When is Jelly Bean 4.1 Coming to the GNex?

[SharpBarb]

I see a lot of complaining directed toward VZN for delaying the release of 4.0.4, but didn't it also take a while for the GSM Gnex to get 4.0.4?

 

[OfTheDamned]

I see a lot of complaining directed toward VZN for delaying the release of 4.0.4, but didn't it also take a while for the GSM Gnex to get 4.0.4?

Not as long really.

Everyone blames Verizon based on history with updates. They generally take longer than any other provider to release update. Sometimes it is a good thing because they test the update, but in this case the update wasn't really an improvement over the leaks that came out a while before. to top it off they claimed that it fixed problems that it didn't fix.

In this case we were hit with a double whammy because Samsung is also notorious about taking forever to update phones.

 

[AntimonyER]

Not as long really.

Everyone blames Verizon based on history with updates. They generally take longer than any other provider to release update. Sometimes it is a good thing because they test the update, but in this case the update wasn't really an improvement over the leaks that came out a while before. to top it off they claimed that it fixed problems that it didn't fix.

In this case we were hit with a double whammy because Samsung is also notorious about taking forever to update phones.

I'll be honest, I'm starting to question whether the reason VZW takes longer to release devices and updates is because of a more rigorous testing process, or because their testing process is filled with bureaucratic crap which guarantees a slower process AND lesser product. Honestly, I didn't see any improvement with the 4.0.4 update in what I consider the biggest problems, in fact I think it may even be slightly worse. And I know your problem wasn't fixed either, OTD. Kind of frustrating.

 

[aurora40]

I see a lot of complaining directed toward VZN for delaying the release of 4.0.4, but didn't it also take a while for the GSM Gnex to get 4.0.4?

I don't know that it "took a while" for the GSM Gnex, but the Verizon one had 4.0.4 before just about any other phone. What phones now ship with, or are updated to, 4.0.4?

The Verizon GNex had 4.0.4 before many contemporary phones had any version of ICS.

When people complain it took "too long", what is that in comparison to??

The GNex directly from Google is obviously going to get updates slightly faster than the GNex indirectly from Google by way of Verizon.

 

[OfTheDamned]

Well it looks even more like they are going to be showing off 4.1 at Google I/O.

I'll be honest, I'm starting to question whether the reason VZW takes longer to release devices and updates is because of a more rigorous testing process, or because their testing process is filled with bureaucratic crap which guarantees a slower process AND lesser product. Honestly, I didn't see any improvement with the 4.0.4 update in what I consider the biggest problems, in fact I think it may even be slightly worse. And I know your problem wasn't fixed either, OTD. Kind of frustrating.

It could be a bunch of red tape or it could be really poor communication between Samsung and Verizon. It could also be that testers are living in the the problem regions for the muted call issue. No muted calls must mean problem solved, right? Knowing people that work for Verizon, I can see red tape being a huge issue.

In the past, I haven't seen huge improvements with software updates unless their are version changes. On my fascinate they released a couple of minor updates, but the real fixes didn't come until the phone moved from Froyo to Gingerbread. So if it is Verizon, Samsung, ICS or something else maybe 4.1 will fix it.

 

[trophynuts]

Well it looks even more like they are going to be showing off 4.1 at Google I/O.




It could be a bunch of red tape or it could be really poor communication between Samsung and Verizon. It could also be that testers are living in the the problem regions for the muted call issue. No muted calls must mean problem solved, right? Knowing people that work for Verizon, I can see red tape being a huge issue.

In the past, I haven't seen huge improvements with software updates unless their are version changes. On my fascinate they released a couple of minor updates, but the real fixes didn't come until the phone moved from Froyo to Gingerbread. So if it is Verizon, Samsung, ICS or something else maybe 4.1 will fix it.

If 4.1 really is unwrapped this week i don't even want to think about how long it will take the VZW to get it. I'm not talking about Roms built from 4.1 source either, because those mean nothing to me without the corresponding VZW specific firmware to match.

Also we should keep an eye out for a jelly bean statue to be put up at Mountain View soon ....like in the next day or two if they are going to out JB this week.

 

[NSutherl]

People forget we have been through this before.

MAC vs Windows

You could replace mac for iOS and Android for Windows, swap a software discussion for a hardware one and this article is straight from 1992...


MAC fans spent YEARS claiming that MS would fail because the the variety of hardware was to difficult to program for.

uh...no. that's completely unrelated. android is currently far more fragmented than apple is.

I don't think you're following his point. He's saying that Windows computers were also "fragmented" in the sense that 1 OS has to work on hundreds of of hardware platforms, and they seemed to turn out just fine.

Fragmentation isn't inherently bad. Case in point, Windows currently owns almost 75% of the OS market (Mac OS is under 10%), while Android has 59% of the smartphone OS market (iOS is at 23%). Part of what makes Android so great is that you have hundreds of devices to choose from, not just one with a teeny tiny screen.

 

[OfTheDamned]

I don't think you're following his point. He's saying that Windows computers were also "fragmented" in the sense that 1 OS has to work on hundreds of of hardware platforms, and they seemed to turn out just fine.

Fragmentation isn't inherently bad. Case in point, Windows currently owns almost 75% of the OS market (Mac OS is under 10%), while Android has 59% of the smartphone OS market (iOS is at 23%). Part of what makes Android so great is that you have hundreds of devices to choose from, not just one with a teeny tiny screen.

The main difference between smartphone fragmentation and computer fragmentation is that one is expected when the equipment is purchased and the other is sold separately.

OS updates and upgrades are expected with any smartphone you buy (at least one during the life of the phone). The things that limit that from happening are the manufacturers and the carriers. With computers you may buy a Vista (shiver) computer just before Win 7 comes out, but you are going to have to go out a buy Win 7 and install it yourself.

We expect updates (right or wrong, we do) and when those updates can take as long as a year to come out it is frustrating to see the next version of the OS coming out just as you are getting the previous one. I had a Fascinate and didn't see Gingerbread on that phone until right about the time of the ICS announcement. What makes it even more frustrating is that with each OS update we are excited about impressive new features that we want to have. Eclair had Google Nav. Froyo had flash and tethering. Gingerbread had NFC, Video Chat, VOIP, etc. ICS has a whole new design, faster camera, tabbed browsing, new notification bar, etc. When all the new stuff comes out you want it and you don't want to wait 6 months while a bunch of people who don't care mess with it before giving it to you like they promised when you bought the phone.

I understand the comparison and in some ways you/he are right. Software still works, phone calls can be made, browsing can still be done and games can still be played. To most people it makes absolutely no difference. To us it is like having that proverbial carrot dangled in front of our faces and some sadist laughing in the background as they pull it away again and again.

We can all hope that with the less blurred blur and the more sensible sense with ICS we can get updates that much faster now. We will probably have to wait longer for the Wiz to touchdown, but maybe they can all speed things up with less skinning to do.

 

[trophynuts]

If 4.1 really is unwrapped this week i don't even want to think about how long it will take the VZW to get it. I'm not talking about Roms built from 4.1 source either, because those mean nothing to me without the corresponding VZW specific firmware to match.

Also we should keep an eye out for a jelly bean statue to be put up at Mountain View soon ....like in the next day or two if they are going to out JB this week.

boom!!!

Jelly Bean is Official, Statue Arrives at Google Campus – Droid Life

 

[zerocool79346]

I just wanted to be the first to ask...

Will it be available for the GNex?
If so, when will it be released?

Speculation is encouraged.

GSM Galaxy Nexus and rooted users: within 4 weeks of Nexus tab release

VZW Galaxy Nexus stock users: Christmas of 2012. And I predict eleventy-billion threads complaining about it before now and then.

 

[paleodust]

GSM Galaxy Nexus and rooted users: within 4 weeks of Nexus tab release

VZW Galaxy Nexus stock users: Christmas of 2012. And I predict eleventy-billion threads complaining about it before now and then.

You must be on the inside.

 

[dabomb224]

If 4.1 really is unwrapped this week i don't even want to think about how long it will take the VZW to get it. I'm not talking about Roms built from 4.1 source either, because those mean nothing to me without the corresponding VZW specific firmware to match.

Also we should keep an eye out for a jelly bean statue to be put up at Mountain View soon ....like in the next day or two if they are going to out JB this week.

That's really the question: will we Toro users be able to build ROMs from the source once Jellybean is released, or will we be forced to wait for proprietary Verizon files that come with the official release.

 

[ajdroidx]

It will be shoehorned unto rooted / unlocked phones well before its officially available.

 

[trophynuts]

That's really the question: will we Toro users be able to build ROMs from the source once Jellybean is released, or will we be forced to wait for proprietary Verizon files that come with the official release.

both. If JB source is released (which should happen within a week from tomorrow) Roms can be re based from JB source code. HOWEVER until VZW releases an official build you will be running a JB Rom over ICS firmware. Which could be a bad thing or a good thing. Usually it results in a lot of bugs or some features not working. Then again it could work just fine.

 

[Kookas]

ICS the end of fragmentation? How? The only way I could see that being the case is if Google updated every Android phone directly from their own offices, but then you'd get an outcry from Samsung and HTC because their crappy overlay suddenly wouldn't work. And it's not how it is anyhow.

Anyway, looking forward to AOKP on 4.1...

 

[trophynuts]

I think fragmentation is only going to get worse. The only way they can make it better is go to yearly updates to new versions so that the older phones can catch up or EOL themselves, and only release small updates for bugs in between the major updates.


for example, they should wait another year before releasing Android 5.0.

 

[mrmax86]

If 4.1 really is unwrapped this week i don't even want to think about how long it will take the VZW to get it. I'm not talking about Roms built from 4.1 source either, because those mean nothing to me without the corresponding VZW specific firmware to match.

Also we should keep an eye out for a jelly bean statue to be put up at Mountain View soon ....like in the next day or two if they are going to out JB this week.

For all we know, VZW could have had JB for a while now, and could start pushing it to the GNex a lot sooner than 4.0.4 was.

I'm even going to venture a guess that they had an early version of it and were testing it at the SAME TIME as 4.0.4 which would explain why it took so long for 4.0.4 to be pushed. It also would explain why VZW didn't offer an explanation as to why they dropped the ball on 4.0.4...they secretly had 4.1 all along!

 

[trophynuts]

Its a given that they've probably had it for a while in a test cycle,

I would bet you that Google is already coding for Android 5.0

 

[OfTheDamned]

ICS the end of fragmentation? How? The only way I could see that being the case is if Google updated every Android phone directly from their own offices, but then you'd get an outcry from Samsung and HTC because their crappy overlay suddenly wouldn't work. And it's not how it is anyhow.

Anyway, looking forward to AOKP on 4.1...

The key point of fragmentation that ICS was supposed to address was the difference between phones and tablets. The key reason that it hasn't come to all devices is the big changes that were made between 2.3 and 4.0. Custom UIs had to be rewritten and slimmed down (which was a good thing).

Its a given that they've probably had it for a while in a test cycle,

I would bet you that Google is already coding for Android 5.0

I think they are coding for 12.5 already. They are just taking it as it comes, but these guys have ideas that they want out there. They just don't have them finished. Some things may show up in JB and some in KLP. Other may not show up until they get to S or T.

We may not even see JB on phones this year. It may just be on a Tablet for a while and not show up to phones until this fall. At that time we may also see a bunch of phones getting upgraded to it.

 

[trophynuts]

The key point of fragmentation that ICS was supposed to address was the difference between phones and tablets. The key reason that it hasn't come to all devices is the big changes that were made between 2.3 and 4.0. Custom UIs had to be rewritten and slimmed down (which was a good thing).



I think they are coding for 12.5 already. They are just taking it as it comes, but these guys have ideas that they want out there. They just don't have them finished. Some things may show up in JB and some in KLP. Other may not show up until they get to S or T.

We may not even see JB on phones this year. It may just be on a Tablet for a while and not show up to phones until this fall. At that time we may also see a bunch of phones getting upgraded to it.

this made my head hurt lol

 

[OfTheDamned]

this made my head hurt lol

Which part? I'll rephrase.

 

[drbugsmn]

According to Engadget, google has dropped the price of the GNEX on the play store to 349, and will release it with JB
Google cuts the price of the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus to $349, adds Jelly Bean -- Engadget

 

[red66charger]

I just wanted to be the first to ask...

Will it be available for the GNex?
If so, when will it be released?

Speculation is encouraged.

I owe the OP an apology because at the time SharpBarb created this thread I thought it was a sick joke, yet here we are...

 

[dabomb224]

Well according to today's keynote, Jelly Bean PDK went out to hardware manufacturers 3 months ago. That means that potentially, since the Nexus is the current developer device, Verizon itself may have already had 3 months to dick around with an actual Gnex build. Probably wishful thinking, but hey.

 

[trophynuts]

Yeah from what i've read the actual source code won't come out until mid-july as well. So for custom Roms we'll have to wait till then. Unless some early leaked builds start dropping which could happen for the GSM variant at least...

VZW would totally win a lot of people back if they would drop a Jelly Bean bomb on everyone mid July. oohhhhhhhh the speculation is about to reach Category 4