Not to be outdone by its Samsung successor, the Nexus One’s getting a miniature over-the-air update as well, sending users on a mind-bending ride from Android 2.2.1 (version FRG83D) to the FRG83G build of Android 2.2.2. When they emerge thoroughly dazzled and confused on the other side, what will they find? We spoke to Google and it’s just a few bug fixes, but one of them’s rather important — this update will go down in the annals of history as the one that doesn’tinadvertently send humorous texts intended for your co-workers to your deathly serious boss. Oh, and if that sounds like something you’d like to have immediately, rather than waiting for a formal rollout, you can find the file you need at Google’s servers right now.
If you are the proud owner of a Google Nexus One smartphone you may have been wondering exactly when you will be getting your Android OS updated to Gingerbread officially. We have some good news and bad news for you.
The good news is that the official Gingerbread update will be coming for your device. The bad news is the only ETA we have is “in the coming weeks.” Yeah, that sucks. It’s sort of like your parents telling you as a kid that you could have that new game systems “one of these days.”
The tip on the update came from the Nexus Twitter account and read, “The Gingerbread OTA for Nexus One will happen in the coming weeks. Just hang tight!”
The original Google phone got us all excited a couple of weeks back when an OTA update was presumed to be the oven-hot Gingerbread upgrade, only to disappoint us. Now we’ve got the most lucid statement from the Android chefs yet on when the real Gingerbread Nexus One will stand up, which is placed in the relatively ill-defined window of “the coming weeks.” Hey, better weeks than months, right?
With Gingerbread freely distributed to the open-source masses, it probably won’t surprise you to hear there already a custom ROM for Google’s darling Nexus One. But what if we told you Android 2.3 is now available for the HTC HD2 as well? That’s right, the Windows Mobile 6.5 powerhouse can now snap off a sugary piece of the same Android code, and from what we hear in the XDA-developers forums, it works pretty decently, too. Like the Samsung Galaxy S we saw getting the green tie treatment this morning, the HTC HD2 and Nexus One don’t exactly have stable, fully functional builds, but as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t need petty luxuries like cameras, GPS receivers and official Google apps, you’ll probably be just fine. Find files and a modicum of instruction at our source links below.
Update: While these cookies are half-baked, unconfirmed and potentially dangerous to those not well versed in the art of Android hackery, we’re hearing that the HTC EVO 4G, original Motorola Droid and HTC Desire are now sporting early Gingerbread ROMs too. It seems the source code is relatively easy to compile for other phones, so with any luck there’ll be a compatible build for your device soon.
SlashHOLIDAY
If you’ve never witnessed the majesty that is the Star Wars Holiday Special, you’re in for a treat. This absolutely magical moment in Star Wars history has an urban legend attached to it that remembers George Lucas as saying “If I had the time and a hammer, I would smash every copy…” Why do we bring this 1978 one-time television event up now? Because TV Guide recently voted it Worst Television Holiday Moment of All Time – and I personally take any excuse available to mention a sociopolitical media extravaganza as wild as this of course, AND this gives me (and us!) the opportunity to present it again to you here now. Hooray!
So you’ve got a decision to make now that Nexus S has officially been announced, yes? You’re sitting around with your Nexus One or Galaxy S device, (we use Samsung Vibrant in this comparison, then additional Galaxy S devices,) and you’re wondering if it’ll be a smart move to switch over to the Nexus S when it’s time for you to get a new phone. Well! We’ve got just the compare and contrast for you! Take a peek here for a full rundown of what you’re going to be up against when you take that step into the world of Android phone switching in these late 2010 and early 2011 months.
Nexus S
This is the newest Android-based phone on the market and the first to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This is the fastest version of Android currently on the market, and this phone is announced to be carried exclusively on T-Mobile and you can only buy it from Best Buy (at least at first.) This phone runs Android 2.3 and is developed with input from the Android crew, thusly it of course runs Android UI. Radio connectivity is Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700 HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps), battery is Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) with a possible 6 hours of talk time and 428 hours of stand-by. There’s no removable storage, 512MB of RAM, and 16384MB of internal storage. Connect with 802.11 b/g/n Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS tracking. This phone is 63.0mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm (w x h x d) and weights in at 129.0 grams. It has a 4 inch screen with WVGA 800 x 480 resolution. Inside you’ll find a 1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor, around the edges you’ll see USB 2.0 and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and this device has an accelerometer. Nexus S has a 5.0 megapixel camera and Flash Video and additional features are thus: Contour Display, Near Field Communications (NFC), Three-axis gyroscope, Anti-fingerprint display coating, and Internet Calling support (VoIP/SIP).
This is the predecessor to Nexus S. Inside you’ll find a very similar situation with the exception of, of course, Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Nexus One is carried by several operators: T-Mobile (United States), Vodafone (United Kingdom, Italy, Spain), KT (Korea), and Videotron (Canada), and is sold by Vodafone (United Kingdom, Spain, Italy), Korea Telecom (Korea), and Videotron (Canada.) Nexus One has the same situation going on as far as development, having been overseen by official Android developers on its way to the shop. It runs Android 2.2 Froyo and again has an Android UI. Connectivity is through 3 UMTS bands (either 900/AWS/2100 MHz or 850/1900/2100 MHz) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps HSUPA 2 Mbps GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). Battery is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1400 mAH) which will give you 10 hours of talk time or approximately 290 hours of standby. Nexus One DOES have removable storage in a microSD card (4GB included, max 32GB), includes 512MB RAM and 512MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g (AND n, as of Froyo, thank you AndyH_STi!), Bluetooth is 2.0, and Nexus One does have GPS. The device is 59.8mm x 119.0mm x 11.5mm (w x h x d) and weighs in at 130 grams. It’s screen is a slightly smaller 3.7 inches (the smallest of these first three phones compared) and is WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) Inside you’ll find a 1 GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250 Snapdragon CPU, USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, and an accelerometer. Camera is 5.0 megapixels, Flash Video included, and additional features include a second microphone for dynamic noise suppression.
Samsung Vibrant is its own beast, being carried and sold by only T-Mobile (United States) and Bell (Canada – note, this version is actually the Galaxy S international, whose stats will end up being slightly different. Thanks xZeDgEx!) Inside you’ll find Android 2.1 with a TouchWiz UI, connectivity being GSM : 850/900/1800/1900 3G : 1700/1900/2100/. The battery on the Vibrant is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH), putting it right in between the first two phones on this list for talk time (7 hours) and right on top for standby (510 hours.) You are able to insert a microSD card for removable storage, and Vibrant is exactly the same for RAM (512MB) and up high compared to Nexus One, right up near Nexus S with 16000MB. Wifi is the same as the Nexus S 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth is the most advanced of the three with 3.0. Size of the Vibrant is 64.5mm x 122.5mm x 9.99mm (w x h x d), it weighs the least at 118 grams, and the screen is the same size as Nexus S at 4 inches and WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) Vibrant has a 1 GHz CPU, USB 2.0 (all three phones have 2.0,) and a 3.5mm headphone jack, along with an accelerometer like the others as well. The only difference on the camera (5.0 megapixels) is the video, which isn’t the same Flash Video the others have. Other features include Swype and Video Messaging.
Check out more news from us on the Samsung Vibrant [here], then while we’re at it, why don’t we continue with a couple more Galaxy S phones? Yes lets do such a thing.
Samsung Epic 4G (Galaxy S)
This is a rather different phone from the rest, featuring not only a physical landscape QWERTY keyboard, but a front-facing camera as well. This phone is carried by and sold by Sprint in the US. Inside you’ll find Android 2.1 and a TouchWiz UI, connectivity is CDMA 800/1900 MHz EVDO Rev. A WiMAX 2.5 to 2.7 GHz, 802.16e, and the Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) battery will give you 6 hours talk time and 780 hours standby. There’s removable storage with a microSD card (16GB included, max 32GB), 512MB RAM, and 1000MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, there’s Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS. The size of this phone is 64.6mm x 124.8mm x 14.2mm (w x h x d), it weighs 155 grams, and the screen is 4 inches (notice a trend?) and WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Also inside is a 1GHz CPU, USB 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Accelerometer, 5.0 megapixel camera, and Flash Video. Additional features include SWYPE text entry, Tactile QWERTY keyboard (I’d mention it again, but how many times is too many?), arrow keys, dedicated number keys, camera button, and TalkBack screen reader.
This phone is sold and distributed through AT&T (United States) and Rogers (Canada.) Inside is Android 2.1 and TouchWiz UI, connectivity is provided by GSM : 850/900/1800/1900, 3G : 850/1900/2100. Captivate’s Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) battery provides 10 hours of talk time or 710 hours on standby, and it’s got a microSD card slot for removable storage. Also inside is 512MB RAM as well as 16000MB of internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth is 3.0, and GPS is inside. This handset is 64.0mm x 123.0mm x 9.9mm (w x h x d), 130 grams, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) The CPU on this device is 1GHz, USB is 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, and it’s got an accelerometer. It’s got a 5.0 megapixel camera and no Flash Video. Additionally, it features SWYPE.
This handset is sold and distributed through Verizon in the USA and Telus in Canada (thanks xZeDgEx!) It features Android 2.1 and TouchWiz, connectivity on CDMA 800/1900 and EV-DO, Rev A 3G. The battery is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) with around 10 hours of talk time and 730 hours of standby. Removable microSD, microSDHC, and inside is 2GB of internal storage, 384 MB RAM, and 2048 MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS is inside. This handset is 64 x 125 x 10 mm (w x h x d), weighs 118 g, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Also inside you’ll find a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and Accelerometer. 5 megapixels camera (with smile detection!), and no Flash Video.
You didn’t think we’d make a guide without the original, right? This phone has massive distribution, being sold on 26 carriers in over 10 countries. If you can’t find this phone at your local mall, you’re not looking hard enough. Samsung Galaxy S features Android 2.1 and a TouchWiz UI and connectivity is through EDGE (850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900) HSDPA 7.2Mbps HSUPA 5.76Mbps (900/ 1900/ 2100) CDMA (for Korea). The battery, a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH), gives you a massive talk time of 13 hours with a max standby time of 750 hours. Removable storage is microSD card (32GB included, max 32GB), there’s 512MB of RAM, and it ties for second on internal storage at 16000MB. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth is 3.0, and GPS is inside for all your mapping needs. Galaxy S is 64.2mm x 122.4mm x 9.99mm (w x h x d) in size, 119 grams, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Inside also you’ll find that lovely 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird S5PC110, USB 2.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio (this is the first phone on this list to have this), and an accelerometer. There’s a 5.0 megapixel camera, no Flash Video, and additional features are thus: Social Hub, TouchWiz 3.0, Swype, DNLA (connectivity with Samsung TV & Laptop), and ThinkFree Office.
So which one comes out on top? You’ve got some deciding to do. Stick with your Galaxy S? Or move to a phone that Google helped produce? Work with a phone that’s got software additions you might not like, or work with the closest thing to a base clean Android system you’re going to get? But wait, do you want a physical keyboard? Behold the epic choice between Androids! Do you pick one of these Android titans, or pick a different robot, one not even close to this heavy list? You’ve GOT TO CHOOSE!
With all of the talk about Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)’s release today, and the upcoming launch of the Samsung Nexus S, there are more than a few people out there, specifically owners of the Nexus One, who are wondering when, exactly, they’ll be getting an update to their device. With thew new software’s SDK available to download right now, there’s sure to be some modified versions of the OS released in no time. But some people want the official, real deal. According to a new tweet from @retomeier, those owners will have to wait a few weeks before they will see an official Over The Air update for their devices.
While an official date may have been better, it’s understandable that Google wouldn’t have an exact date to go on quite yet. Of course, if the update is anything like the official roll out to Android 2.2 earlier in the year, it’s perfectly possible to see some lucky individuals out there get the update long before anyone else, or even before Google officially rolls anything out. If that does happen, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that the update finds its way onto the Internet.
So, if you’ve got yourself a Nexus One, it looks like you’ll have to be a little bit more patient for the update to land on your phone. Of course, “a few weeks” could mean that you’ll have a nice present waiting to be downloaded onto your phone by the time Christmas kicks off, so that’s something to look forward to.
Nexus One owners feeling a little Nexus S envy can breathe a little easier — we’re hearing that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is being pushed out to the N1 as we speak. We’d imagine that all the slick new features that don’t require new hardware (like NFC support) will be there, and we’re definitely interested in playing with this built-in WiFi calling stack. We’ll let you know what we find — won’t you do the same?
Update: Looks like our flood of tips came from people who were seeing their N1s get a different, less-interesting update. Google tells us that Gingerbread isn’t rolling out just yet, but is coming. Of course, we’ll let you know when the actual 2.3 update hits the OG Nexus. Ah, the heady optimism of hope.
Remember that “Related” / “Similar” tab we spotted in Google’s own Gingerbread video? Looks as if you won’t have to wait for Android 2.3 to enjoy the spoils of having El Goog sort out what similar apps you may like after you download one. This morning, waves of Android loyalists are finding a new tab in their Market, with a Droid 2 and Nexus One both seeing the update here at Engadget HQ. Naturally, it works just like the App Store’s equivalent, but it remains to be seen just how accurate the advice is. When looking at ‘Related’ for the (also recently updated) Engadget app, we’re finding items we’d prefer to be listed first about a page or so down, but we’re sure the mix-and-match engineers in Mountain View are already fine tuning things as we speak. You know, during the brief moments they aren’t preparing for Tuesday’s big Chrome reveal.
NASA basically stole the show today, and rightly so, as geobiologist Felisa Wolfe-Simon announced that she and her team had discovered a form of life that existed outside our known spectrum of living beings. Our very definition of life has just expanded. After that, it’s just Light Peak this, 4G LTE that, a floating cellphone over there, life-size 3D holographics over there, oh and ANGRY BIRDS SEASONS is now in the Apple app store! And we got an Advent Vega tablet to look at! Hooray!
SlashPIRACY
I’ll just leave this here and you tell me what you think about it. This is a quote from a spokesperson from the BPI (essentially England’s music industry, similar to USA’s RIAA) responding to Google’s recent tweaks to its search service like removing words associated with piracy from appearing on autocomplete: “It is encouraging that Google is beginning to respond to our calls to act more responsibly with regard to illegal content, … However, this package of measures, while welcome, still ignores the heart of the problem – that Google search overwhelmingly directs consumers looking for music and other digital entertainment to illegal sites” – these words basically repeated by Richard Mollet of the Publishers Association: “We hope that the measures announced today take effect quickly and that Google could then consider going further, so that illegal sites don’t appear in general free search results.”
