Hasta La Gadget!

When Android 4.1.2 hit the airwaves for upgrades, it was limited to a very exclusive club of Nexus 7 owners. Google has widened the gates considerably as of today: we’re receiving multiple reports of GSM-based Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S owners getting the new Jelly Bean build through official, over-the-air channels. Upgrades here aren’t as noticeable as they are on the reference Android tablet; besides fixes, we’ve mostly heard that it’s now possible to expand a notification with a single finger. Those with CDMA-based phones are left out so far, but if you discover any surprise extras before 4.1.2 hits our own devices, be sure to leave us a tip.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S start receiving Android 4.1.2 over the air originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A United States appeals court has overturned the injunction banning the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, arguing that the California district court had “abused its discretion” in granting it. The case between Apple and Samsung, which centers around four patents relating to unified search and Siri, will now be returned to the court of Judge Lucy Koh for reconsideration — in the same way that she had to reverse her previous decision regarding the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The injunction was granted on the basis that Apple could demonstrate “irreparable harm” to its business, and, that its case had a high likelihood of succeeding. However, the panel of judges felt that Cupertino could do neither of those things to the court’s satisfaction, and as such, Samsung’s handsets will be available to purchase as soon as the company can get them onto shelves. If you’d care to delve into the full text of the remand order yourself, it’s available at the source link.

Update: Here is Samsung’s jolly statement regarding the reversal:

“We welcome this reversal by the Federal Circuit, finding that the District Court abused its discretion in ordering a preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Nexus. Today’s decision confirms that the role of patent law is to protect innovation and not to unreasonably stifle competition and restrict consumer choice. We will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Court reverses Galaxy Nexus sales ban in the US (updated with Samsung’s statement) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been seeing a mysterious Android 4.1.2 update mentioned in conjunction with a few unreleased devices in the past few hours, so it’s only fitting that we’re seeing the official release today. Google’s Android Open Source Project lead Jean-Baptiste Queru has posted word that the 4.1.2 release should be available on Tuesday for at least those relying on pure AOSP builds of the mobile OS. While we haven’t seen the update reach our own devices yet, some Nexus 7 owners already report getting 4.1.2 on their tablets with a pleasant surprise in store: in addition to the expected bug fixes and performance boosts, the software lets the home screen rotate to landscape mode on the smaller Jelly Bean slate. We’re keeping an eye out for when other hardware gets the patch, although it’s expected that the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Xoom will follow quickly enough.

[Image credit: EETimes]

Filed under: Mobile, Google

Android 4.1.2 goes live, gives Nexus 7 owners landscape home screen originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Alton Brown is fond of saying, “your patience will be rewarded.” Today, those of you with Verizon-branded Galaxy Nexus handsets (at least those that didn’t run out and download an unofficial Jelly Bean) are finally getting your reward. Android version 4.1.1 (better known as JRO03O among the hack happy) is being pushed out OTA to Big Red customers, complete with the preemptive magic of Google Now in tow. If you haven’t seen an alert yet, head to the About Phone section in your settings, and tap System Updates. Having recently been welcomed back to the AOSP fold, we’d have hoped for an update sooner, but it’s still among the first wave of handsets to move to the latest version of Android. Now if only this would restore Google Wallet functionality. (Hey, a guy can dream can’t he?) The complete announcement from Verizon awaits after the break.

Continue reading Verizon Galaxy Nexus finally lands Jelly Bean update

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Verizon Galaxy Nexus finally lands Jelly Bean update originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon has never totally been on the Google Wallet bandwagon. First, Big Red refused to support the mobile payment system, citing its dependance upon proprietary hardware. Months later, some folks managed to gain access through the Play Store, but it looks like that the VZW GNex is, once again, Wallet-free. Word on the web has it that those Nexus owners are now, upon opening the app, greeted by a message saying that their version of Google Wallet is no longer supported, and that they need to update the app. Problem is, the Play Store is telling folks that their devices are no longer supported. We’ve confirmed the issue ourselves, but we don’t know if this a temporary problem, or if it’s a permanent move. We’ve reached out to both Google and Verizon for comment, and we’ll let you know as soon as we hear back.

[Thanks, Tim]

Update: Verizon responded to our requests, but declined to add any new comment on the matter. Instead, VZW reiterated its previous statement that “Verizon doesn’t block applications. Google Wallet is different from other widely-available m-commerce services. Google Wallet does not simply access the operating system and basic hardware of our phones like thousands of other applications. Instead, in order to work as architected by Google, Google Wallet needs to be integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element in our phones.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners lose Google Wallet access (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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