Galaxy Nexus LTE | Stuff-Review

Android 4.0.4 source heading to Android Open-Source Project carrying a few hundred changes

March 28, 2012 at 2:59 pm

Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76D) is hitting the Android Open-Source Project now according to Google developer Jean-Baptiste Queru. The update was sent to a small number of devices yesterday, like the Verizon LTE Galaxy Nexus (check out our in-depth review of the Galaxy Nexus here) and the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi. Queru notes that the incremental update brings a few hundred changes over Android 4.0.3.

Those who got the update on their LTE Galaxy Nexus and Motorola XOOM devices are reporting better battery life, performance and signal strength. As Queru points out, the code release doesn’t mean that the update will hit devices any day now. Updates will depend on carriers and device manufacturers. Of course even the stock Android Galaxy Nexus GSM, was still still stuck on Android 4.0.2 and suffering from the same old random reboot bug.
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Galaxy Nexus case review: Case-Mate POP!

Reviews

February 19, 2012 at 5:19 am

Case-Mate does one thing, it makes cases, the kind our devices need; especially costly devices with big glass fronts that we carry all day with us and might take a fall or two. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone is such a device and its slippery plastic body also doesn’t help at all — as you will find by reading our in-depth review right here.

We’ve already reviewed one case for the Galaxy Nexus, the OtterBox Defender, but we understand that it might be overkill for some as it adds significant bulk. This review will look at the Case-Mate POP!. It’s a one piece case that’s made of two materials, a shiny hard plastic and a soft rubber side grip. The rubber is grey but the shiny plastic comes in black, white and pink, creating a “pop”, see!
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Android 4.0.4 IMM30B update for LTE Verizon Galaxy Nexus leaks early, brings fixes

News

February 5, 2012 at 3:24 am

A lucky Verizon Galaxy Nexus (check out our in-depth review here) owner got an over-the-air (OTA) update notification for a brand new Android Ice Cream Sandwich build, version 4.0.4 IMM30B. We will some help from the forums over at Android Central he was able to pull the update from his device and then share it with the entire Android community.

As there is no official changelog, obviously, you’ll have to rely on users’ comment on what has been fixed/improved in this latest Android release. Discounting for any ‘placebo effects’, those who’ve updated are reporting UI responsiveness and speed improvements, better 4G/3G switching and improved signal strength among others.
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Galaxy Nexus case review: OtterBox Defender series case

Reviews

January 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm

If you’ve read our Galaxy Nexus review (and you should definitely read it here if you haven’t) then you know that using the smartphone without a case is an accident waiting to happen. In fact, my first Galaxy Nexus had suffered a deadly drop. Hence comes the dilemma, enjoy the beautiful and thin lines of your pricey and very fragile new smartphone by carrying it naked, risking its demise at any point, or sacrifice some of the thinness for the peace of mind a case brings.

Well if you are thinking of going with the latter then you might want to read on. OtterBox makes cases, and the company is known for some of the most solidly built cases you will find. We’ll be looking at the most rugged of the pair of OttorBox cases for the Galaxy Nexus, the Defender Series case. In fact this the most rugged case for the Galaxy Nexus that I know of, but correct me if I’m wrong.

For many this case will be overkill, and if size is a big issue then you might want to look elsewhere, because ruggedness comes at a cost. This is the case for the very active or very clumsy. If you are into sports, if your work puts high demands on you or if you want the ultimate protection for your smartphone, read on.
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Random reboots continue to plague the Galaxy Nexus, how about yours?

News

January 16, 2012 at 1:56 pm

When we thoroughly reviewed the Galaxy Nexus, the buggy launch of the device was one of its sticking points. While both the GSM and LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are now running Android 4.0.2, there are a number of bugs still plaguing both devices.

One of the most annoying issues plaguing the Galaxy Nexus are random reboots. I’ve been having them on my first Galaxy Nexus and now the same situation has been going on with the second Nexus I’ve got my hands on. They could happen at any time and a couple of times the Galaxy Nexus rebooted while charging during the night. If you have a PIN number set, your device will be ‘off the hook’ when it restarts, until you punch in the PIN number. I also had my first reboot yesterday after updating to 4.0.2 on a GSM/HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus last week.
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Samsung Galaxy Nexus to become Sprint’s first 4G LTE handset

News

January 5, 2012 at 6:52 pm

Talk about a trigger happy day, first we get a Nikon D4 leak, then the Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera leak and now somebody pushed the button on Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE ad a little too early — full review of the Galaxy Nexus here.

The 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone has appeared in a flash ad on CNET’s website and the people over at Engadget managed to snap up a few screenshots of the ad before it disappeared. It’s interesting to note that in the advertisement, the smartphone’s TI OMAP 4460 processor is shown to be clocked at its maximum 1.5GHz rather than the battery saving 1.2GHz as in the Verizon LTE and HSPA+ versions.

The Galaxy Nexus will become Sprint’s first LTE handset as the carrier will turn on the lights to its 4G LTE network in the first half of the year. Having the LTE network as prerequisite, don’t expect the Sprint Galaxy Nexus in the following few months.
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How to: easily install Google Wallet on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE with an APK file

Guides

December 18, 2011 at 3:30 am

Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was finally released last friday missing one key feature, the ability to make payments using NFC and Google Wallet. Over the weekend, a number of methods came in to go around this, and install Google Wallet on the Galaxy Nexus LTE, which involved some level of hackery. Today, you can install Google Wallet on your Verizon Galaxy Nexus without having to root your device or resort to any hackery.

Simply go here to download the application APK file. You can do this either directly on your device, or from you computer and then transfer the APK file to your smartphone. Make sure that under ‘Settings’ > ‘Security’ you have ‘Unknown sources’ checked. Now open the APK on your device using a file manager like ASTRO.
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How to: transfer files between the Galaxy Nexus and Mac OS X

Guides

December 15, 2011 at 3:51 am

Connecting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to your MacBook Pro, Air, iMac or any other Mac OS X computer isn’t as straightforward as other Android devices. Other Android devices offer access through a protocol named USB mass storage, which means your device is treated like a USB flash drive. The Galaxy Nexus uses the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP in short) in order to allow you to transfer media and other files between your computer. Windows PCs have built-in support for MTP but Mac OS computers don’t. If you want a more detailed account of MTP, USB mass storage and the Nexus, hit our article here.

To transfer files between the Galaxy Nexus and a Mac OS X system you must first download and a install the small official Android application named ‘Android File Transfer’. First go here and download the application dmg. Once the download has completed, doubleclick on androidfiletransfer.dmg. Now in the installer window click and drag the Android File Transfer icon to the Applications folder on its right (note you may be required to enter you system password at this point). Now the tool is installed on your Mac.
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Verizon Galaxy Nexus offered a 2100mAh extended battery

News

December 7, 2011 at 12:57 pm

We’ve been reviewing the Galaxy Nexus and we’ve found battery life to be quite decent for an Android device. However, if you want to squeeze every last minute possible out of your new favorite gadget, then Verizon is offering an extended battery for the LTE version of the smartphone. The Verizon-bound 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus comes with a 1,850mAh battery as standard but for $49.99 you can get the 2,100mAh extended battery, which you see above. That’s only a 13.5% increase in capacity but that could mean the difference between getting through a whole day with one charge or not, depending on your usage.

During our tests with the GSM HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, we could consistently get by for around 15 hours and 30 minutes until battery went below 15%, and that was with the screen on for 2h 30m, not bad at all. A 13.5% increase in capacity could mean around 2 more hours of usage. The GSM Galaxy Nexus only comes with a 1,750mAh battery as standard but the LTE version, because of its radio, presumably consumes more battery.
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