Google's Nexus One Not Getting Android 4.0 Update
by Andrew Cunningham on October 26, 2011 3:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Android
- Ice Cream Sandwich
- Laptops
Google's Nexus One phone, manufactured by HTC and originally released in January of 2010, will not be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich update along with other phones, says Google's Android product management director Hugo Barra, because the device is "too old."
The Nexus lineup has traditionally been used to showcase new, "stock" versions of Android without added manufacturer customizations, and as a result they typically receive access to new Android updates before other handsets. Google's decision not to support less-than-two-year-old Nexus One with its newest mobile OS stands in contrast to Apple's strategy for the oldest phone in its lineup, 2009's iPhone 3GS, which received most of iOS 5's new features when the update was released earlier this month.
Barra said that the Nexus S, the immediate successor of the Nexus One, would be getting the update over the air a few weeks after the launch of the new Galaxy Nexus next month. Nexus One owners hoping for an update will need to rely on the open source community to hook them up after Ice Cream Sandwich's source code is released to the public.
Source: PCMag
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sigmatau - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
My 3GS ran like crap on iOS4. I can't imagine it even being usable with iOS5.Processing power for phones does not increase like desktops. You may see a 20-30% increase every year or so with a newer CPU or GPU on a desktop, but on phones, we have been seeing closer to 50-100% increase.
The only thing that the 3GS is holding onto is it's half resolution display (compared to the 4) that may allow it to still somewhat function with newer more robust software as time goes on. But not everything is straining to draw an image on the phone so maybe not.
The other thing that was horrid on the 3GS was it's memory. I dumped my 3GS a week prior to iOS5. So when it was running iOS4 and even before that, it could not keep in memory enough of a web page/pdf to not have to keep redrawing/re-downloading it every time you scrolled more than a little bit. This was very annoying having to wait for it to load another section of a pdf as I scrolled. I'm so happy with my Galaxy S2. I use much larger documents on it and have yet to encounter the same issue.
To me, my Galaxy S2 is like a personal computer where you can do just about anything you want and know it is capable of, while my 3GS was more like a public library terminal that allowed you to do many things but not even close to what was capable or even reasonable. I still can't believe I couldn't get my music off my phone when I lost my music on my hard drive using iTunes. Or I couldn't get my contacts out of a backup. The phone was ok (in 2009 to early 2010) but the software was pretty silly.
doobydoo - Thursday, October 27, 2011 - link
I think we can disregard your whole comment after you said:'I dumped my 3GS a week prior to iOS5'
People who have actually tried iOS 5 say it runs perfectly fine.
You're comparing the memory of the 3GS to the memory of a Samsung Galaxy S2? Really? Do you not see the problem with doing that? Of course the Galaxy S2 being a new phone looks good compared to the 3GS.
You can do anything you want on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Maybe you just couldn't work out how? It's very easy to get music on / off phone and none of the phones I just listed require iTunes at all. Contacts are synced using iCloud. Basically your comment is completely out of date, mistaking old hardware and old software for a true representation of what a company has delivered, which means you are badly, badly misinformed and are making a false comparison.
sigmatau - Friday, October 28, 2011 - link
Um you don't know what the hell you are talking about. I actualy have posts on the Apple forums that tell me you can't do what I told you cannot do with your crappy 3gs.Of course I compared the memory you idiot. That is the whole point of showing how old and obsolete the 3gs is today.
Don't lie to cover your horrible software restrictions.
Got it?
solipsism - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
Is AnandTech going to do an iPhone 4S review? It's been out for almost 2 weeks now. Curious how this stacks up to other Android-based devices and the previous iPhones.inighthawki - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
They've already done some preliminary benchmarks if that's what you're looking for.solipsism - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
I mean a full review like they do with all major phones after they hit the market. Maybe two weeks is normal, but I certainly don't recall that being the norm for AnandTech.Andrew.a.cunningham - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
I believe Anand and/or Brian are working on that now, though I don't know anything about an ETA.solipsism - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
Thanks. I hope it's soon.I don't buy a new smartphone unless I read the detailed review from AnandTech first.
Andrew.a.cunningham - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
Always good to hear! :-)I'm sure those details are what's keeping the article. Your patience will be rewarded!
cditty - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - link
You know Anand does his reviews right... Not that paid for crap like En, I mean AppleGadget does.When his review comes, it will be full of facts and great information.
I have found that Anandtech may not be first with a review, but they always have the BEST one...