Android 2.3 Gingerbread vs. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
September 23, 2008, Android 1.0, the first commercial version of Android is released. Just over 3 years later, October 19, 2011, after evolving from Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb, not including Astro and Bender, Ice Cream Sandwich was announced. Along the way, Android put out loads of features and took in some 200+ million users. Today, we’re going to be breaking down two of the newest, and arguably best, Android versions (Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich). Obviously, a winner has already been chosen for this Versus Match. However, look at the competition as more of a comparison and evolution of Android. UI (User Interface)It is hard to miss the fact that Google was going for an improved User Interface with Ice Cream Sandwich. Just from taking a look at the search bar, you can tell that Ice Cream Sandwich is much sleeker than Gingerbread. Mainly, Ice Cream Sandwich will make it easier for users to find those common buttons and actions that were always playing hide and go seek in older Android versions. Furthermore, the animations and “typeface” have been refined to play nicely with your new 720p HD display. Furthermore, Ice Cream Sandwich introduces the new font “Roboto”. This Google creation will make reading easier and give Android a more modern feel.By far, the most visible interface on any device is the font you read everything from websites, to emails, to SMS’ on. With Android 4.0, Google has designed a font completely from the ground up, and it looks exceptional. Dubbed Roboto, it’s a font built with modernity in mind, and looks great.With a heavy dose of the use of intuitive gestures, and the ability for developers to add them too, Ice Cream Sandwich really is as silky smooth as its name implies.Multitasking, Widgets, and FoldersTwo of Android’s most notable and original features are Multitasking and Widgets. Therefore, Ice Cream Sandwich will be bringing new meaning to both of those features with some key upgrades.First, the Recent Apps button lets users jump instantly from one task to another using the list in the System Bar. The list that pops up should be very familiar to Honeycomb users. Furthermore, the list will show you a thumbnail image of whats going on inside of that app for easy app-switching. If you want to get rid of recent app, just toss it away with a finger swipe.Note! this swiping feature also works with browser tabs and notifications.In addition, Ice Cream Sandwich now enables users to re-seize their widgets. Want a full page dedicated to Gmail? Go for it! Finally, Android 4.0 borrows iOS’s folder creation method of drag and drop. Therefore, all you have to do to create a folder is pick up and app, and throw it onto another one.Network Data ManagerWireless providers are starting to charge their customers an arm and a leg for less and less data. Thankfully, Google has provided us with a solution. The new Data usage controls allow for constant monitoring of your total usage by network type and application. In addition, it adds the ability to set limits on those data-hungry apps.This is one of the more welcome additions to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as it gives you the complete breakdown on what your most data hungry apps are, which can end up saving you a lot of money. Definitely not something the carriers are looking forward to, but consider this a win for you, the consumer. Plus, it displays all of the info an easy to understand and beautiful graph, too.SharingNow that Social Networks are destined to completely take over our lives, Android has adapted to make sharing a heck of a lot easier. First, Ice Cream Sandwich will introduce a whole new way to look at your friends.Android 2.3′s contact list was known for being extremely boring. The new People app in Android 4.0 offers richer profile information, including a large profile picture, phone numbers, addresses and accounts, status updates, events, and a new button for connecting on integrated social networks.But what happens when you want to send something to the person sitting right next to you instantly?! Well, with Gingerbread, you email it to them. In Ice Cream Sandwich, simply touch phones, and given that you have an NFC-capable device, voila! The guy next to you is watching the exact video or playing the same game as you are. Furthermore, Google has left this feature open to developers. Therefore, passing game scores, initiating a multiplayer game or chat, and more just got a lot easier.Camera and VideoLive Effects are a collection of graphical transformations that allow you to turn your friend into an alien, put them on the moon, or more all from the Camera app. For example, users can change the background behind them to any stock or custom image, for just the right setting when shooting video. Also available is “Silly Faces”, a set of morphing effects that transform facial features. For example, you can use effects such as small eyes, big mouth, big nose, face squeeze, and more. Into video chatting? All of this can be done in the Google Talk app as well.Do you hate it when friends get into your phone? But at the same time, setting a password stops you from getting into your phone fast. Google has come to the rescue with a new revolutionary feature called Face Unlock. It is exactly what you think it is, face recognition lets you unlock your phone with your face.Improved SpeedAlthough at the time, Gingerbread was a huge update to older android versions in terms of speed, Google somehow managed to make Ice Cream Sandwich faster. And we’re not just talking about minor speed improvements. “In benchmarks run on a Nexus S device, the Android 4.0 browser showed an improvement of nearly 220% over the Android 2.3 browser in the V8 Benchmark Suite and more than 35% in the SunSpider 9.1 JavaScript Benchmark. When run on a Galaxy Nexus device, the Android 4.0 browser showed improvement of nearly 550% in the V8 benchmark and nearly 70% in the SunSpider benchmark” (Android Developers).Furthermore, Ice Cream Sandwich makes email better by adding improved auto-completion, quick responses, an integrated menu, nested mail subfolders, and as mentioned before, a resizable Email widget.Other GoodiesWi-Fi Direct: will make instant sharing of files, photos, or other media; streaming video or audio from another device; or connecting to compatible printers or other devices all possible for Ice Cream Sandwich devices.Bluetooth Health Device Profile (HDP): will allow for connecting to wireless medical devices and sensors in hospitals, fitness centers, homes, and elsewhere with some help from third party application developers.Developers: Key Android 3.x developer features, now for phones tooCore UIFragments and content loadersResizeable home screen widgetsRich notificationsMulti-selection, drag-drop, clipboardImproved screen-support APIHardware-accelerated 2D graphicsGraphics and animationProperty-based animationRenderscript 3D graphicsMedia and connectivityHTTP Live streamingBluetooth A2DP and HSP devicesSupport for RTPMTP/PTP file transferDRM frameworkInput from keyboard, mouse, gamepad, joystickEnterpriseFull device encryptionDPM policies for encrypted storage and passwordsWrap-UpAs you can tell, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has added quite a large amount of new features. With that being said, Android 4.0 will be eliminating many of the problems that users had with older versions while also adding loads of new features, and innovation for developers. Ice Cream Sandwich made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However, it is far from limited to this device. Any device that comes out after, or relatively close behind, October 19th 2011 (ICS Release Date) is almost guaranteed the upgrade to 4.0. Furthermore, tons of Gingerbread devices will be getting the call for an upgrade in the near future.Also, let’s not forget it’s already starting to trickle into all sorts of devices like the Kindle Fire, the Asus Transformer, and many, many more. Google has released the source, and it’s likely this will herald an entirely new generation of useful devices in the near future.For a full list of new Android 4.0 features for users and developers, click here.Source:
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Bam! New Samsung Galaxy S3 image leaked along with full specs?
What a rollercoaster! After days of furious speculations, today we’ve got two huge pieces of news concerning the Samsung Galaxy 3. First, Samsung’s VP for China told the press that the Galaxy S3 launch event may come in April, although it was originally planned for May.Now, we have even bigger news – a leaked image originating from Dutch mobile blog GSMHelpdesk.nl shows a supposed Galaxy S3 that is very similar to the device shown in the leak we saw last Saturday. Moreover, GSMHelpdesk claims that the trusted source that supplied the image has also provided them with the full specs of the Samsung Galaxy S3.New image corroborates with previous leak[Updated with image supplied by commenter OBWhite.]Here is the new image:And here’s the image superimposed on the leak from last week, which surfaced via Reddit.Needless to say, the two renders clearly represent the same device, although there are a few differences between them. First, the big rocker you can see on the left side of the first phone and the camera shutter button are, at first glance, missing from today’s leaked image. But, again, some leveling in Photoshop reveals that the rocker is present in the second image as well. Also, there are a few pixels present in the area where the camera button should be, although we can’t tell if that’s really the button or just some artifact.The second apparent difference between the two leaks is the rendered screen image. While today’s image shows the same launch information like the image from Reddit (May 22, in London), there are a few notable differences. First, today’s leak shows a Gingerbread-like status bar and only four icons in the lower bar.Second, the scheduled time for the Unpacked event differ: the Reddit leak says 6-7 PM, while GSMHelpdesk’s leak says 7-8 PM. Not a big difference and we are not sure what to make of it. Probably, the two images were created at different times, with today’s image (with its Gingerbread design cues) being presumably older.As The Verge notes, the image used in today’s leaked render was used in previous Samsung press shots, which may or may not mean that the image is a fake. After all, Samsung designers may have just thrown a quick mockup, reusing some older official images.Samsung Galaxy S3 Specifications!GSMHelpdesk also claims that it received trusted information concerning the full specs of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3.Here’s the list, as conveyed by the Dutch blog:Processor and memoryProcessor: quad-core 1.5 GHzRAM: 1GBStorage: 32GBCard Slot: UnknownDimensions131 mm long64 mm wide8 mm thick125 gramsBattery1750 mAhRemovableDisplay4.7-inch720 x 1280 resolution (HD)313 ppiSuper AMOLED Plus HDCamera12MP rear cameraLED flashSlow motion,Time lapseFull HD (1080p) video recording60 FPS video shooting1.3 MP front camera720p video recording (front camera)ConnectivityDual Carrier HSPA 3G networksDownload speeds of up to 42 MbpsUpload speeds of up to 5.76 MbpsBluetooth 4.0NFCWiFi a/b/g/nMicro USB 2.0HDMI outDLNAWiFi directWi-Fi Hotspot optionIn short, most of the presumed specifications provided by GSMHelpdesk’s source seem in line with previous rumors.Samsung Galaxy S3 release dateThe leak states that the May 22, 2012 Galaxy S3 release date (first seen in Saturday’s leak) still holds. However, considering the abundance of leaks coming out, Samsung may decide to hurry up and launch the Galaxy S3 sooner, maybe in April. This would be in line with the declaration we reported this morning. We’ll update this post as we learn more. Meanwhile, tell us, what do you think about this new development? Real or not?
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Concerns about rooting? Let me put your fears aside
The Joy Of Using Experimental Software One of the main reasons behind me rooting all of my devices and playing with custom ROM’s is that I projects that are in development, or experimentation. Anyone can use a ‘perfect’ ROM from the device’s manufacturer, but I enjoy running Android builds that other people have gone to the trouble of making for us all. Manufacturers never get this right when it comes to development, they’re under the illusion that we like what they give us. Whilst this is partially true, we end up discovering we want more features, and we know exactly what these features are. Across forums on the internet, these ideas are submitted and kind souls make these community builds of Android.I also love snagging the development builds before the final versions are released. If something works perfectly, I get bored of it. If something doesn’t work quite as you would expect, I like trying to find a workaround, or submitting a bug to the developers of that ROM. Using a custom ROM makes you part of a deeper community, one of like-minded enthusiasts who want to get the most out of their smartphones and tablets.Don’t Worry, You’ll be Fine If you’re looking into the world of Rooting and custom ROM’s, then you will doubtless have heard the rumors that if you do it wrong it makes your phone unusable. Whilst this is possible, it is extremely – like extremely – rare. If you follow the simple instructions on a trusted forum or site for your device (like ours), or, even better, from the the ROM creators site, and follow them closely, you will be successful. I would say that 99% of custom ROM flashes are successful. The 1% of failures comes from people forgetting to charge their devices before flashing, as depending on how many steps you have to follow, the rooting process can take up to forty minutes.So Many to Choose From! One of the not-so-obvious joys of using a custom ROM is that you have so many to choose from. Each one with a slightly different aim and objective. The most popular ROM is CyanogenMod, partly because it is a fast and well-maintained ROM, but also because it is available for so many devices, 100 and counting in fact. Then there are other ROM’s like Android Revolution, focused on speed, improved usage, and occasional graphic driver enhancements. Then there is AOKP, and many more, so research as many as you can find which have a build available for your device. Identify the one that appeals most to you, and then find the instructions to install it. Bam!Do I Need To Flash a New Rom? Can’t I Just Enjoy Having Root?Well it depends on what your end objective is. If you want to enjoy a new Android experience different from your current one, or you want a certain set of features that a ROM provides, then no. You will need to take the brave step and flash your device. If however you want to run some applications which require root privileges like the network encrypting and disguising application Tor#, then you don’t need to flash a custom ROM, and a plain old root will do just fine.The Forums Expect Me To Know Everything, But I Don’t Understand Some of the Terms.That’s to be expected and not at all your fault. Though a large percentage or rooters and rom-users are a bit geeky or computer inclined, anyone should be allowed to enjoy their Android phone this way. So here are some definitions and explanations of terms which I hope might clear up some things for you.FlashingEasy there, Flashing doesn’t have any connotation with that. Nor does it have quite the same meaning older computer users may be thinking of, the act of ‘Flashing’ EEPROM in older computers. What flashing means in the Android world is basically copying files, be it a whole Android build or a collection of applications, to your devices internal memory. I suppose the idea of flashing is that ‘BAM’ your old system files are gone, and the new ones are laid in their place. So, the expression ‘Flashing the ROM’ pretty much means copying the ROM files to where they need to go.Root UserUsers of Linux or advanced users of OS X will understand the meaning of Root User, but it’s unlikely that Windows Users will. Android is based upon the Linux operating system which runs on many computers, that in turn was based off of Unix. Something that has carried down these generations is the name of what Windows users call the ‘Administrator’ user. The only difference here is the name and that the Root User can do absolutely anything. Even deleting files which a computer or Android device needs to boot up, which Windows protects even from the Administrator in most cases.ClockWork Mod / RecoveryThis is a small program which you can install, and can boot into instead of Android when you turn your on. This is usually done by holding both the volume down and power buttons simultaneously. Within ClockworkMod, you can flash new ROM’s, back up your existing ones, erase cache’s, install updates, and many more things. Just remember that rooting a device doesn’t install ClockworkMod. It has to be done separately.If you have more questions, be sure to check out our Rooting for Dummies post here. This post contains all the various rooting guides we’ve made to help walk you through it. We’ve also got another section devoted to custom ROM’s too, so check them out if you are curious to know more.We also have a dedicated rooting category here, too.Be brave, count to ten, and go for itYou’ll be worrying about whether or not you’ve done everything perfectly, or if something will go wrong. Remember to check the guide provided thoroughly, and make sure you are ready to do all the steps and you’ll be fine. Afterwards you will have a truly open and customisable Android device.Happy Rooting! Tell us about your experiences rooting and why you root your Android devices below? To root or not to root?
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How to fast charge your Samsung Galaxy phone using any USB charger
If you’re like us, you probably check the battery status on your Samsung phone a dozen times a day, and breathe a sigh of relief when you see a green indicator instead of a red one. Consider it a quirk of living the modern life, where one depends on gadgets and gizmos that still run on, unfortunately, on non-nuclear batteries.Things are even worse when your device comes with a proprietary charger. While you can still use some cheap, no-name charger, in many cases, devices are designed to only work optimally with original accessories. Thus, what usually takes 2-3 hours with a proprietary charger can easily extend to many hours of frustrating wait, if you, for some reason, don’t have the original accessory.Let’s stop dwelling on the problem and start focusing on the solution, shall we? If you don’t want to invest in a pricey Samsung charger to use as a spare, a developer at XDA has come up with a workaround that requires just a little bit of DIY. Getting those generic USB wall chargers to work on Samsung Galaxy phones won’t be a problem anymore. A solution has been found to trick your device into accepting no-name chargers. Here’s what Trusselo, the developer behind the workaround, has to say, in his own words:“The theory behind it is with samsung galaxy phones and “official chargers”: if the middle 2 data pins on the usb, while getting 5v to the outer 2 pins it tells the phone that it is an *official samsung* charger and enables full speed charging.” Basically, when you use a non-Samsung charger, the phone will only get around 350mA of power instead of the full rate. By bending the two middle pins, this will trick your Samsung phone into believing that you’re using an official charger, thus, kicking into fast-charge mode, which happens at about 800 – 1000mA.Do note that there are risks involved in following the procedure. One, you may end up with a damaged charger. Two, you’ll risk frying your Samsung device. Of course, it’s highly recommended to go to the original thread at XDA to get the full low down of the method, as well as some nice pictures. Remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry, so don’t do anything that you are not really comfortable with.
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Huawei’s Ascend D Quad Not Shipping Until July?
The highly anticipated Ascend D Quad from Huawei, announced at MWC, has been reported by Chinese website CNMO that the device won’t even start being massed produced until June with a shipping schedule of some time in July.  As Huawei’s first quad-core handset (1.2 GHz), this comes as sort of a bummer.  By the time this device begins to hit the market, it’s more than likely both HTC and Samsung will have a quad-core device already in the hands of consumers.  The One X and Galaxy S III launching before the Ascend D Quad doesn’t seem like the handset would even have a chance.  Lets hope there’s enough there to differentiate the device from its competition.  Maybe in the pricing department?  As far as specs go, expect Android 4.0, a 4.5-inch IPS HD display coming in at a 1280 x 720 res, WiFi, 8MP camera, HSPA+ 21, Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus technology and a gig of RAM.  In addition, 8GB of internal storage, a MicroSD card slot and 1.3MP front facing camera will also be on-board.  Not too shabby in the spec dept, obviously.  Stay tuned as we dig a little deeper on the launch of the device.  Here’s to hoping Huawei can stay ahead of schedule.  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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Samsung announces ICS for the Galaxy Note will come in Q2, bring 'premium suite' apps
Samsung mobile has issued a press release all about the Galaxy Note and it's upcoming "Premium Suite" software upgrade. Sometime in Q2 of this year, Samsung expects to update the 5.3-inch Note to their version of Ice Cream Sandwich and bring better application support for the S pen as well as unnamed extra multimedia features. The three applications mentioned specifically are S Note, a tool that combines notes or drawings with other digital content as well as using "Shape Match and Formula Match applications that help correct and digitize geometric shapes and even solve numeric formulas hand-drawn with S Pen"; My Story, which appears to be an application that helps you design e-cards and notes with multimedia content; and of course Angry Birds Space -- the newest iteration of the Angry Birds franchise from Rovio. In addition, Angry Birds Space will be available (sans the extra-special Galaxy Note level) for all Galaxy Series devices. Of course the biggest draw for most of us will be the update to Android 4.0, which Samsung teased Note users about on Facebook earlier today. The version for the Note is said to include the features we've come to expect from ICS, including Android Beam and Face Unlock, as well as an "entirely new look and feel" to the Android operating system. The Q2 timeframe is coming up shortly, and International Galaxy note users are ready and waiting. Hopefully, the AT&T version follows quickly. Hit the break for the full press release.More: Samsung's Angry Birds siteSamsung offers Premium Suite software upgrade for GALAXY Note usersMarch 22, 2012 Software package offers exclusive S Pen applications, enhanced multimedia features, and an Android 4.0 upgradeSEOUL, Korea – March 22, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, today announced it will be offering a Premium Suite upgrade for GALAXY Note users worldwide from Q2. It includes extra multimedia features and a range of new S Pen optimized applications in addition to an OS upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.The Premium Suite offers new features and applications exclusive to GALAXY Note and its innovative S Pen, which includes S Note, a unique tool that lets you combine your notes or sketches with other digital content, giving you a new way to create your own stories. S Note comes in various ready-to-use templates for a range of tasks including meeting minutes, diary and others.S Note also includes the innovative Shape Match and Formula Match applications that help correct and digitize geometric shapes and even solve numeric formulas hand-drawn with S Pen, increasing your on-the-go efficiency and productivity. You can draw tables and grids which are instantly digitized, saving time and effort. Moreover, by using the S Note’s integrated knowledge search engines, users can quickly search, and obtain information.  For a touch of self-expression, the Premium Suite also includes My Story, another S Pen optimized application that allows you to create personalized digital cards for friends or family using any type of content including notes, video content, photos, text or voice. In celebration of the Premium Suite upgrade announcement, Samsung will provide special offers to all GALAXY users as an official launch partner of Angry Birds Space, the newest Angry Birds game from Rovio Entertainment. For all Samsung GALAXY users, an exclusive GALAXY Note level will be provided for extra fun. Moreover, a special package of 30 challenging levels – ‘Danger Zone’ – will be available for free if unpacked within the three-month period. Visit http://samsung.angrybirds.com/galaxynote  for more information. “GALAXY Note continues to delight customers all over the world with its incredible versatility and unique user experience. With the Premium Suite upgrade, we wanted to add features that enrich users’ Note experience even more, including the great advantages of Android 4.0 and innovative applications for S Pen,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to providing extraordinary experiences for consumers, and we will continue to provide new features and upgrades to enrich our offering.” The Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade brings an entirely new look and feel to Android on GALAXY Note, with a more intuitive user interface that includes a redesigned App menu for easier multi-tasking. The upgrade also introduces innovations such as Face Unlock, Snapshot, Android Beam and others. The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade will vary by market and wireless carriers’ requirements.  About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit  www.samsung.com.
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Hands-on video with root options in CyanogenMod 9
As you might've heard, popular custom ROM CyanogenMod 9 is introducing some changes in the way it handles root access. The gist of it is that root is now an option, not the default setting. It's still available if you need it, but you'll need to go into "developer options" and select whether you want apps, ADB or both to have root when you're done flashing your ROM.As you'll see in our new video, if you try to run a root app without this setting enabled, you'll get a message directing you to the root setting. It's a bit like the "unknown sources" option that blocks non-Google Play apps by default -- enabled as standard for added security, but easy to bypass if you want.We've got a quick video walkthrough after the jump. Source: youtube, androidcentral
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Regional Wireless Carrier I Wireless Launches The GSM-Based Samsung Galaxy Nexus Smartphone
If you are a subscriber of regional wireless carrier I Wireless (which is based off T-Mobile), today is your lucky day. News has surfaced I Wireless will be launching the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and will be available for $199.99 (after a mail-in rebate) on contract or $609.99 if you have some dollars to spend and buy it off-contract. That means the lucky few of you who have been interested in the attractive smartphone, but didn’t want to switch to a certain red colored CDMA-based carrier or previously splurge an arm and a leg for the unlocked GSM version will now have the opportunity to own the smartphone which will run on the smooth EDGE/HSPA+ wireless spectrum powered by T-Mobile.Speaking of T-Mobile, the phone’s arrival on I Wireless may possibly be an indication of something bigger. Considering the original G1, Nexus One and Nexus S smartphones operated on T-Mobile bands, it has been a bit unusual to not see the GSM version of the Galaxy Nexus officially on T-Mobile to say the least. Perhaps T-Mo is slyly plotting to bring the device to its stores eventually? Of course nothing is concrete or official, but you can’t help but wonder about the possiblity.source: Android Central
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Unlocked Galaxy Nexus On Sale For $460 In White or Silver [Good Gawd]
If you’ve been eyeballing the Galaxy Nexus for either T-Mo or AT&T, you might want to get your tail-end on over to DailySteals right now. The daily deals online retailer currently has a brand new, unlocked, 16GB Galaxy Nexus for only $460. That’s about $290-off the normal retail for the phone.And yes, it was a deal so good, not even I could pass it up. It’s true. As I’ve mentioned in numerous posts in the past, I haven’t been too happy with Sprint in my area and don’t see getting better anytime soon (quite the contrary, it’s actually gotten worse). With my Sprint contract up in just a few short months, I plan to make the trek on over to either AT&T or T-Mobile — both of which the unlocked Galaxy Nexus should be able to handle just fine.Look, ma! I’m a cool kid now![DailySteals]
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Android 4.0.5 rumored to be next for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, said to have audio, data fixes
There are a bunch of Nexus phones out there awaiting Ice Cream Sandwich updates. We certainly haven't forgotten about you Nexus S 4G folks, even if there's not a whole lot we can do about it, but the subject of today's rumor mill is the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. According to everyone's favorite mobile Panda (aka @black_man_x, whom you might spot in our forums or in the podcast chat from time to time), next up for the VGNex is Android 4.0.5. The more astute among you may note that that's a tick higher than the Android 4.0.4 update that we saw leaked but not actually released for the NS4G. Before anyone's panties get even more bunched over the prospect of Verizon's Galaxy Nexus getting an incremental build while Sprint Nexus S 4G owners are left waiting ever longer, you've got to remember this (even if it doesn't make that pill go down any easier: While both devices are of the Nexus family, they're not the same phone, and not on the same track. That's just the way it is. You'll recall how Android 2.4 once appeared on some HTC phones a year or so ago -- and that's the only place we ever really saw it, as rumors of it on Viewsonic and Sony devices both fell short.(Though all things being equal, we're positive Google's doing all it can to get ICS out to the Nexus S 4G. At least it better be doing all it can. Otherwise, we'll, we'll ... Start a petition!) The other thing here is that while the prospect of Android 4.0.5 is interesting, it doesn't really tell us anything. Not without a changelog, anyway. (Though BMX does say it apparently fixes audio and data issues.) An incremental tick is just that at this point -- a number. And as we pointed out above, it's not unheard of to see things jump around a little bit.That said, it's not like we're going to turn down an update on any Nexus. Bring it on, Google!Source: @black_man_x
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