have had zero issues with it. Maybe I’m lucky, maybe not, but I sure as hell don’t blame Verizon for hardware issues. I only blame them for not providing me with the proper scheduled software updates.

      1. Lets see, Connections issues, WIFI and 3g/4G, Bluetooth calls crackled and broke up all of the time, Random times of phone just being unresponsive, sound quality issues on calls, no signal at my house, when all other Verizon phones had signal. and my main issue was Tech Support and that phone, either through twitter or on the phone never could get great answers other than I am sorry you are having that issue. We can swap it out for you and give me a refurbed phone, yea thanks. I have had multiple Android Phones this one was the worst. Verizon sitting on updates to make sure the software works is a load of bunk. The radio’s got worse after the last update so their updates and holding them back for testing is a load of crud. They didn’t want Google to control the updates on that phone, I bought a Nexus because I already dealt with Sense and Touchwiz, thanks to Verizon I probably wont buy another Android phone. In the grand scheme of things no one cares and I am still a Verizon Customer. I am glad yours worked out of the box, I should have stopped after the 3rd bad phone in a row on the day I bought them.

    2. Oh look. A Microsoft troll. How cute. I have owned a Nexus One, Galaxy Nexus (GSM) and Nexus 4. NO FRAGMENTATION ISSUES and I pay $70 a month for a free wifi hot spot, true unlimited 4G data, talk, and text. You can keep your no app Lumias on your overpriced limited plan.

    3. nice story bro stick to pos kin win8 phones and gtfo of here

    4. you mean pos win8 kin that no one cares about

  17. I’m sticking with the CyanogenMod ROM, I’ve been running 4.2.2. on my Verizon GN since the AOSP code was released. I’ve long since given up waiting for Verizon. If there are new radio binaries released with an official version of 4.2.2 they will be incorporated in the third party ROMs before most people see the OTA. The problem with reverting back to an official Verizon blessed version is that it will only be current for a few weeks, then there will be a new Android update which Verizon will sit on for another 4 months.

  18. T-Minus 288 days until contract is up, and I am ditching this VNex for whatever Nexus device is out by then. http://itsalmo.st/#TimetoditchVZW

  19. Google’s insistence?

  20. “Google’s seeming insistence on neglecting”- what is this? Are you on Verizon’s payroll?

  21. I don’t think its Google that’s doing the neglecting.

  22. Go ahead, get your hopes up.

  23. just install asop ROM and quit bitching

  24. For anyone less knowledgeable about the rooting & unlocking process, just download WugFresh’s Nexus rooting toolkit. It’s a point and click procedure to unlock and root your phone. Very easy. Then download a 4.2 mod like CyanogenMod and use the toolkit to flash it.

  25. Leave it up to American carriers to ruin the stock Android experience.

  26. That ship has sailed. I was voted least likely to Root or ROM last year (ok, so I made that up myself) but I got tired of waiting on Verizon myself… I got myself up and running on the Shiny ROM, and haven’t looked back. As far as I’m concerned, they lost a customer, and I’ll be buying my next Nexus from the Play store.

  27. Bailed on Verizon last week as a result of this piece of Sh*t phone. Despite not being a huge fan of the Nexus 4, I snatched one up and hit the tmobile $30 prepaid 100+unlimited text and data. Best decision I’ve ever made. Saving $101 a month have a true Nexus device and I’m actually pleasantly surprised by the Nexus 4. Tmobile service is actually better where I live then Verizon so that’s a huge unexpected bonus. Good luck waiting for updates vzw suckers!

  28. It’s an old update notice. The copyright is 2012 and the update is to JR0030, which is already running on my GNX.

  29. I loved my gnex and miss it but glad I ditched Verizon for my T-Mobile gs3 I got my updates on it faster Verizon is giving the nexus. Plus I now get unlimited data and 50 more minutes (not that I use them) for a third of the price I was paying Verizon. I think I might buy next years nexus if it supports T-Mobile’s lte network and I’m pretty sure it will.

    1. thanks for sharing.

  30. I’d been weighing up getting a galaxy nexus for a couple of weeks. I read dozens of reviews and this one was quite useful http://search4reviews.net/ , I received my package last week and am very happy. I Would highly

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Handsets