Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Update Killed Off as Verizon Users Wait

A Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update that was awaiting its release has been cancelled by Samsung, a bad sign for those who are still waiting for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update to arrive.

Last July, Google released the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy Nexus users. It took several months but the Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update finally started hitting carrier-branded versions of the device. For instance, on Halloween, the update landed for the Sprint Galaxy Nexus.

In the weeks since, we’ve seen plenty of Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 update movement. Recently, Australian carrier Telstra rolled out its Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update and we also saw Australian carrier Optus push out its Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update several weeks ago. For weeks, it seemed as if Vodafone Australia would follow suit but it appears that the update has been killed off, not by the carrier, but by Samsung itself.

For several weeks, Vodafone Australia promised an FOTA Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 update. Today though, the carrier released an updated timeline for its Android updates and the news isn’t pretty. Vodafone says that:

Cancelled by Samsung. They’ve confirmed there will be no further updates for this phone.

The second part of that isn’t surprising. Android 4.4 KitKat skipped all versions of the Galaxy Nexus so users likely weren’t expecting an update after Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. What is surprising is that this update, which appeared ready to roll, has been cancelled by Samsung for unknown reasons. It now means that Vodafone Galaxy Nexus customers will be stuck on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean officially. Those who want Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and beyond will have to root and install ROMs.

What this means for the world’s most famous missing Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update is unclear but this certainly should not be considered a good sign.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update remains MIA, many months after Sprint rolled out its version of the software. Verizon told Gotta Be Mobile that an update was still in the works though it remains unreleased. Verizon does not communicate its updates with consumers which means that if Samsung plans to, or already has cancelled it, Verizon probably won’t say.

Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners, at this point, might want to start thinking about rooting their device and installing a custom version of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or Android 4.4 KitKat.