Help Downgrade Galaxy Nexus to Gingerbread 2.3?

[androidw2]

Hello, I have a Galaxy Nexus and I think it's slow occasionally. I can't buy a new phone right now, so I want to put Gingerbread on it as that will probably be faster. Is there anyway to put gingerbread on it?

Thanks

 

[Metroid Prime]

Well, I think you may have to root the phone to downgrade it I believe. You say your device is acting slow? Have you tried clearing the cache on it and deleting all the old messages on it? That should speed it up. What carrier are you on by the way?

 

[audiohavoc]

Strange. My Nexus with Jelly Bean 4.1.1 is super fast, smooth and stable compared to my old LG Revolution running 2.3 or 2.4. It is my first Android phone that runs the way I expect a phone to run.

 

[audiohavoc]

Factory reset would be a good thing to try.

 

[sdrawkcab25]

The Galaxy Nexus will only run android 4.0 or higher (there are no older ROMs). 4.1 is much faster than Gingerbread would ever be because of the hardware acceleration that was put in and Project butter(ramps up the processor on screen touch). Like others have said, it just sounds like you need to do a factory reset . Although all phones will lag at times, depending on a variety of factors. But usually poorly coded apps are the root cause of phone lag.

 

[androidw2]

I have been rooted, I flash a new ROM every day to see if it's fixed, I've tried stock unrooted, cyanogenmod, aokp, all lag. I really think only Gingerbread will solve it as it is older software, so how can I install it on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus?

 

[Tim K]

You can't. No one has a gingerbread rom for it. No one would build one for a flagship phone that shipped with ics.

You are also mistaken to think an older ROM would be faster. You are thinking about how old phones lag when you add new builds that are just too much for the older hardware. That isn't the case here. The GN was built to run ICS.
If your phone lags something is wrong. Especially if its stock with no apps. Are you sure you aren't running some app or an exchange server that is causing lag on every build? Have you seen lag on stock ROM with no apps installed?

 

[androidw2]

Well, it's relative to what you guys get- what do you define as lag? Does your phone lag at all? Mine holds up sometimes when scrolling through homescreens. It has had to reboot because I was doing to many things at once. Sometimes it takes a few seconds (like 5) for google now to open. Also, why wouldn't anyone make Gingerbread for the Galaxy Nexus? Gingerbread is the most popular Android OS..

 

[audiohavoc]

Sounds like there is some issue here with your particular device and/or software you are using. I have zero lag with my device and no need to reeboot because of lockup so far. Perhaps you need a replacement.

 

[jhawkkw]

If you were to succeed at putting gingerbread on it, you would find it unusable. 2.3.x doesn't have support for software buttons, so it would become very difficult to navigate on the phone to say the least since there are no physical or capacitive buttons on the Gnex.

 

[androidw2]

Actually in Cyanogenmod 7 there is a Tablet Tweak option for software buttons. And I can't get a replacement, I bought it from someone else. What do you mean by zero lag? And are you sure there is no way to get Gingerbread or Cupcake on this Galaxy Nexus?

 

[kinfolk248]

Yes, GB on a galaxy nexus is a no no! the software itself is built COMPLETELY different than what the nexus was built for. Imagine trying to put a chainsaw engine on an R6 motorcycle...aint happening... I suggest trying to find what app is lagging your phone (may be your launcher if its 3rd party), cleaning all cache and if that doesnt work a factory reset may be in line next. If your unlock/rooted i'd say try bugless beast rom (4.1.2) its 97% stock just on hgh lol, there are other roms too that one is just the mainstay for stock built...

Overheating, cant keep a signal (truly cant hold one), extremely bad battery life, constant reboots, etc may suggest a defective phone itself...

 

[kinfolk248]

Actually in Cyanogenmod 7 there is a Tablet Tweak option for software buttons. And I can't get a replacement, I bought it from someone else. What do you mean by zero lag? And are you sure there is no way to get Gingerbread or Cupcake on this Galaxy Nexus?

Bought it off someone..........it may just be shot out smh

 

[androidw2]

It might be a mental effect as it really isn't that slow, but it did reboot once and it lags occasionally when i have an interactive widget. What do you define as lag? Also google now is slow occasionally. And I swear i saw Cupcake or Gingerbread on the Galaxy Nexus somewhere

 

[kinfolk248]

It might be a mental effect as it really isn't that slow, but it did reboot once and it lags occasionally when i have an interactive widget. What do you define as lag? Also google now is slow occasionally. And I swear i saw Cupcake or Gingerbread on the Galaxy Nexus somewhere

widget can slow you down, signal strength can alter google speed, no im 91% positive you didnt see that... Im on jbs 3.2 (4.1.2) and i dont have lag of any kind no matter what your definition is lol.

what launcher you running?

try the previous suggestions we've offered

 

[tube517]

Try everything above.

If rooted, clear cache and dalvik cache in recovery.

Use a cache clearing app periodically.

Do you have a task killer app? If so, delete it.

 

[androidw2]

OK, thank you everyone. I think It's just in my mind and I'm imagining it, though it did reboot once, and stutters occasionally. I want to try to downgrade to 2.3 just for fun though now, I guess that's not possible? I don't see why they wouldn't make one, Gingerbread is the most popular Android OS..

 

[sdrawkcab25]

OK, thank you everyone. I think It's just in my mind and I'm imagining it, though it did reboot once, and stutters occasionally. I want to try to downgrade to 2.3 just for fun though now, I guess that's not possible? I don't see why they wouldn't make one, Gingerbread is the most popular Android OS..

Popularity and being on the most devices are two different things. A lot of devices have 2.3 only because they haven't been updated by the carrier. ICS and jellybean go onto more handsets every day as people UPGRADE their phone.

 

[jhawkkw]

Popularity and being on the most devices are two different things. A lot of devices have 2.3 only because they haven't been updated by the carrier. ICS and jellybean go onto more handsets every day as people UPGRADE their phone.

Yes, this is the case for most people being on gingerbread. Most people have older devices, or devices that an OEM has already given up on and will not upgrade. There's also the people who don't even know what version their running or don't care, just as long as it works. So even if there is an upgrade, it doesn't mean the did it. Just the other day I saw a question about a Nexus S on Gingerbread, even though that device has had 4.1.2 officially for a while.

 

[kinfolk248]

Yes, this is the case for most people being on gingerbread. Most people have older devices, or devices that an OEM has already given up on and will not upgrade. There's also the people who don't even know what version their running or don't care, just as long as it works. So even if there is an upgrade, it doesn't mean the did it. Just the other day I saw a question about a Nexus S on Gingerbread, even though that device has had 4.1.2 officially for a while.

Precise observation, imo i think that if every android user demoed all the versions of android 4.1 would be the most popular. My reason for that is 4.0 was a HUGGGGGGGGGGGGE jump forward, unlike 4.1 to 4.2 (but dont get me started on that bs lol) and 4.1 brought butter to fix 'lag' and it mostly worked. But yea GB is most popular b/c most devices only get one update if theyre lucky and most ppl dont know what their phone is. But 4.1 would win decisively i think in a popularity poll if test driven by all... ;-)

 

[Turdbogls]

you at all running a live wallpaper. i know there are a few out there that REALLY lag this phone. they are usually just very poorly coded as most apps wont lag this phone at all on 4.2

I just flashed the latest CM 10.1 nightly (1/13/2013) and not sure what they did, but this is the fastest and smoothest my phone has been since i bought it.
yes, google now does take a while to open, but this isn't lag. lag, to me, is when you swipe in a lits or home screen, and it takes half a second to respond. if you are comparing the nexus to an iPhone, there are things here and there that you might consider "lag" when in reality, its just the way android is.
but if you really are getting lag, it is probably a bad app, live wallpaper, or hardware issue.

gingerbread will lag like crazy. i played with my buddies SGS2 (comparable on specs) on CM7 and it was WAY more jittery, and just a touch slower opening apps up and my CM10.1 nexus

also, you may want to speed up or completely remove animations in the developer settings.

 

[Deleted User]

Gingerbread is the most widely installed Android OS.

There's a difference between widely installed and popular, though. The reason it is the most widely installed is because many handset manufacturers are not providing upgrades. Popular implies that someone chose to install Gingerbread, when other options were available.

Nobody is/was choosing Gingerbread. It was what they got. So that's why nobody has developed a ROM for it - because nobody is choosing to have an old, out of date version of Android.

 

[GirlFriday]

My mother has an older Android phone running Gingerbread. It's slow as molasses compared to my Nexus. You were told repeatedly why there is no Gingerbread ROM for the Nexus yet you ignore it and keep asking. If you follow the advice you were given (factory reset, removing your launcher if it's a third party one, etc) you will probably solve your problem.

 

[Demache]

OK, thank you everyone. I think It's just in my mind and I'm imagining it, though it did reboot once, and stutters occasionally. I want to try to downgrade to 2.3 just for fun though now, I guess that's not possible? I don't see why they wouldn't make one, Gingerbread is the most popular Android OS..

If you REALLY wanted to, you could look into Android ROM development. Make a version of 2.3 for the Galaxy Nexus, and post it to xda-developers. I'm sure you will get some laughs.

 

[Slug]

I'd say this has run its course.