Hi, I got a GNexus 3 days ago, and I've been fiddling around with android. And when I went to some forums I was blown away by the amount of builds, terms and update regulations, so I have some questions:
1. My build is a yakjuxw, should I change to yakju? Does it void warranty?
The advantage to switching to yakju is that you get the latest Android updates as Google releases them. Whether you should change depends on how happy you are with your Nexus and how badly you want the latest version of Android.
Whether it voids your warranty would depend on the specific terms of your warranty. The other issue is that since the phone is still running a certified version of Android, not a custom ROM, and is not rooted, others have not had a problem getting warranty service (though they have had their phones reflashed with yakjuxw). It really just depends on your mobile provider.
2. How do updates work? I've seen lots of people installing it manually, but should I wait for the OTA? Will it take long? Would it be dangerous if I tried to update it manually?
An OTA update is going to depend on your mobile provider and when they decide to release it. If you install it manually, you will be changing to yakju. There is little danger in updating manually; the Nexus is easy to update. If you decide to manually update,
these instructions are some of the easiest to use. It really is fairly simple if you just follow those steps.
3. My phone is 4.1.1, but there already is 4.1.2 and 4.2, and my phone says it's up-to-date, what's wrong? Will I have to wait long?
Your phone is up to date because 4.1.1 is the latest software version your mobile provider has released. You won't see 4.1.2 or 4.2 until your mobile provider release them, unless you manually update to yakju. If you update to yakju, you then will get the OTA updates as Google releases them.
4. What is GSM and HSPA+?
GSM is a standard for cell phones to communicate with cellular networks. Most International providers are GSM, though in the US some mobile providers use CDMA.
HSPA+ is a standard that was developed to improve the speed of GSM 3G networks. Where 3G networks were limited to speeds in the 1 Mbps range, HSPA+ theoretically allows speeds as fast as 42 Mbps currently, and they are working on allowing speeds up to 84.4 Mbps in the future. While HSPA+ can theoretically run up to 42 Mbps, in real life users will rarely see speeds faster than 20 Mbps.
5. Should I just lay back and wait for everything to solve itself?
Again, that is something only you can decide. If you are happy with your phone, as is, then it is easier and likely safer (in terms of warranty) to just wait for your mobile provider to release updates. If you want to run the latest version of Android and not wait, then you should manually install yakju. Only you can decide which is better for you.
