Litigation is a machine which you go into as a pig and come out as a sausage - Ambrose Bierce, allegedly
|
|
|
Google announces Android 4.0.4 for GSM Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus phones
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Google has announced it is rolling out Android 4.0.4 to the GSM versions of the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus smartphones.
Google's Nexus range of smartphones has been plagued with fragmentation despite being used as showcase Android devices. Now Google says it is shipping Android 4.0.4 to GSM versions of its Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus smartphones while leaving the LTE versions of both phones on older Android 4.0 releases.
According to a Google's posting on the firm's Google+ social network, it has already started to roll-out Android 4.0.4 to the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus GSM devices along with Motorola's Xoom WiFi tablet. It also said more devices will receive the update in the coming weeks, but it didn't name any specific devices or reveal a schedule.
Google said the update will bring stability improvements and smoother screen rotation, and it made a vague statement about "better camera performance", an area in which the Galaxy Nexus has been widely panned.
Google's decision to include the Motorola Xoom WiFi tablet in the list of devices that will receive Android 4.0.4 first might be seen as an indication of how the firm is starting to favour Motorola devices. While the two Nexus units are made by Samsung, it is widely expected that they will receive updates first due to the Nexus branding, but the Xoom's inclusion is something of a surprise.
Google had pulled a previous Android 4.0.3 update for GSM Galaxy Nexus users late last year, yet LTE users of the same device were able to upgrade. That was yet another graphic illustration of the fragmentation that plagues the Android smartphone market. µ
Tags: Google
Share this:
Share
First poster assumes that the purchaser doesn't know about the brilliant work of the CyanogenMod team and knows no-one who dos either! ICS 4.0.3 has been out as a CM9 release for months [I'm using it on my HP TouchPad right now to type this in) and I bet 4.0.4 will be out RSN.
If you're buying a new Android phone/tablet, just check the ever-growing CM9 device list, make sure it's on there and then you don't have to care a hoot about the OEM/carrier crud that it ships with.
The thing every one should take away from this is that if you want to buy an Android phone and want the latest software in a timely manner - you can ONLY BUY the Google lead device. Otherwise, you are stuck in an OS release cycle that is longer than the useful life of your phone. I got the ATT Atrix because it was dual core and should be capable of ICS last January. I get a new phone every year and the ICS upgrade is not scheduled until Q3'12 which means it took Moto 3+ quarters to add in their useless blur to ICS. Further, it means I will be onto a new phone before this is even released. Thanks Moto. As much as I hate Apple, at least they provide a predictable OS upgrade cycle so you don't need to guess as to whether your phone will get an upgrade in a time frame that matters.
goole makes me sick you guys only give it to the gsm people what about lte. we got the phones first! we should get the updates first.
Where's the 4G update for Verizon and Sprint?
Big Deal..I'm still running 2.2 on my phone and i cant get an upgrade without wiping my phone with some third party OS...I'm so over Android and their OS backwardness..
Google isnt showing favoritism to motorola. The zoom is the only tab with vanila android and therfore does not need oem customization (blur) before an ota.