Not a "real Nexus?" WTF?

[gravage]

The iPhone isn't a true Apple device because it comes with a Youtube app instead of Apple Trailers.

Ha! Well played!

 

[gravage]

I personally don't understand why it matters. if it wasn't a real nexus i'm sure google would have called it something else other than the galaxy nexus. root it, throw on a custom rom, and get on with life...pointless thread smh

Well, that's just it. It started out as a Galaxy Nexus. Then Verizon got their hands on it and it became something else. When you add up all of the little things: Verizon branding, Verizon apps that can't be uninstalled, delayed updates, blocked access to Google Wallet, it starts seeming much less like a Nexus device. Thus this thread.

 

[Ry]

I personally don't understand why it matters. if it wasn't a real nexus i'm sure google would have called it something else other than the galaxy nexus. root it, throw on a custom rom, and get on with life...pointless thread smh

If they called it a G1, DROID, or XOOM this whole topic wouldn't exist. A whole lot of armchair quarterbacking and assumptions are being made.

If Google calls it a Nexus, then it's a Nexus.

 

[dmmarck]

If they called it a G1, DROID, or XOOM this whole topic wouldn't exist. A whole lot of armchair quarterbacking and assumptions are being made.

If Google calls it a Nexus, then it's a Nexus.

I agree. At the end of the day, Google released this as the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. They could have easily called it something else, and they didn't.

Now whether it's a Nexus based upon one's view of the "spirit" of a Nexus is an entirely different matter. After 5-6 pages, the only clear conclusion/consensus is that we have a "general idea" of what a Nexus is with differing opinions regarding whether or not the VGN fits within that general idea to a degree substantial enough to give it a Nexus-esque legacy.

 

[stoneworrior]

So by deduction,

(1) Apple is clearly better than Google at updating; and/or
(2) Google sucks generally and we shouldn't look for excuses.

That an accurate distillation of what you said there?

Thanks a lot........( as I wipe diet coke off my computer screen)
Good stuff

 

[zedorda]

I would think most of us can atleast agree that in the future this Nexus device will have a tarnished record at best.

 

[dmmarck]

I would think most of us can atleast agree that in the future this Nexus device will have a tarnished record at best.

When assessed in hind sight, based upon the first one? Potentially.

But if the "actual" definition of Nexus has changed? Maybe not.

 

[deltasig]

personally speaking I think all android phones going forward, whether or nor they are Samsung, htc, Sony, Huawei, LG or any other for that matter should be pure google when first activating it and it should ask whether or not you want to use their own custom UI skin on it like sense, or touchwiz, and if you want to switch it back you would have to completely reboot the phone and wipe it data completely. Users should not have to choose a phone based on the custom skin build in. Personally I love the pure google aspect of the Nexus phone, but there are other phone I love even more like the Galaxy Note for that matter. I understand why different manufacturers put there own custom UI Skin overlay on top of Google's OS, but we as consumers should have a choice and say for that matter.

 

[dmmarck]

personally speaking I think all android phones going forward, whether or nor they are Samsung, htc, Sony, Huawei, LG or any other for that matter should be pure google when first activating it and it should ask whether or not you want to use their own custom UI skin on it like sense, or touchwiz, and if you want to switch it back you would have to completely reboot the phone and wipe it data completely. Users should not have to choose a phone based on the custom skin build in. Personally I love the pure google aspect of the Nexus phone, but there are other phone I love even more like the Galaxy Note for that matter. I understand why different manufacturers put there own custom UI Skin overlay on top of Google's OS, but we as consumers should have a choice and say for that matter.

While we don't have an upfront choice in store or with a purchase (for the most part), there is a choice (at least some would argue that ).

 

[Ry]

I agree that Android phones come with a lot of Google crap that you can't uninstall. If it were for me, phones would only come with the Play Store, GMail, YouTube and Maps. Everything else can be downloaded from the Market.

But that argument doesn't fly here. We are talking about Nexus devices, Google's own babies! If there's an Android device that should be expected to come preloaded with as much of Google as possible, is any Nexus device. It's a Google phone, not a Verizon phone. There's no excuse for Verizon putting bloatware of their own onto the Galaxy Nexus. I've never had a phone from Verizon, but with Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, carriers get their featured spot when you open the Play Store. Verizon could've just have their software available there for download by anybody who wanted it. But nooo... they had to contaminate the Galaxy Nexus with their bloatware like they do with all their other phones. Perhaps the only hint that it IS a Nexus phone is that Verizon couldn't slap Bing into it.

Remember that the manufacturers' customers in the US are the carriers, not you and me. The idea of buying an unlocked device and putting whatever SIM you want is foreign to US cellular customers.

To get their platform out to the masses in the US, Google has to play ball. No one has clout like Apple. For all intents and purposes bringing up Apple in this "debate" is irrelevant. Apple is probably seen as a necessary evil in the carriers eyes - needed to keep subscriber numbers up.

I imagine Google and Samsung had to give in a bit so Verizon would actually place an order for the Galaxy Nexus. With no concrete numbers, Google has probably sold more Galaxy Nexus devices to Verizon than anyone else.

The Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus is still and will always be a Nexus.

 

[Hovik818]

personally speaking I think all android phones going forward, whether or nor they are Samsung, htc, Sony, Huawei, LG or any other for that matter should be pure google when first activating it and it should ask whether or not you want to use their own custom UI skin on it like sense, or touchwiz, and if you want to switch it back you would have to completely reboot the phone and wipe it data completely. Users should not have to choose a phone based on the custom skin build in. Personally I love the pure google aspect of the Nexus phone, but there are other phone I love even more like the Galaxy Note for that matter. I understand why different manufacturers put there own custom UI Skin overlay on top of Google's OS, but we as consumers should have a choice and say for that matter.

It would be harder to distinguish phones from each other that way. There are many people who actually like the different UI skins offered by the manufacturers. Then there is us, who dislikes them all. I believe it is good for manufacturers to have their unique UI skin. And as much as choosing which UI you want (pure or not) is promising, yet won't happen. Ever.

 

[Ry]

personally speaking I think all android phones going forward, whether or nor they are Samsung, htc, Sony, Huawei, LG or any other for that matter should be pure google when first activating it and it should ask whether or not you want to use their own custom UI skin on it like sense, or touchwiz, and if you want to switch it back you would have to completely reboot the phone and wipe it data completely. Users should not have to choose a phone based on the custom skin build in. Personally I love the pure google aspect of the Nexus phone, but there are other phone I love even more like the Galaxy Note for that matter. I understand why different manufacturers put there own custom UI Skin overlay on top of Google's OS, but we as consumers should have a choice and say for that matter.

Here's the thing about Android. Consumers do have a choice. If you don't like MOTOBLUR, Sense, or TouchWiz you can speak with your wallet and buy a device that doesn't have an OEM skin.

 

[DWR_31]

You may be referring to the difficulties Google has run into working with CDMA carries and devices. Its true that a few months back Google made the decision to stop releasing or pushing official development ICS versions to Galaxy Nexus CDMA phones. It has something to do with legalities and problems inherent within CDMA technology and licenses. I'm no lawyer so i don't completely understand the whole problem but I do know enough that until CDMA carriers change some things, having a Nexus device on their services makes it difficult for Google to develope on.

This could be what you've stumbled upon in certain threads.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I don't blame Google for putting the Nexus on Sprint and Verizon. They are just appeasing the masses that don't want to leave their carrier.

To all the people saying carrier branded "Nexi" aren't real, they are. They just aren't totally controlled by Google. By this I'm basically stating, Google gives you a CHOICE!

Apple did the same thing when the iPhone came to Verizon. Its a numbers game. If you want untouched Google get GSM. If you want to stick with your carrier you will have to settle for a little touching.

I guess Sprint will be touching me a little more from now on.

 

[patrickmaher]

Well the Spring Galaxy Nexus has already been updated a week after release. The updates involves both the radio and Google Wallet, meaning both Sprint and Google had a hand in the update.

So there goes the whole "CDMA licenses are the hold-up" excuse! Sprint and Google were able to do in a week what has taken Verizon 5 months (and counting).

Verizon Galaxy Nexus got 4.0.2 update on release day.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

What no one has answered here (including Mr. Hillenbrand who disappeared after claiming he would continue to answer questions), why doesn't Apple have the same delays in updating their CDMA iPhone? Does Apple own CDMA licenses because they are a hardware manufacturer?

Additionally, why doesn't Google just buy the licenses from Qualcomm? I don't think they are hard-up for cash.

Finally, will the acquisition of Motorola Mobility give Google direct access to the CDMA licenses anyway, since Motorola clearly has built many CDMA devices.

Pardon me. I work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. And i never said when I would answer.

Everyone is equating Apple to Google. In this instance, Apple = Samsung -- the hardware manufacturer. They have everything they need to build devices for CDMA networks from the companies making the chips and the network operators.

Google is just a software company. I'm sure they could independently get licenses from folks like Qualcomm, but they don't. They leave that to the OEM.

There's just as much special software in iOS to make it run on CDMA networks as there is in Android. The difference is that iOS is closed source, has a closed developer beta, and nobody knows what the hell is under the hood. What Apple does differently is bundle 4 versions of the OS in one big version, and strip features from older models. It would be like Google having a 2 GB version of ICS, that was Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and ICS bound together. Older models get the "gingerbread" version, without the new ICS features, but it says ICS in the about screen.

One is not better than the other, but one gets all the bad press.

 

[pauldroidr2d2]

Well the Spring Galaxy Nexus has already been updated a week after release. The updates involves both the radio and Google Wallet, meaning both Sprint and Google had a hand in the update.

So there goes the whole "CDMA licenses are the hold-up" excuse! Sprint and Google were able to do in a week what has taken Verizon 5 months (and counting).

This phone received an update the day it was released. There is also LTE that has to be dealt with as well on this phone.

 

[pauldroidr2d2]

And for the last time: Verizon does not control which updates this phone gets. It will get updated to jelly beand and whatever comes after it, and Verizon has no say in the matter. You've had ICS for six months longer than any other phone on Verizon, and will STILL get updates sooner. The complaining that this 'isnt a real nexus' is not only false, but its patently absurd.

Prove it! You make statements like the above as if they are facts. If that is so, I'm sure you can provide a source to support your claims.

From what I recall, VZW gets to review the updates before they are sent out to our phones. How exactly is that not control over the updates?

 

[sniffs]

Jerry, so if LTE is proprietary , will we see this same issue of AOSP being pulled for any potential(future) LTE Nexus devices on AT&T?

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Jerry, so if LTE is proprietary , will we see this same issue of AOSP being pulled for any potential(future) LTE Nexus devices on AT&T?

Dunno. My guess would be yes.

LTE is as closed as CDMA is. Every operator will have their own software.

It's worth remembering that GSM is "closed" (has patent encumberments) as well, but the licenses are much more relaxed.

 

[greydarrah]

I don't really understand all the fuss here. Nothing any of us can do will have the slightest effect on Google, Samsung, or Verizon. If you think the 5,000, or 10,000 people in this forum matter to any of these corporate giants, you're crazy. Whether you consider this a "true" nexus device or not, you either like the phone or you don't. And if you fall in the "don't" category, get something else (or change carriers). It's not like there is a shortage of choices. There will NEVER, EVER be a pure Google device on the Verizon network. That's sad, but true. Big whup! I love this phone. There are tons of ROMs to make it run however you want. And if you say, "but I don't want to install a ROM and void my warranty (boo, hoo, hoo)," then you bought the wrong phone. The primary reason of purchasing a Nexus is to have access to all the developer support and their customizations.