Google bringing multiple manufacturers to the Nexus line, WSJ reports

What would be better than a new Nexus phone each year? How about several Nexus devices, built by multiple manufacturers? According to the WSJ (and their confidential sources) that will become a reality in the near future. According to the Journal, Google will be working with as many as five device manufacturers to build Android lead devices, which they can then sell directly to consumers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia from their online device store. This is Google's way of exerting a modicum of control over Android, without stepping on the open-source toes at its roots. 

Right now you can walk into your carrier store and buy a great phone that runs an Android-based operating system like Sense 4, or the new TouchWiz, complete with full carrier support and customer service. With this news it sounds like those of us that aren't concerned with carrier subsidies or support may be able to shop at our own Android store. It's an answer that many of us have been looking for.

The devices are expected to run Jellybean, be completely SIM unlocked, and available near Thanksgiving. Start saving your pennies. 

I think this is a long time coming. It sounds like what Google was trying to do in 2010 with the Nexus One, but back then they didn't have the foothold (or is it stranglehold?) on customer mind-share that they do now. Two years later, and I'll wager a good many of us would jump on this opportunity, including some that didn't when the Nexus One was released.

If Google wants to pull this off, they will need to offer quality hardware at a reasonable price (I'm thinking under $500 per unit), and convince customers in the U.S. to switch away from Verizon and Sprint to GSM carriers. If they can manage this, they will have finally changed the mobile world, like they wanted to do all along. They certainly have my support.

Source: WSJ

I paid Verizon $2027.57 to beta test their Galaxy Nexus

My name is Taylor Wimberly and I’m an unhappy Verizon customer. Five months ago I walked into a Verizon store, purchased two Galaxy Nexus phones, and ported my numbers over from T-Mobile. I knew there was a strong chance I might regret that decision, but I wanted to try out Google’s flagship smartphone on America’s largest wireless carrier.

Google bent over backwards to get their flagship device on Verizon’s network so we thought they would provide a stellar experience. However, I found the entire experiment to be a big failure and I wish I could go back in time to purchase the unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexus and stick with T-Mobile.

Verizon and Google originally planned to launch the Galaxy Nexus back in October, but numerous bugs were discovered and the launch date was pushed back multiple times. On December 15th, Verizon finally released the Galaxy Nexus to retail stores, bugs still present, and issued a small patch on that same day to address some of the issues.

Unfortunately, the patch from Android 4.0.1 to 4.0.2 only addressed a small number of issues and the Galaxy Nexus was left with a good chunk of annoying bugs.

We were told that Verizon and Google were already working together on another update to address the complaints from those of us that rushed out to purchase the device, and we believed them. But never in our wildest dreams did we think that five months would pass and Verizon would still not release a software update to fix all the known issues.

I’ve already covered the bugs and Google has fixed the majority of them with the latest Android 4.0.4 update. The disappointing thing is that Verizon has been testing this update since February, but they have not rolled it out to customers yet.

We reached out to Verizon to get to the bottom of the delay and they told us they needed more time to make sure the software update “won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.”

I’m fully aware I could hack my phone and flash one of the test builds which would end my misery, but I decided to stick with the official Verizon software build so I could endure the same experience that the average subscriber would see on their device.

For all we know Verizon could announce tomorrow that a new software update is finally available for their Galaxy Nexus, but the public image of this device is now forever tarnished and I would no longer recommend that any Verizon customer purchase it.

Drive-by Conclusions

In my five months with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, I have learned some interesting things:

The process in which US carriers update the software on their Android phones is completely broken, and Google knows this.The average Android phone ships with numerous bugs and it could take your wireless carrier half a year to fix them.Most Android users don’t hack their phones, and they have a shitty experience.Google’s solution to this whole problem is to just buy a phone directly from them.

At the end of the day, I’m still glad that I got to experience being a Verizon customer. Their in-store staff and phone support is top tier, and I understand there is nothing they can do to fix the problem with Android updates. They offered me the chance to switch to a different smartphone, but I think I’m better off paying the $300 early termination fee and returning to an unlocked device.

Maybe Google will fundamentally change the way that Android devices are updated, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. In the mean time it appears that only a Google backed device should expect regular updates, but even that’s not certain.

WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices from different manufacturers by Thanksgiving

A report out of the Wall Street Journal has us thinking differently about the Nexus program. According to the report, Google may be going all-in on their new Nexus strategy, partnering with not one, but multiple OEMs on Nexus devices that Google would sell directly to customers similar to its recent Galaxy Nexus offering. Google hopes to have a full portfolio of devices available by Thanksgiving, and is working on giving multiple OEM partners early access to the next version of Android, currently codenamed Jelly Bean.

This marks a stark change from Google’s previous strategy, where Google exclusively partnered with one key manufacturer to provide the flagship device for its latest OS. Sources for The Wall Street Journal believe this strategy is being taken to provide Google with greater control over the operating system and apps that run on it, thus reducing the impacts wireless carriers have over devices. We assume this will be because the Nexus devices will launch with stock Android, as opposed to the custom skins manufacturers are keen on putting on their devices.

Many are speculating that the move is a response to appease manufacturers concerned with Google’s acquisition of Motorola and what that means for the rest of the Android industry. Taking the potential for Google to play favorites off the table will likely persuade these manufacturers to keep producing and innovating with Android devices.

This story is obviously developing, and Google was unavailable for comment at the time the WSJ story went live. We’ve reached out to Google as well, and will update you as we learn more of the expanded Nexus line rumored for later this year.

Sprint Galaxy Nexus review

Download: Android 2.3.7 (GWK74) With Google Wallet For The Nexus S 4G

WARNING: This file is only for the Sprint Nexus S 4G. To flash the update, the phone must be stock - that means no custom ROMs. Rooted handsets are OK, though this might reset root permissions (you just need to re-root). We've included a link to a full, flashable ROM which will probably require a wipe, as well.

If you find yourself still without the Android 2.3.7 (GWK74) update for your Sprint Nexus S 4G, have no fear - we're here to help. Thanks to Omar over on Google+, we've got a direct link to the update.zip from Google themselves. To flash the update:

DOWNLOAD: Android 2.3.7 (GWK74) For Sprint Nexus S 4G (Mirror)Rename the file to "update.zip" (please make sure you have file extensions set to show)Place it on the root of your SD card (not in a folder)Reboot into recoverySelect "Apply update.zip"

When you reboot, launch Google Wallet - it may crash on your first run, so just run it again if this happens. As a note, If you're on a handset with a custom (or DeOdexed) ROM and want to update using this file, you'll need to flash back to stock GRJ90 to flash this update

If you are running a custom ROM and want to flash to the stock GWK74 update, check out this thread over at XDA. There are links for both de-odexed and odexed versions.

Google+, Thanks Omar!

Verizon drops the price of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus by $100, pick one up now for only $199

Just in case you're on Verizon and haven't picked up a Verizon Galaxy Nexus as of yet, Verizon is making it harder to resist. What originally started off as a $299 buy in cost has now been dropped by $100 making the grand total of picking one up only $199 with a new two-year contract. We're gonna go out on a limb and say Sprint might have had something to do with the price drop but however you want to look at it, a savings of $100 is something to be happy about. If for whatever reason you avoided the Galaxy Nexus thus far, have a look at our full review and then hit the link below if you're going to be picking one up.

Source: Verizon; thanks to everyone who sent this in!

"Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Chris is fluent in all mobile languages and his work can be found on all the various Mobile Nations sites."

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Sprint Samsung Galaxy Nexus Pre-Order Inventory Already Sold Out

Three days ago, Sprint finally announced pre-order and availability details for its version of the Galaxy Nexus. Turns out that the demand was more than expected, as the Now Network is completely sold out of its pre-order inventory.

Considering we don't often hear about carriers selling out of pre-order devices, this might be a good indication that the Sprint GNex could be even more difficult than anticipated to find on retail shelves beginning on April 22. So, you might want to show up early if you plan on scoring this beauty on launch day.

Thanks, Zachary!

Sprint Samsung Galaxy Nexus Pre-Order Inventory Already Sold Out

Three days ago, Sprint finally announced pre-order and availability details for its version of the Galaxy Nexus. Turns out that the demand was more than expected, as the Now Network is completely sold out of its pre-order inventory.

Considering we don't often hear about carriers selling out of pre-order devices, this might be a good indication that the Sprint GNex could be even more difficult than anticipated to find on retail shelves beginning on April 22. So, you might want to show up early if you plan on scoring this beauty on launch day.

Thanks, Zachary!

Sprint Samsung Galaxy Nexus Pre-Order Inventory Already Sold Out

Three days ago, Sprint finally announced pre-order and availability details for its version of the Galaxy Nexus. Turns out that the demand was more than expected, as the Now Network is completely sold out of its pre-order inventory.

Considering we don't often hear about carriers selling out of pre-order devices, this might be a good indication that the Sprint GNex could be even more difficult than anticipated to find on retail shelves beginning on April 22. So, you might want to show up early if you plan on scoring this beauty on launch day.

Thanks, Zachary!

Alleged App Crash Log Points To A Mysterious 'takju' Variant Of Galaxy Nexus, Confirms Android JellyBean Codename [Rumor Analysis]

We deal with rumors and potential fakes on a daily basis, and I have to warn you right away - on a scale of unconfirmed to solid, the source of this post is leaning to the left.

Everything you're about to see can be easily spoofed, but the circumstances in which the evidence was allegedly obtained, combined with information I dug up in our web server log and the web make quite a compelling case.

In essence, in this case it's too much fun to speculate and too interesting to keep it away from public analysis and, who knows, maybe even anonymous tips (hint, hint).

This particular rumor was started by Yuku Sugianto, an Android developer whose report I am inclined to trust. Yuku is relatively established in the Play Store (at least 800k installs), an engineer at Found (from what I can tell, he started the project, so he may be the sole founder), and has a history of submitting bugs to the Android team.

While he could be trolling, it's not likely. However, I have to remind you again that everything here may end up being false.

Yuku's report along with the crash log follows:

Android JellyBean (no version number) spotted! I got an automatic crash report from one of my application and surprisingly the device info states JellyBean as the OS version. (Android is known to use no version number for unreleased version, e.g. Honeycomb instead of 11 or 3.0 when it was still developer preview)

From ACRA:
PHONE_MODEL=Galaxy Nexus
ANDROID_VERSION=JellyBean

Device:
BOARD=tuna
BOOTLOADER=PRIMELC03
BRAND=google
CPU_ABI=armeabi-v7a
CPU_ABI2=armeabi
DEVICE=maguro
DISPLAY=JRN12B
FINGERPRINT=google/takju/maguro:JellyBean/JRN12B/330279:user/dev-keys
HARDWARE=tuna
HOST=vpba3.mtv.corp.google.com
ID=JRN12B
IS_DEBUGGABLE=false
MANUFACTURER=samsung
MODEL=Galaxy Nexus
PRODUCT=takju (what's this takju thing?)
RADIO=unknown
SERIAL=0149xxxxxxxxxxxx (removed by me)
TAGS=dev-keys
TIME=1334275846000 (Fri Apr 13 00:10:46 UTC 2012)
TYPE=user
UNKNOWN=unknown
USER=android-build

Another interesting thing is the location of the external storage, which is in /storage/sdcard0 instead of /mnt/sdcard.
getDataDirectory=/data
getDownloadCacheDirectory=/cache
getExternalStorageAndroidDataDir=/storage/sdcard0/Android/data
getExternalStorageDirectory=/storage/sdcard0
getExternalStorageState=mounted
getRootDirectory=/system
getSecureDataDirectory=/data
getSystemSecureDirectory=/data/system
isEncryptedFilesystemEnabled=false
isExternalStorageEmulated=true
isExternalStorageRemovable=false

Wow, what a treat (if true). Let's enumerate the interesting parts:

JellyBean, which has long been rumored to be the codename for the next version of Android.takju build of the Galaxy Nexus - we've seen mysid (Verizon CDMA/LTE), countless variants of yakju (GSM), but never a takju. What could it be?
One of our theories is it's the unreleased 32GB GSM Galaxy Nexus that was canned for unknown reasons after getting announced earlier this year.
Another, much less plausible, is that it's the Sprint Nexus. I personally doubt it's the latter because Sprint's version is CDMA/LTE, but it sounds way too close to the GSM one. If anything, Sprint's Nexus would be a variant of mysid (mysids, perhaps?).

Now, before we begin, I have to point out that everything in the crash log, which was collected by ACRA from a remote user's phone during a crash in one of Yuku's applications, can be faked.

However, if the data was indeed tempered with, it was done in a very proficient and believable way by someone who really knew what he or she was doing, taking care of every subtlety. The circumstantial nature of the way Yuku acquired the log (a random crash) makes it much less likely that the info was faked and sent over on purpose, leading me to believe that what we're seeing is indeed legitimate.

Let me dive deeper:

While JellyBean is present in the log, the Android version number isn't. This may seem suspicious at first, but it's actually a common practice at Google to assign a codename without a version during development. The same thing happened in our Ice Cream Sandwich leak.takju. As I mentioned, the takju variant of the Galaxy Nexus has never been released, yet it appears to exist somewhere out there. For example, this GLBenchmark page, which contains all variants of the Galaxy Nexus it's ever seen, along with version numbers, lists the following:

google/takju/maguro:4.0.4/IMM30D/262866:user/release-keys
google/takju/maguro:4.0.4/IMM76B/294908:user/release-keys

There are also other pages, like this one, but the list is pretty short.

I reached out to an engineer on the Android team (who will remain unnamed), seeking basic info on what takju might be, but got turned away with a "no comment." It could have been a generic statement, but this engineer has been helpful in the past, and if takju never existed, I would have expected the engineer to say that he or she simply didn't know what it was. "No comment" responses are always suspicious.My bet is on the unreleased 32GB Galaxy Nexus. I can't think of another variant that would be so close, yet not that close, to the current yakju variants.JRN12B, the build. This build version looks legitimate for a few reasons. It starts with a J, which JellyBean builds need to start with according to guidelines. The exact build number (or it could be an internal version number or revision control's version - in fact, if I didn't know any better and the Android team didn't use git, I'd say it's an SVN revision number) is 330279, which is sufficiently higher than the builds we saw in IMM76B. Looks like JB is well underway, and if each number increment is an individual commit, it already contains over 35,000 of them. Not bad.I dug into our web server logs to see if I can spot a pattern and found the following from March:

Dalvik/1.6.0 (Linux; U; Android JellyBean Build/JRM79)

JRN12B seems like a future iteration of JRM79, which works nicely with our theory here. Notice the presence of JellyBean in that user-agent as well. Of course, both could be fake.

PRIMELC03, the bootloader. The current 4.0.4 Galaxy Nexus's bootloader is PRIMELA03. Once again, PRIMELC03 checks out and looks like a likely successor.As Yuku mentions, getExternalStorageDirectory() seems to return /storage/sdcard0 instead of something like /mnt/sdcard or /mnt/sdcard-ext, which could point to new interesting developments in the way JellyBean organizes filesystem mounts. If you're not a developer, you probably won't care, but it's definitely something to look out for in the future.The only thing that did strike me as weird at first (thanks to jcase for pointing it out) is IS_DEBUGGABLE=false. If the device is signed with dev-keys, why is IS_DEBUGGABLE set to false? I then thought about it some more and realized that the IS_DEBUGGABLE flag refers to the way the app was compiled () and has nothing to do with the OS itself, so it's of no interest to us.

JellyBean, another Galaxy Nexus variant we've never seen before, build numbers - none of it is essential or particularly groundbreaking, but all of it is definitely fun stuff for us to soak in, process, analyze, and dream about at night (you do dream of Android, don't you?).

Did I mention a heavy rumor advisory with a chance of bullshit (I hope you were wearing your skepticism +10 cape)?

All of the above is based on speculations at the moment, which I mentioned numerous times, but after analyzing everything presented, I'm inclined to think that it is indeed legitimate build info from a device that is either in the making or is the Android team's equivalent of one of those 2-headed unicorns pooping rainbows that you can only find in government facilities deep underground. It's a freak, it will not see the light of day, but might as well use it if it's sitting around the office, right?

Thanks, Yuku!

P.S. So, what do you think of the above? Did I miss anything else? Will any anonymous tipsters step up and add their 2 cents into the discussion?