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Slow Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean Update Frustrates

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Last week, we were worried that a non-developer device might end up beating the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, Sprint Galaxy Nexus and Sprint Nexus S 4G to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and unfortunately, it looks that’s now the case as Asus has apparently started to roll out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for one of its tablets.

Over the weekend, Asus Transformer Pad 300 owners began seeing the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. It’s unclear how widespread it is but that doesn’t really matter at this point. The point is, it has begun to roll out in one way or another and that means that it has beaten out Nexus devices, including the carrier-specific Galaxy Nexus to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

And while that’s fantastic news for Transformer Pad 300 owners and Asus, a company that has taken pride in being fast to major Android updates, it’s embarrassing news for Google, Verizon, Sprint, and really, the Nexus brand of devices.

Read: Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean Update Hopefully Coming This Month.

Verizon-Galaxy-nexus-Jelly-Bean1

The Galaxy Nexus was beaten to Jelly Bean by a non-developer device.

One of the reasons that Nexus owners bought a Nexus-branded device was because they believed the Nexus-branding meant that the device would be one of the first devices to receive the latest versions of Android. And while the Nexus One and Nexus S adhered to that, the Galaxy Nexus has completely wiped out that notion.

The first sign of trouble emerged when Verizon took five months to roll out its first update to the Galaxy Nexus, an update that was sorely needed due to major bugs plaguing the device.

And then came the Android 4.1 roll out which first came to the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+, an unlocked device, the Motorola Xoom (which we consider a Nexus device since it’s a developer device), the Nexus S, and now the Asus Transformer Pad 300.

We knew that something was amiss when the Nexus S 4G, a device on Sprint’s network, was left out of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean roll out. At that point, it was clear that American carriers would likely be getting the updates out to owners in a sluggish fashion.

However, we didn’t think that it would be so slow, that a non-Nexus device would beat them to the punch. We doubt owners of these devices did either considering the specifications on board the Galaxy Nexus, which was, of course, the first device to arrive with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

In fact, we know they didn’t. We have received dozens of emails from frustrated Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners who have displayed frustration with the situation. Many came from other carriers and are upset with Verizon while others have claimed that this will be their last Android smartphone.

Read: Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean Update Release Date Still Unknown.

And it’s the silence from Google, Sprint and Verizon, paired with the lack of an update, that will surely make many current Galaxy Nexus owners pause when buying a Nexus smartphone on a carrier and really, an Android phone on a carrier in general.

Consumers once bought a Nexus device knowing that it would be kept up to date from a software point of view, but now, it appears that buying a Nexus device is as big of a gamble as regular old Android smartphones.

And that’s frustrating to say the least.

32 Comments

32 Comments

  1. Chuck

    08/20/2012 at 11:30 am

    Frustrating to say the least, yes indeed. As I noted on a related post, I went so far as to buy (via eBay) a rooted Nexus that came with 4.1 preinstalled…turned out to be a major mistake as I could not get the phone activated.. I had the help of a Verizon corporate store manager who also tried heroically to activate the rooted phone for me but to no avail. (Warning to any thinking of choosing this option!) ALL of this thanks to Verizon’s dissembling concerning the “pure Google” Nexus phone (NOT!). Google too must bear some responsibility…they allow this phone to be mishandled by the carriers and then sell their own GSM version at half the cost! (Who the heck wants T-Mobile?!)

    • will

      08/22/2012 at 2:59 pm

      Wow just re install stock android from Google and done. Verizon can’t fix that you have too do it.

  2. Max

    08/20/2012 at 11:42 am

    “And it’s the silence from Google, Sprint and Verizon, paired with the lack of an update, that will surely make many current Galaxy Nexus owners pause when buying a Nexus smartphone on a carrier and really, an Android phone on a carrier in general.”

    Agreed, 1,000%. It’s already frustrating not getting the update in a timely fashion, but the silence is torture, and easily avoidable. Even a couple sentences from Verizon would quell my frustration, like “We are working on the update for our customers as fast as we can. We expect to finish testing by the ending of September” or something like that. Anything is better than nothing.

  3. Frank Combs

    08/20/2012 at 11:46 am

    I will still buy Nexus products but not from Verizon that’s for sure. I’m currently looking into apps for my Nexus 7/Chromebook that will let me text, send pics and video clips in a similar manner as what Verizon does. For cheap/free. If I don’t get Jelly Bean for my Galaxy Nexus by October 19th 2012 which is exactly one year since the Google/ Samsung announcement. If JB isn’t on my GNex By then I will terminate my Verizon contract and pay the early termination fee and go to another carrier or just use my tablet/laptop for the same uses for cheap/ free.

  4. Big Red Sucks

    08/20/2012 at 12:04 pm

    Fuck Verizon.

  5. David

    08/20/2012 at 1:24 pm

    This is the very reason the Iphone will be my next phone. I will sacrifice being able to customize in place of knowing I’ll get updates at least thru the 2 year contract cycle.

    • goukisan

      08/20/2012 at 1:38 pm

      sure david as long as you dont mind that apple keeps features locked out of older phones to force you to get their new device..i.e. Siri only on 4S even though it could run just fine on 4

    • watson

      08/20/2012 at 6:51 pm

      If Ipaperweight was the last phone on earth …I would never buy one. Apple is garbage….

  6. Ben

    08/20/2012 at 1:44 pm

    I call my verizon galaxy nexus the quasi nexus as it’s hard to consider it a true nexus but it at least has stock android with the exception of a little verizon bloatware. I signed with verizon just because they were the first carrier to get the galaxy nexus and now I’m wishing I would have waited and bought the unlocked version from Google. Then at least I could be on a prepaid plan rather than paying out the ass to Verizon. The next phone I get certainly won’t be on verizon and will likely be unlocked as not only do you actually get to do what you want with your phone but overall its cheaper since you can go prepaid. Also by the time my contract is up most everyone will have LTE anyway so then why would anyone care to be on Verizon anyway?

  7. matt

    08/20/2012 at 2:08 pm

    When can we start suing? I’m getting tired of this.

    • Chuck

      08/25/2012 at 2:42 am

      Wanted to post this someplace, and this seemed like a good one…Samsung, responding to Apple’s legal “victory” yesterday:
      “….Samsung also issued a post-verdict statement, saying, “Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies … This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims.”

  8. Rico

    08/20/2012 at 2:20 pm

    I too want to sue the shit of Sprint, Google, and Samsung for leaving us out to pasture. I have the Sprint Nexus and no Jellybean in sight. Plus no LTE either.Class Act Lawsuit here we come fuckers…

  9. Mikhail

    08/20/2012 at 2:38 pm

    Naught my first nexus device in the form of the Verizon galaxy nexus in the understanding that nexus meant Google would get updates out faster to these devices, not like Samsung made it hardware desirable at all. Needless to say after waiting 5 months forty last update and the slugish nature of these updates being rolled out its safe to say I will never be purchasing another nexus device, maybe not even android

  10. BUZZ

    08/20/2012 at 2:49 pm

    You all need lives. It’s an update for a phone not the end of the world. If you seriously can’t wait a couple extra months then root it. It’s still a nexus and by far the easiest phone to root. XDA even has a nice little toolkit that makes it simple as can be. Verizon has and will always be slow rolling out updates and a large reason for it is they make sure that the update is 100% solid for LTE which is a little more complicated to update then GSM.

    Go find something that matters to worry about

    • NOLATechy

      08/23/2012 at 7:35 am

      “Verizon has and will always be slow rolling out updates and a large reason for it is they make sure that the update is 100% solid “…REALLY! Then why is it that when ICS was released on this phone they had ALL KINDS OF CONNECTION PROBLEMS!? Didn’t Verizon test this phone before releasing it? Of course they did. I was told by a Verizon tech support person that they have to test everything before they send it out to ensure it is 100% going to work. Well, I have received two updates from Verizon on ICS and my phone still has problems. So, why not just send out the update, let us report the problems to them and then they can work on getting the fixes as they are reported. From what I hear from people who have rooted their phone, they aren’t having any problems, so why doesn’t Verizon take their word for it and SEND OUT THE FREAKIN UPDATE!?

  11. Kevin

    08/20/2012 at 3:00 pm

    It’s cute that people think the Nexus brand still exists. I used to have a GN but have since “upgraded” to a RAZR MAXX. At least until my contract is up. Then….and I can’t believe I’m saying this….possibly moving to an iPhone. This is the lengths to which Verizon, Samsung and to a certain extent, Google, have driven me.

    • David

      08/20/2012 at 3:24 pm

      I have to agree. The way Verizon has handled releasing updates is frustrating. If only Google would dictate to the carriers when to release the updates and not the other way around. I hear everyone say just root your phone, but for the masses it could be a scary process with all the warnings. I’m waiting to see what the iphone5 offers and it just may offer everything I am looking for to make the switch.

  12. John Gaffigan

    08/20/2012 at 5:18 pm

    This is why whenever I buy a phone I buy it for the soft ware it CURRENTLY has on it. I have the sprint gnex and am still loving ics to this day. You never know when updates might come so buy a phone that you like at the time not for the future

    • NOLATechy

      08/23/2012 at 7:39 am

      What you say may hold true for any other phone, but the Galaxy Nexus was ADVERTISED by BOTH Google and Verizon as a “pure Google” phone that would be the “first phones to receive any and all future Android updates.” This is WHY I bought THIS PARTICULAR PHONE. So, please don’t try to tell us that we don’t have a reason or shouldn’t complain. We were LIED TO which give me very much to complain about and a very good reason to sue both companies!

  13. Jay B

    08/20/2012 at 9:03 pm

    I am absolutely frustrated. I would like to know how many would be interested in a class action law suit. This phone was sold to me on the basis that it was a Nexus phone that would receive all updates as soon as they were released, and before any other non nexus devices. This was obviously a sell tactic and a lie. I didn’t pay the money I paid for 2 of these phones only to be cheated out of one of its main selling points. I’ve been robbed by Verizon.

    • NOLATechy

      08/23/2012 at 7:44 am

      I’m in. Get the attorney and the ball rolling and let me know when and where to sign on.

  14. darrel

    08/21/2012 at 2:39 am

    Lawsuits. They have not broken a law
    You all need to get laid

    • Chuck

      08/21/2012 at 3:36 am

      I think Gotta Be Mobile needs to start a separate thread for “Comments By Wise Guys Who are Not Really Interested In this Topic.”

    • NOLATechy

      08/23/2012 at 7:46 am

      Yes, they have broken a law. False advertising is against the law. Many manufacturers and retailers have already been sued in court over this matter and the claimants have won. Oh, and BTW, I get laid all the time. You need to get an education!

  15. coreyoreilly

    08/23/2012 at 2:16 pm

    I recently purchased the Galaxy Nexus from Verizon. And while I admit I should have done more research, in a world where most people don’t do their research, it’s disgraceful that Verizon would allow someone to purchase such a flawed device without first making them aware of the problems. Had I been told that this phone’s service cuts out at least once an hour I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. Had they explained that Airplane mode gets stuck until a reboot, I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. But You look online and they say, HEY, Jellybean’s gonna fix that. And on top of that, you’ll be the first to get it. I think, great! It won’t be long, because Google and Verizon have both confirmed that they’ll be rolling out Jellybean as soon as possible specifically for the Nexus devices. NOPE. Not to mention the quality of the material. Hope you don’t have any lint in your pocket because the back of the phone will not stand up to it. This was the worst technological decision I have ever made.

  16. Eeyore

    08/23/2012 at 8:21 pm

    You can’t sue. You agreed to “arbitration” when you signed the contract. VZW has Congress in its pocket.

  17. ANTZZ

    08/25/2012 at 8:28 am

    I HAVE AN UNLOCKED NEXUS AND WOW ITS GREAT, FU@K CONTRACTS. DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY U LOT GO WITH THOSE WA@KERS WHEN ALL U NEED TO DO IS BUY URSELF AN UNLOCKED ONE, OR IS IT DIF IN YANKYDOODLE LAND?

    • Chuck

      08/25/2012 at 8:38 am

      I did buy an unlocked and rooted Nexus running 4.1 (“Vicious Jelly Bean”??)…I could not get it activated with Verizon. Tried for two days and even a Vz corporate store manager spent an hour trying to get it activated…would NOT work on my number. I have no idea why and neither did anyone else. I am guessing that if you already have a Nexus (or other Android device) that is activated on your phone number, and THEN you unlock it, well that works ok. BUT of someone else (like me) tries (with a clean ESN, btw) to activate on a new line, it’s a no go. Anyone out there have a different theory?

      • Chuck

        08/26/2012 at 1:45 pm

        Update on my last post…I got hold of another (different) rooted G Nexus running 4.1 and it activated on my number with no problem! Go figure….I have a theory though. I think it’s because the SIM card I put into it had been activated a few days before on my line on a different Samsung 4G phone. In other words, if I had inserted a new, never before activated SIM card, I’m guessing the second rooted SGN would not have activated either?

  18. Chuck

    08/27/2012 at 12:39 pm

    This is not a new story, though I’m just now reading it…maybe this is another explanation as to why Verizon are dragging their knuckles about sending out 4.1 to the Nexus?
    https://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/06/29/apple-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-samsung-galaxy-nexus/

  19. jackson

    09/07/2012 at 8:21 am

    Love to read verizon subscribers complain! Ha you get what you deserve! Verizon is pure crap… oh yeah sure they have the best network right? Are you really that dumb you’ll believe all their stupid commercials?

    Fact is verizon will never have a ‘pure’ android phone. You all got duped. Fact is CDMA sucks not to mention its LTE will drain your battery faster then Usain Bolt. And its purely verizon to blame for the updates not google. Google laughs at anyone not using android on the GSM protocol.

    Now for the ignorant… install the damn updates yourself for god sake, its easy. Unlock your bootloader, flash recovery and then go get and install any damn ROM you want. I installed JB on my mothers verizon Gnex a month ago.

    Please people you almost sound as bad as isheep

    • Smileyanz

      09/07/2012 at 10:25 am

      Lol very true but err bit strong considering most people don’t know jack sh@t about ins and outs. Perhaps they should research it a little further and also I would say the rip off scumbags who bullish@ts to sell the rubbish should get the biggest rants. Yeah think u have a point though, smileyanz

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