Don't just whine, contact Verizon!

[gafftaper]

Like you, I'm frustrated with the Jelly Bean delay for the Nexus. So, I sat down last night and wrote an angry letter to Verizon.

This is the response I got back:

I appreciate your desire to have the most current software. I understand wanting the full android experience. My name is ***** and I am happy to assist you today.

I would love to give you a release date and if I had it I would but unfortunately we also do not have a date for the 4.1 for any devices released yet. Our goal is to keep you as a loyal and happy customer. I have forwarded your feedback and appreciate the time you took to submit it.

****, I have seen policy changes happen at Verizon Wireless in direct response to customer feedback.

That last line really intrigues me if we all complain loudly, maybe they will stop messing with the G-nex and give us our promised pure android experience.

Take 5 minutes and contact them today. Go to the Verizon Wireless home page, click support, and click the send an e-mail drop down box.

 

[FramCire]

Like you, I'm frustrated with the Jelly Bean delay for the Nexus. So, I sat down last night and wrote an angry letter to Verizon.

This is the response I got back:


That last line really intrigues me if we all complain loudly, maybe they will stop messing with the G-nex and give us our promised pure android experience.

Take 5 minutes and contact them today. Go to the Verizon Wireless home page, click support, and click the send an e-mail drop down box.

This is the typical form reply.

Am I the only one who still cares more about radio than JB?

 

[JMKosmo]

I'm getting more angry everyday about it.

 

[The_Chief]

When Verizon bean-dipped around with the 4.0.4 update, I ceased being a blissful user. I unlocked, rooted and ROMmed this baby and I have one regret: not having done it sooner.

Not to brag, but I've been on Jelly Bean for a month now. The tools out there to help you in the process are virtually automatic: I was up & running in no time. Now, all I want from Big Red is the service... nothing else Verizon is left on my phone.

If you want Jelly Bean, it's there for the taking: but if I woke up in your shoes, I wouldn't wait for Verizon. It could be a very long wait. And there are plenty of friendly people here to help you in the process. My 0.02

 

[gregs887]

Simple solution, when my Sprint contract is up I am going GSM and never looking back. Until then it is the same root and load custom ROM dance that I had to do with my EVO

Write all the letters you want, until they start losing customers they don't give a crap.

 

[Chugworth]

Over the years I have preferred to keep my phones running the official releases. But when I saw the improvements in Jelly Bean, I knew that enough was enough. I wasn't about to sit around for eight months waiting for Verizon to approve of the upgrade. I loaded Peter Alfonso's Jelly Bean ROM shortly after he released it, and that has been an excellent decision. Jelly Bean is great. In fact, it seems to have fixed the problem of random data connection timeouts that I was getting before. And another thing: I think Android's built-in tethering is more stable than programs like FoxFi. I've been doing some tethering recently, and I have actually been surprised at just how solid the connection has been. I think my days of preferring official releases are finished.

Simple solution, when my Sprint contract is up I am going GSM and never looking back.

Now you see, this is what puzzles me. LTE is supposed to be a GSM-type of network. With that in mind, when are we going to get an LTE Nexus device straight from Google that would just be a matter of plugging a Verizon SIM card in?

 

[MSUgEEk]

Umm, it took Verizon near 6 months to push out the 4.0.4 update, which was minor. I wouldn't anticipate 4.1 for a long time. Suck it up and root. You'll be glad you did.

Oh, and regardless of what they tell you via e-mail or phone, they don't care. Heck, they didn't care when they had hundreds, if not thousands, of people beating their door down trying to buy a Nexus. Didn't affect their release date a single day. Really don't think any e-mail or phone call is going to give them much greif over an update for a phone they already sold ya.

 

[aurora40]

Look how slowly their ICS rollout is going. The GNex is already on ICS, so it might not be their top priority in terms of pushing updates. I suspect plenty of Droid 4, Bionic, and other device owners are similarly pissed at still being on Gingerbread.

Maybe they are going as fast as they can, they just aren't very good at this?

 

[dgold82]

I actually spoke to a human in Verizon executive relations about it yesterday. Like most other Verizon employees they are either unbelievably clueless or lying straight out when it comes to these issues.

I basically asked him why Apple was allowed to release updates when they want but Android manufacturers have to go through the Verizon "QA" process. The Nexus issue seemed to be too complex for him so I just gave up on that.

He didn't have an answer. That's really it. Nothing. He claimed that Apple updates do go through their QA process but we know that's not true. When I asked if Verizon executive relations was aware that Android techies are pretty upset about it he told me that he hasn't received any complaints. He said most people who call in are complaining about bugs and have no idea what operating system they are using. Sigh.

Bottom line is that I really don't think they give a crap about our relatively tiny techie community. I don't see that changing any time soon. GSM or rooting is the only way. With the awesome coverage that Verizon gives us and the fact that we have a large family plan and can never break out of contract--I'm stuck. Maybe I'll root one day.

 

[jova33]

look at how many people complained about the GS3 having a locked bootloader. Verizon doesn't care. People still buy phones through them, and most customers probably have no clue.
I think the tech savvy are a minority, and Verizon isn't going to cater to the minority. It's all about the Benjamin's baby.

 

[jarez mifkin]

I don't post on here a lot, but read almost everything, so guess now's as good a time as ever to start. I too felt screwed by VZ about how long it took to get the updates and finally about two weeks ago I decided to just go ahead and unlock the thing and install a rom. I went rom crazy! I was wiping clean and installing a new zip at least twice a day just to see all of the different versions out, hell one day I think I went through four versions in a couple of hours (slow day at work) I ended up going back to a pure AOSP version of Jelly Bean that I found and have stuck with it for a week now. The phone feels faster and having the Jelly Bean features is awesome. To the OP, I agree with The_Chief, just bite the bullet...unlock it and start flashing. I searched for about a week for how to unlock the thing and kept coming up with versions that I had to go through the c prompt to do anything(I sucked at computer programming in college and wasn't about to dabble in it again to mess with phone) I finally stumbled on a couple of different Toolkits and just did it. Do it! You won't be disappointed anymore.

 

[Chugworth]

I basically asked him why Apple was allowed to release updates when they want but Android manufacturers have to go through the Verizon "QA" process. The Nexus issue seemed to be too complex for him so I just gave up on that.

What sort of answer were you expecting? What could he have possibly said that would make us say: "Ooooh, so thaaat's why they do that!" Anything short of "Okay, we'll stop!" is going to be unsatisfactory for us.

It's all a result of contractual deals that Verizon is not about to reveal. And the Verizon employees who speak with customers don't have any more information on this than we do. If you read about phones online, then Verizon's customer support people are pretty useless for learning new information from.

 

[Jay3]

I've already decided I'm going to move heaven and earth to switch carriers with my next phone.

 

[FramCire]

What sort of answer were you expecting? What could he have possibly said that would make us say: "Ooooh, so thaaat's why they do that!" Anything short of "Okay, we'll stop!" is going to be unsatisfactory for us.

It's all a result of contractual deals that Verizon is not about to reveal. And the Verizon employees who speak with customers don't have any more information on this than we do. If you read about phones online, then Verizon's customer support people are pretty useless for learning new information from.

This post is sadly on the money. Verizon wanted the iPhone and this gave up certain controls to get it. With Android, they don't have this issue. Honestly, I don't have nearly the problem others do with updates even when I am stock as I am now.

You want to make a change? Do it. Just remember you will lose some things when you switch.

You want to change how verizon does this? Won't happen. They will only change when they deem it necessary.

 

[PhilosoRaptor]

Umm, it took Verizon near 6 months to push out the 4.0.4 update, which was minor. I wouldn't anticipate 4.1 for a long time. Suck it up and root. You'll be glad you did.

You're like the third person I've seen severely exaggerated that. I've replied to it once from another member, so I'm just going to copy/paste my response to him here:

The Verizon Nexus got the 4.0.4 update only one month after the GSM Nexus.

I think you all are getting confused from the time that 4.0.4 leaked and instead of the time the GSM phone got it OTA.

Anyways, though it's BS that Verizon delays such a major update for this long, I'd say it will be here by October. GSM Nexus got the JB OTA on July 11; about 7 weeks ago. Since 4.1 is a larger update, it seems like it's taking them a bit longer to get the update pushed out on Verizon. But I think it would be absurd for them to not have it out by October (which is still ridiculous).

I fully recommend rooting/ROMing too though. I'm on JBSourcery 2.0 and it's insane the amount of customization in this ROM. I've been sticking with Liquid usually, but I think I'll be on Sourcery for a while now.

 

[jova33]

I bet you the vzw s3 gets JB before the vzw nexus

 

[jhawkkw]

It's a sad state to be in to say the least. There is really only three things that can be done. Suck it up and wait, rom the phone, or leave verizon for a gsm carrier and buy an unlocked nexus. Be thankful to have one of the few phones that roming is so easy and relatively safe compared to some phones.

 

[PhilosoRaptor]

I bet you the vzw s3 gets JB before the vzw nexus

The International S3 is looking like it will, but I doubt Verizon will push any update out to any phone that soon thereafter. I'll bet they will be the last carrier (besides maybe Sprint) that will have their S3 updated to JB OTA too.

 

[dornier]

As a tech geek, it's really annoying how long it's taking to release Jelly Bean. It would be nice if Verizon communicated when and if an update is planned for release, otherwise I'm ready to get the new Nexus GSM phone and leave them.

 

[jova33]

The International S3 is looking like it will, but I doubt Verizon will push any update out to any phone that soon thereafter. I'll bet they will be the last carrier (besides maybe Sprint) that will have their S3 updated to JB OTA too.

I'm just saying, Verizon has pushed sales towards the $3 more than they have the GNex. They'll be pushing for the jb update on that device more than the GNex. As I said before, the tech savvy are a minority. Profits = ignorance.

Edit: Freudian slip. I meant an S and I put a $

 

[Sandroidfan]

I'm just saying, Verizon has pushed sales towards the $3 more than they have the GNex. They'll be pushing for the jb update on that device more than the GNex. As I said before, the tech savvy are a minority. Profits = ignorance.

I hate seeing that happen on VZW. But now it seems possible that S3 will get JB ahead of Gnex.

 

[FramCire]

I hate seeing that happen on VZW. But now it seems possible that S3 will get JB ahead of Gnex.

Anything is "possible" but more anger is created on these forums based on what might happen than what does happen.

Verizon takes a while to test updates! Nothing new there. However, there is no evidence that S3 will get it first. The only reason it might is if there is a radio update for GalNex that they bundle together.

Verizon has very little fiscal reason to push updates for a newer phone within first 18 months quicker than an older phone if the update is ready.

 

[Sandroidfan]

Verizon takes a while to test updates! Nothing new there. However, there is no evidence that S3 will get it first. The only reason it might is if there is a radio update for GalNex that they bundle together.

Verizon has very little fiscal reason to push updates for a newer phone within first 18 months quicker than an older phone if the update is ready.

I know that. But Samsung is serious about pushing out JB update to S3 it seems. If verizon is trying to bundle another radio update with JB for Gnex, there is good chance that S3 JB update will come first. Time will tell soon.