Are the "Nexus" brand phones always to be first with new updates ?

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Zorachus

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I always thought that the "nexus" brand phones, were designed to be the first Android phones to receive the big updates from Google ? But that doesn't seem to be true.

I am not too confident that the Nexus-S will be first in line to get the next big OS update. I see them coming out with a Nexus-3.0 being the first phone running "ice Cream" then later on down the road the Nexus-S will get that update, and then possibly the Nexus-One.

I thought Google was going to do it differently ? If there is a "nexus" brand phone, it should get the newest OS right away, that was the whole point of the phone. But the Nexus-S came out with 2.3, and all the Nexus-One owners just kept waiting and waiting, for a few months. That was not cool. I don't remember, but was the Nexus-One the first phone to get 2.2 Froyo before any other phone ?

I was under the impression the "nexus" brand phones are the first to get the newest releases, sure it was the "first" technically besides the Nexus-S, but it took a long time, well over 2 months. I would have expected Google to test 2.3 on both Nexus devices and release at the same time, or at least fairly close, like a week or so.

So is this the pattern ? When there is a major new Android OS release, a new "nexus" phone will come out first with it, then the old Nexus phones get it trickled down to it at some later date, and all other phones months after that ? So for example, if the next major release is "Ice cream" do NOT expect the Nexus-S to get it right away, I would expect it first on a brand new Nexus-3.0 phone ? Then a month or two later the older Nexus phones will finally get it ?
 
IMO it's less about getting it first and more about getting updates at all. With a nexus phone, you know that google will always release updates for it. With some phones, the only way to even get an update is if someone else has put together a package. Otherwise you're SOL.
 
With the Nexus phones you don't have to rely on a security exploit to gain access to the bootloader/root. For someone like me that runs Cyanogenmod (or any of the other custom software), you can get the newest updates quickly and easily (and not having to rely on your carrier or anyone else to release the updates).

I'm hoping number 3 will be built by HTC...no more glossy plastic!
 
They launch a new Device with major releases. Droid, Nexus, Nexus S, Xoom. Order is the newest google experience phones get the latest version and sits on it for a little bit then updates the previous lines as long as the hardware supports it. For example none of the phones will get 3.0, and 2.3 is a stretch on the Droid.

So if your looking for a certain OS and want it immediately, then you are best served by getting the latest Google experience hardware.

Droid 2.0 (2.1 was the shipping version of eclair for everyone else), Nexus 2.2 (though they launched with 2.1 it was always a 2.2 showcase phone, but phone was ready before OS), Nexus S 2.3(was also needed because manufacturing of Nexus had stopped as hardware is very close performance wise), Xoom 3.0.
 
From what I have read on Android sites, there will be a Nexus-3.0 built by HTC or possibly Motorola for once, and released second half of 2011, most likely end of the year, and it is supposed to ship with "ice cream", the first ever Android phone with that OS.

But there is a rumor, strongly typed word "RUMOR", that the new HTC-Pyramid coming to T-Mobile this Spring, could be the next Google phone by HTC, and might be the Nexus-2.4 release.

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-pyramid-shows-online-some-early-renders
 
The Nexus line is pretty much the official Google phone. They to tend to be the first to receive updates.
 
Pretty sure I read somewhere that the stock S build was only going to be on the S. Later updates to Gingerbread will come to other phones.
 
Also...I assume (and hope) the next major Android release will bring a new Nexus phone, made by HTC.

I am a former Nexus One user, and current Nexus S user...
 
The Nexus line was only intended to be a "pure" android experience, no carrier bloat, no crap. The Nexus One was also the "developer" phone, taking over that designation from the aging G1. It doesn't go by an android "major release", and frankly, 2.1 and 2.3 weren't much of a major release anyways.

That being said, Google has made NO promises that the Nexus line would get any updates in particular, let alone a permanent upgrade cycle. Traditionally however, the Nexus line would get the upgrades first. 2.1 and 2.2 went to the Nexus One first, then the EVO got 2.2 a month or so later. 2.3 went to the Nexus S, then the Nexus One a few weeks later.

I loved the Nexus One, and can't stand the Nexus S. Samsung is just a complete letdown for smartphones. Thankfully, there are great devs out there that can compile from source. CyanogenMod, AOSP, SenseUI ports, etc.
 
entropism said:
I loved the Nexus One, and can't stand the Nexus S. Samsung is just a complete letdown for smartphones. Thankfully, there are great devs out there that can compile from source. CyanogenMod, AOSP, SenseUI ports, etc.
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Completely agree - I really like my N1 but the NS seems to be a minor performance update in a much lower quality housing. Definitely a disappointment, hopefully the next Nexus phone brings back the quality.
 
entropism said:
The Nexus line was only intended to be a "pure" android experience, no carrier bloat, no crap. The Nexus One was also the "developer" phone, taking over that designation from the aging G1. It doesn't go by an android "major release", and frankly, 2.1 and 2.3 weren't much of a major release anyways.

That being said, Google has made NO promises that the Nexus line would get any updates in particular, let alone a permanent upgrade cycle. Traditionally however, the Nexus line would get the upgrades first. 2.1 and 2.2 went to the Nexus One first, then the EVO got 2.2 a month or so later. 2.3 went to the Nexus S, then the Nexus One a few weeks later.

I loved the Nexus One, and can't stand the Nexus S. Samsung is just a complete letdown for smartphones. Thankfully, there are great devs out there that can compile from source. CyanogenMod, AOSP, SenseUI ports, etc.
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Yep. Google does it's best to update the Nexus phones. However, with Android 2.3 the Nexus S of course was released with it first. ROM makers, like the CM team, had GB running on a dozen or more devices long before Nexus One got it officially. In fact CM had a near fully working Android 2.3 ROM for the Nexus One before Google did. LMAO

It's too bad that HTC, Motorola, and Samsung put bullshit like Sense, Blur, and TouchWiz on top of Android. The stock interface really isn't bad and once you add a new launcher things improve.

What these companies need to do is just leave Android alone. They need to give their users the option to theme to what THEY want. Tmobile released a totally badass way to allow users to theme without needing root and they even open sourced it. If only the manufacturers were add that to their phones instead of crapware that supposedly makes things "pretty". :(
 
did it really take *that* long for the nexus one to get 2.3? I mean the nexus S was released at the end of last November, and the nexus one got the 2.3 update mid january of this year

doesn't really seem so bad to me.... the real test will be if/when the nexus one gets 2.4, or even a 3.x release...
 
brucedeluxe169 said:
did it really take *that* long for the nexus one to get 2.3? I mean the nexus S was released at the end of last November, and the nexus one got the 2.3 update mid january of this year

doesn't really seem so bad to me.... the real test will be if/when the nexus one gets 2.4, or even a 3.x release...
Click to expand...

Compared to how quickly 2.2 was pushed to Nexus One yes it took awhile. Plus Google kept saying "it's coming in a few weeks." Those weeks turned to months.

Overall I guess it was a good turn around just not nearly as good as when Froyo was pushed.
 
i dunno.... around 1.5 months to me really does seem to be "a few weeks", really can't call it a "few months"

but those are semantics I guess.... like I said, the real test will be even further updates to the Nexus One....

after all, even the G1 went from 1.0 to 1.5, then 1.6...... so its not like 2 revisions is unheard of....
 
brucedeluxe169 said:
i dunno.... around 1.5 months to me really does seem to be "a few weeks", really can't call it a "few months"

but those are semantics I guess.... like I said, the real test will be even further updates to the Nexus One....

after all, even the G1 went from 1.0 to 1.5, then 1.6...... so its not like 2 revisions is unheard of....
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nexus one shipped with 2.1; then it was upgraded to 2.2 and now 2.3 (ignoring small updates in between), so it's already gotten 2revisions. I'm still rocking my N1; and i dont think there's another phone on the market that makes me jealous enough to open my wallet yet... it's holding up pretty well.
 
im getting an HTC HD2 pretty soon, which runs ported Nexus One roms (its basically the same phone with a different screen), so I actually do hope that the N1 is kept relatively up to date by Google....

as far as I've seen, there really isnt much of a need for anything faster than the N1 any time soon.... it handles web browsing excellently, and unless you want to play 3d games, the CPU is plenty fast...
 
Zorachus said:
I always thought that the "nexus" brand phones, were designed to be the first Android phones to receive the big updates from Google ? But that doesn't seem to be true.
Click to expand...

No, the point of the Nexus brand has actually changed. With the N1, the point was to try and re-invent how we buy phones in the US - that didn't work. Now the point is pure Google. In both cases, they are also dev phones that ship with root and are unlocked. They are also maintained by Google, with updates directly from Google, and whose ROMs can be built directly from AOSP (hugely important if custom roms is your thing).

Vermillion said:
Yep. Google does it's best to update the Nexus phones. However, with Android 2.3 the Nexus S of course was released with it first. ROM makers, like the CM team, had GB running on a dozen or more devices long before Nexus One got it officially. In fact CM had a near fully working Android 2.3 ROM for the Nexus One before Google did. LMAO
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No, they got 2.3 almost fully working when Google officially launched 2.3.3 for the N1. Google's release was an entire API level ahead of CM for the N1 ;)

Vermillion said:
Compared to how quickly 2.2 was pushed to Nexus One yes it took awhile. Plus Google kept saying "it's coming in a few weeks." Those weeks turned to months.
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The big thing you are missing is the N1 never got 2.3 at all. It went directly to 2.3.3, hence the delay. It actually got 2.3.3 the *exact same time* as the Nexus S. Hence why weeks turned into a couple months - Google decided to skip 2.3 for the N1 entirely and go straight to 2.3.3, to avoid the whole update followed quickly by yet another update thing.
 
kllrnohj said:
The big thing you are missing is the N1 never got 2.3 at all. It went directly to 2.3.3, hence the delay. It actually got 2.3.3 the *exact same time* as the Nexus S. Hence why weeks turned into a couple months - Google decided to skip 2.3 for the N1 entirely and go straight to 2.3.3, to avoid the whole update followed quickly by yet another update thing.
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the takeaway message is... dont buy an android phone unless its a "Nexus" phone....

because seriously, is there a single other phone out there that actually has a reasonable expectation of timely, long term updates?

android def needsto sort the whole fragmentation thing out....
 
brucedeluxe169 said:
the takeaway message is... dont buy an android phone unless its a "Nexus" phone....

because seriously, is there a single other phone out there that actually has a reasonable expectation of timely, long term updates?

android def needsto sort the whole fragmentation thing out....
Click to expand...

Just my opinion, but the fragmentation is because manufacturers/carriers keep adding proprietary crap that's unnecessary and only hurtful to the platform. Touchwiz and Motoblur are just the tip of the iceberg.

The guys over at XDA for example, discovered the Carrier IQ bullshit on the Epic 4G for Sprint. What does it do? Literally monitor every damn thing you do on the phone. It even monitors how often you touch the screen. What does it do for the phone in the end? Kill battery life. Why does Sprint need to see where I'm browsing or what games I'm playing? Why does Sprint need to know how often I touch the touchscreen? If there was a better carrier in my area as well as my gf's area where she's attending college, I'd be dumping them for this bullshit.

I'm running the latest midNIGHT_ROM with the CIQ removed and my battery life has shot up like a motherfucker, even compared to previous ROM's I've ran with SetCPU set to underclock like a mofo when not in use. Now if someone could figure out how to properly remove the Samsung DRM bullshit I'd have the battery life I'm supposed to be getting in the first place with this phone.
 
brucedeluxe169 said:
because seriously, is there a single other phone out there that actually has a reasonable expectation of timely, long term updates?
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Yes, Google Experience Devices, which so far consist of the HTC G1, Motorola Droid (original), and Motorola Xoom. These are devices that aren't branded "Nexus", but are still updated/maintained by Google (mostly, anyway)

android def needsto sort the whole fragmentation thing out....
Click to expand...

Why? "fragmentation"** isn't a problem at all, it's progress, it's choice. Just like "fragmentation"** hasn't been a problem for Windows - instead, it has propelled both to the tops of their respective segments. Android recently took the #1 smartphone position in the US. There is nothing to sort out, because there is no problem. The only issue at all is the pace at which Google pumps out new versions of Android, which is hard for OEMs that skin to keep up with. The minority that actually cares what version of Android their phone is running can get a Nexus phone and be happy. The rest of the world doesn't care.

**The reason for the quotes is because we aren't talking about fragmentation at all. Real fragmentation is very, very bad, but fortunately it *does not exist* on Android at all. That is when you have APIs that are mostly the same between devices, but behave differently. An example of this would be unix vs. bsd vs. linux vs. etc... way back in the day, when everyone had similar APIs that behaved differently. That is fragmentation. Android doesn't have that, at all. All 2.1 devices support the entire 2.1 API in the exact same way, all 2.2 devices support the entire 2.2 API in the exact same way, etc... That is a requirement to get access to the Android Market in the first place - there are a bunch of tests a manufacturer must pass called CTS tests that prevent real fragmentation from happening at all.
 
quadnad said:
With the Nexus phones you don't have to rely on a security exploit to gain access to the bootloader/root. For someone like me that runs Cyanogenmod (or any of the other custom software), you can get the newest updates quickly and easily (and not having to rely on your carrier or anyone else to release the updates).
Click to expand...

Not just custom software... The official OS will work too.

In my case, being a Nexus One owner here in Quebec, Canada, I was limited to Android 2.2 Froyo by my carrier (Videotron) and when I contacted them to anquire when we would see an update, they said that it would be a while because they had to test it first. BULL!!!!
I used the passimg.zip method and now I'm running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and the best part is that the wifi actually works properly now!!! Go figure...My phne would always drop my wifi connection and revert back to 3G. Not anymore. I get home and it connects to my wifi by itself and stays on. The way it should be. That and now I get OS updates OTA the way the phone was designed to work. Not how my carrier wants it to work.
 
I've got an Android phone and don't see myself switching anytime soon, but the update situation bothers me a lot. I had a captivate and we all know what a debacle the update situation was on that. Now I have an Inspire, and HTC which has been one of the better updates so far is still running froyo on their phones.

The nexus line gets them quicker than others, but between the G1 being dropped after 1.6 when it is plenty capable of running 2.x, and the Nexus One being delayed so long for Gingerbread (making me think Gingerbread is the end of the line officially as far as Google is concerned) isn't very encouraging.
 
MJGunn said:
I've got an Android phone and don't see myself switching anytime soon, but the update situation bothers me a lot. I had a captivate and we all know what a debacle the update situation was on that. Now I have an Inspire, and HTC which has been one of the better updates so far is still running froyo on their phones.

The nexus line gets them quicker than others, but between the G1 being dropped after 1.6 when it is plenty capable of running 2.x, and the Nexus One being delayed so long for Gingerbread (making me think Gingerbread is the end of the line officially as far as Google is concerned) isn't very encouraging.
Click to expand...

Similar situation here. :( I got a Samsung Vibrant because I thought since it's in a popular series of phones (Galaxy S), it'd get more attention as far as updates go from Samsung or at least Cyanogen. And although it (and only it?) did eventually get an official update to Froyo, the fact that it took as long as it did and how the other Galaxy S phones haven't received timely updates (or updates at all) doesn't bode well.

I was and still am thinking about switching to a Nexus One because I had the impression that the Nexus phones were always going to be updated, but it seems (from this thread) even they aren't guaranteed anything after they're released. :(
 
achensherd said:
I was and still am thinking about switching to a Nexus One because I had the impression that the Nexus phones were always going to be updated, but it seems (from this thread) even they aren't guaranteed anything after they're released. :(
Click to expand...

every nexus phone released is currently on the latest os; n1 was just delayed a little.
 
Nothing was ever guaranteed. Nothing was ever even stated. It was all assumed. That being said, I have no doubts in my mind the Nexus 1 will get 2.4 officially, and at least 3 more updates afterwards through custom roms (which is what you should be using anyways).
 
TheMadHatterXxX said:
Any chance of a dual-core top of the line Nexus to be released that would work on AT&T anytime soon?
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T-Mo seems to be getting all of the Nexus action, but who knows. I think dual-core for the Nexus 3 will be a no-brainer.
 
TheMadHatterXxX said:
I always thought the Nexus phones were not carrier dependent and worked on any GSM band...? :confused:
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EDGE will work between carriers, but the 3G frequency is different between AT&T and T-Mo. So what you end up with is a phone that is limited to EDGE speeds on AT&T.

The did later release AT&T versions of the Nexus one.
 
From what we've been hearing, next year's Nexus will most likely debut on Sprint, if the merger between AT&T and T-Mo goes through.

AT&T will receive the Nexus S shortly, don't expect a new Nexus (outside of LG's tablet) for a while.
 
entropism said:
From what we've been hearing, next year's Nexus will most likely debut on Sprint, if the merger between AT&T and T-Mo goes through.

AT&T will receive the Nexus S shortly, don't expect a new Nexus (outside of LG's tablet) for a while.
Click to expand...

why sprint? why not Verizon or ATT&T?
 
quadnad said:
why sprint? why not Verizon or ATT&T?
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Probably because Verizon is no longer a "safe" zone for Google that will shower all the attention on Android.

As it stands, though, that's a fairly bold rumor to make given how long an interval we're dealing with. And Sprint generally isn't known for making great deals on exclusive phones. For every Evo 4G there's three Palm Pres, Kyocera Echos, or Samsung Instincts.
 
I would not be surprised if the upcoming Nexus-3.0 is made by Motorola. Rumors were they wanted to make the Nexus-Two last year but couldn't get the deal done in time with Google. And I have read rumors that Google wants each of the big Android phone manufactureers to have a shot with a "Nexus"

First was HTC...then Samsung...next Motorola...
 
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