7.1.1 for the Nexus 6P on Verizon

[mookiekillsit]

Battery is dying quicker and my bluetooth radio goes in and out sometimes almost like I'm getting a notification but I'm not. The volume just randomly decreases (rarely) then goes back to normal a second later. Going to repair it sometime over the weekend and cross my fingers. So far, not the best update even after cache wipes and other maintenance I've tried minus a factory reset. Phone radio signal seems to be weaker also. I only get 3G in some locations where I know I got LTE before.

 

[crosspatch]

Talked with Google Support and they said if it came to replacing the phone it would have to be taken care of through Nexus Protect since I'm out of warranty.

Finally did a factory reset and no update, so I replied to the Google engineers and they wanted me to flash the recovery image and see if that would work. I replied that if I could flash a recovery image, then I could sideload the current update. I explained that I'm not comfortable with flashing or sideloading through ADB and that their support rep said that after going through this process to contact them that they'd be able to push an update to my device. I'm awaiting their response but not optimistic.

So it'll either be replace it through Nexus Protect (which seems ridiculous considering it's not even a hardware issue) or I may end up selling it and explaining that whoever buys it would have to sideload the 7.1.1 update.

Consider sideloading 7.1.1. No, you should not have to do it, but look at all the BS you've gone through already. I doubt that getting a new device is a safer way to go. I have no patience or interest in this crap, but I did it, because it seemed like the lesser evil to me. It still pisses me off thinking about it.

There are a couple gotchas (of course), because as I mentioned, Google can't be bothered doing anything right, and that applies to their support tools like ADB. I can spell out the issues I encountered and potentially save you some hassle, if you're interested.

 

[Gregory McDaniel]

I have no patience or interest in this crap, but I did it, because it seemed like the lesser evil to me. It still pisses me off thinking about it.

I've arrived at this point, too.

I've been in a daily email exchange with Nexus support since my post above about waiting for the February NUF26K to be offered OTA. They're doing nothing, and I'm starting to realize I've just been corresponding with a bot. I'll download and apply it this weekend, then see if the March update happens automatically in a few weeks.

Now I'm doing work for the machine.

 

[crosspatch]

I'm not going to keep monitoring this thread. So I'll just mention the biggest issue I had with Google's crap ADB tool. I had to use a utility that some random person provided to enable a flag in the adb.exe binary to make it work with large input files, which the K OTA file qualifies as. That utility is here:

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/large-address-aware.112556/

It's necessary to ensure that adb.exe is not running before using that utility. Either run "adb kill-server" from a command prompt, or kill it in any of the other typical ways.

I could not get the sideload to work without using that utility. The utility changes a flag within the adb.exe file but does absolutely nothing else to your Windows system (and yes, I made sure of this).

I'd recommend proactively using that utility, rather than waiting for errors to occur with the stupid adb.exe tool saying it can't open the OTA file.

Most of the other issues people had were due to not understanding paths or other stupid problems that weren't the fault of the ADB tool itself. Threads on ADB are full of stupid post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc fallacies that people proclaim as fixes that actually are not (e.g. "I put a sweater on and then it worked. So, try donning a sweater before running this.").

Again, I'm not watching for replies. Good luck with your own version of this crapfest.

 

[vzwuser76]

Well, I finally got my 6p out of update hell. Talked with several Google support techs, my issue got escalated a couple of times, etc, etc. Yesterday I talked with a rep who insisted that my carrier Verizon was holding up the update. I said that's kinda hard to believe since I've done 3 factory resets since November which was the last time I had a sim card in it. But she was adamant that it was Verizon's fault. So she contacted them and then put me on the line with a Verizon rep and left the call. The Verizon rep was puzzled since she said there was nothing they could do since A. They didn't sell me the phone, B. They don't support the phone, and C. They don't handle updates for unlocked phones, only phones that are carrier locked to Verizon. I laughed and said I know but all of the reps I had been talking to were adamant that updates came from the carriers.

So today I called in again to inform them that no, carriers don't handle the updates for unlocked Google phones. Not to sound racist, but every other time I called in I got someone with a heavy accent (which btw is a bear for me to understand as my hearing isn't the greatest) but this time I got someone with no accent whatsoever. So as per usual, I started explaining everything that had happened to this point, including the call yesterday and Verizon's involvement. She said "Well no, carriers don't have anything to do with the updates we send out on the unlocked Nexus phones. That's why we say updates straight from Google." I just chuckled since that was the opposite of what they have been saying for the last 2 months whenever I called in. She looked over my whole history and said it looks like you've pretty much tried everything, so she was going to escalate my problem a second time. But she also wanted me to enter the beta program and see if it would update. I explained that I had tried that several times with no joy. She said well they're on 7.1.2 now so if it were to update through the beta program and then leave it, it would drop me back to 7.1.1. So we ended the call with her escalating my problem and I would try the beta program one more time. Sure enough, this time it took. It updated me to 7.1.2 and the January security patch.

I think I'll leave it in the beta program until they push a final version of 7.1.2 and then exit the program for good. I'm starting to wonder if entering the beta program to get 7.0 isn't what screwed my 6p up in the first place. After I got the V build of 7.0, they released another version of 7.0 that I never received, and I'm wondering if that didn't detour me off the update path. So once I'm able to leave the beta program I'm staying out of it for good.

 

[Robisan]

Just received the March update - March 5, 2017, build NUF26N.

 

[vzwuser76]

Just received the March update - March 5, 2017, build NUF26N.

I finally get near being up to date and you just had to one up me didn't you (still on January security patch).

Btw, was there a February security patch? Just curious since I would think it would at least bring me up to that if not the March patch. Maybe I'm just in for round 2 of the waiting.

 

[Robisan]

I finally get near being up to date and you just had to one up me didn't you (still on January security patch).

Btw, was there a February security patch? Just curious since I would think it would at least bring me up to that if not the March patch. Maybe I'm just in for round 2 of the waiting.

Umm, sorry. :-[

Yes there was a Feb patch - build number is upthread. It downloaded/installed right after installing the Jan upgrade install.

 

[schleppy]

My 6P has not updated since February, and my tale is a bit different.

This 6P has been on Project Fi forever. About a month or so ago I switched to Total Wireless (Verizon MVNO). Ever since I swapped SIM cards, my 6P hasn't updated (I'm still on the February security patch).

I contacted Total Wireless' AWFUL customer service, and they said that they have no control over delivery of software updates to phones. I spoke with Google (via Fi support), and they were puzzled. They wanted me to format my phone and start over, which seems like a massive waste of time. I am going to contact standard Google support today.

Any other ideas?

 

[crosspatch]

I guess I lied when I said I would not return to this thread.

I never joined Google's beta program (and never will). I also never rooted my 6P. And yet my 6P never got 7.1.1, as I posted here long ago. I sideloaded 7.1.1, and that gave me the February update as well.

But I am still on the February update. The March security update hasn't made its way to my 6P.

Has the March update been released for OTA? I'm not sure why the "Languages" column for it is still showing "Coming soon" on https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/

 

[Robisan]

As noted on the Android 7.1.2 thread, 7.1.2 has been released for Verizon users. Got it OTA today. Security patch April 5, 2017, Build# N2G47H.

@crosspatch Yes there was a March security update. Info & build number is upthread.

 

[ogwacco1266]

The latest update, N4F26J, fixes the issue.

 

[ogwacco1266]

In order for Google to avoid confusion, and also perceived collusion with Verizon, then updates for all 6P and/or Nexus phones regardless of carriers should be pushed out at the same time. If there's a delay with VZW because of some technical issue, then that delay would hold up ALL of the other carrier updates. Basically, what I'm saying is that they should just adopt the Apple model. Google is known to have such a better cloud/network infrastructure system than Apple, yet somehow Apple is able to announce an iOS update and somehow, magically, every single iphone can download/install that update on that very same day (Wow, what a concept!!!), not some rolling three-week update process that invites the creation of several "who got their update" forum posts.

Hey is it proper

Just to clarify - did you receive the N4F26J via OTA push or did you sideload it? I haven't received an OTA push since December's NBD91V build.

In my case, OTA.

 

[anon(631531)]

I've had 7.1.2 now, for a while, and it's all good. I'm with T-Mobile.

 

[Dan Lodi]

i m an iphone user wanting to switch to android. is the nexus 6p a good choice?

 

[GSDer]

is the nexus 6p a good choice?

Depends on what you're expecting and what you're getting. If you're getting a brand new one (somehow) for a reasonable price then it'll be good for awhile, particularly if you take care of the battery. If you're getting a used one then it's a crapshoot what kind of battery life you'll get out of it.
It's still got a decent amount of time remaining for monthly security updates, and is on the latest OS version.
The screen is good, although not the brightest in sunlight. The stereo speakers are great. It's still fast enough doing most things. And I'm still happy with the camera.