Early this month an update file for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was discovered on Google’s servers that upgraded the device to Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76K). Google quickly pulled the file down so we assumed it was just a test version and not the final Verizon approved file. Now several weeks later, the update file [...]]]>

Early this month an update file for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was discovered on Google’s servers that upgraded the device to Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76K). Google quickly pulled the file down so we assumed it was just a test version and not the final Verizon approved file. Now several weeks later, the update file has mysteriously reappeared on Google’s servers.

Verizon has given no indication that they are finally pushing out the long-awaited update, so this should still be considered a test build. Some have speculated that this is Google’s way of thumbing their nose at Verizon, by allowing Nexus users to manually update their phones before Verizon approves the update.

Most Nexus users that want to hack their phones have already installed custom ROMs based on Android 4.0.4 months ago, but the average Verizon user with the Galaxy Nexus is still stranded with the bug-filled Android 4.0.2 build that has been on the device since launch day.

If you can’t wait any longer and you want to install this test build, then you can grab the file and follow the instructions below. Google does not allow stock Galaxy Nexus phones to manually flash an update.zip file, so you will have to temporarily flash a custom recovery image to get the job done. This requires users to unlock their bootloader, which will wipe all data on the phone.

• Android 4.0.4 IMM76k for Verizon Galaxy Nexus: Google download
• Instructions to flash zip file: xda-developers

For people that have never hacked their phone or those that just wish to remain on the official Verizon build, I suggest waiting on the final build to be pushed to your phone over the air.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus is no longer my daily phone, so I went ahead and flashed this test build to make sure it works. The total process from start to finish took less than 30 minutes, and everything appeared to be working.

I have purposely remained on the stock Verizon build to see how long it takes the carrier to roll out the update, so I went ahead and flashed the factory image to return back to Android 4.0.2 (build ICL53F).

Now we return back to waiting on Verizon to update the Galaxy Nexus for the masses. How long do you think it will take Verizon to roll out their update and fix their Galaxy Nexus?

“Verizon is going to have to pry that plan from my cold dead hands.” Don’t worry Sean Riley, you can keep that grandfathered unlimited data plan as long as you purchase your phone a full retail price.

Today Verizon issued an updated statement to address concerns from subscribers that thought they might be [...]]]>

“Verizon is going to have to pry that plan from my cold dead hands.” Don’t worry Sean Riley, you can keep that grandfathered unlimited data plan as long as you purchase your phone a full retail price.

Today Verizon issued an updated statement to address concerns from subscribers that thought they might be forced to give up their unlimited data plans as Verizon migrates to shared data plans this summer. Customers who take advantage of upgrade pricing will in fact lose their unlimited data, but as long as they pay full price for their device then they can keep the same plan.

More information on the data-share tiers will be coming closer to the introduction of the new plans later this year. Check out Verizon’s statement below for the full details. Does this news calm your fears?

As we have stated publicly, Verizon Wireless has been evaluating its pricing structure for some time. Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today. We are working on plans to provide customers with that option and will introduce new plans later this year.

When the new options are introduced, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to our customers purchasing handsets and signing a new contract. Customers who choose to purchase phones at full retail price and are currently on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan. The same pricing and policies will apply to all 3G and 4G LTE smartphones.

We will share specific details of the plans well in advance of their introduction so customers will have time to evaluate the plans and make the best decisions for their wireless service. It is our goal and commitment to continue to provide customers with the same high value service they have come to expect from Verizon Wireless.Brenda RaneyVerizon Wireless

Starting this summer Verizon plans to eliminate the $30 unlimited data plan that it still offers to subscribers who were grandfathered into it, when tiered data plans were rolled out last year. The news comes from Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo who said that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE devices, [...]]]>

Starting this summer Verizon plans to eliminate the $30 unlimited data plan that it still offers to subscribers who were grandfathered into it, when tiered data plans were rolled out last year. The news comes from Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo who said that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE devices, they will be forced to adopt the company’s new data-share plan that is expected by mid-summer.

“LTE is our anchor point for data share, so as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto the data share plan, moving away from the unlimited world,” Shammo said. “A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited. When they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share. That is beneficial to us.”

AT&T recently began encouraging their subscribers to migrate to tiered plans (which pissed some customers off), so it’s not much of a surprise to see Verizon doing the same thing.

Verizon goes on to say the new data-share plan will allow subscribers to connect more devices. Shammo said, “If I can add as many devices as I want, that is more efficient from a family perspective and a small business perspective.”

Some say that you should be scared of Verizon’s shared data plans, but I’m not so sure that I share that opinion yet. I might be alone in this thinking, but I don’t mind tiers and paying for the data that I consume. Of course I wish that there were cheaper tiers and data overages cost less, but I don’t have a problem with the basic concept of shared data buckets for multiple devices.

If you are a Verizon customers, I’m curious to know what you think. Will the end of unlimited data plans encourage you to switch to a carrier like Sprint that offers truly unlimited data?

My name is Taylor Wimberly and I’m an unhappy Verizon customer. Five months ago I walked into a Verizon store, purchased two Galaxy Nexus phones, and ported my numbers over from T-Mobile. I knew there was a strong chance I might regret that decision, but I wanted to try out Google’s flagship smartphone on [...]]]>

My name is Taylor Wimberly and I’m an unhappy Verizon customer. Five months ago I walked into a Verizon store, purchased two Galaxy Nexus phones, and ported my numbers over from T-Mobile. I knew there was a strong chance I might regret that decision, but I wanted to try out Google’s flagship smartphone on America’s largest wireless carrier.

Google bent over backwards to get their flagship device on Verizon’s network so we thought they would provide a stellar experience. However, I found the entire experiment to be a big failure and I wish I could go back in time to purchase the unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexus and stick with T-Mobile.

Verizon and Google originally planned to launch the Galaxy Nexus back in October, but numerous bugs were discovered and the launch date was pushed back multiple times. On December 15th, Verizon finally released the Galaxy Nexus to retail stores, bugs still present, and issued a small patch on that same day to address some of the issues.

Unfortunately, the patch from Android 4.0.1 to 4.0.2 only addressed a small number of issues and the Galaxy Nexus was left with a good chunk of annoying bugs.

We were told that Verizon and Google were already working together on another update to address the complaints from those of us that rushed out to purchase the device, and we believed them. But never in our wildest dreams did we think that five months would pass and Verizon would still not release a software update to fix all the known issues.

I’ve already covered the bugs and Google has fixed the majority of them with the latest Android 4.0.4 update. The disappointing thing is that Verizon has been testing this update since February, but they have not rolled it out to customers yet.

We reached out to Verizon to get to the bottom of the delay and they told us they needed more time to make sure the software update “won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.”

I’m fully aware I could hack my phone and flash one of the test builds which would end my misery, but I decided to stick with the official Verizon software build so I could endure the same experience that the average subscriber would see on their device.

For all we know Verizon could announce tomorrow that a new software update is finally available for their Galaxy Nexus, but the public image of this device is now forever tarnished and I would no longer recommend that any Verizon customer purchase it.

Drive-by Conclusions

In my five months with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, I have learned some interesting things:

• The process in which US carriers update the software on their Android phones is completely broken, and Google knows this.
• The average Android phone ships with numerous bugs and it could take your wireless carrier half a year to fix them.
• Most Android users don’t hack their phones, and they have a shitty experience.
• Google’s solution to this whole problem is to just buy a phone directly from them.

At the end of the day, I’m still glad that I got to experience being a Verizon customer. Their in-store staff and phone support is top tier, and I understand there is nothing they can do to fix the problem with Android updates. They offered me the chance to switch to a different smartphone, but I think I’m better off paying the $300 early termination fee and returning to an unlocked device.

Maybe Google will fundamentally change the way that Android devices are updated, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. In the mean time it appears that only a Google backed device should expect regular updates, but even that’s not certain.

There’s no beating around the bush; most of us on staff here at Android and Me love the HTC One series of devices. I had a chance this weekend to spend some hands-on time with the HTC One X from AT&T, and was completely blown away by both the look and build quality of the [...]]]>

There’s no beating around the bush; most of us on staff here at Android and Me love the HTC One series of devices. I had a chance this weekend to spend some hands-on time with the HTC One X from AT&T, and was completely blown away by both the look and build quality of the device.

At CTIA last week, Verizon Wireless announced the mid-range Droid Incredible 4G LTE by HTC. The Droid Incredible 4G LTE is not a One device, and HTC Spokesman Jeff Gordon indicated to Android Authority that Verizon “is not going to be carrying either of the HTC One devices currently announced.” Considering the HTC One V, One S, and One X devices have all been announced, Gordon’s remarks suggest these phones won’t be coming to Big Red’s network.

That’s not to say future HTC One (or, is it HTC Two?) devices won’t make their way to Verizon Wireless. It’s possible Verizon and HTC are working on a superphone to take Verizon’s network by storm later this year. We’ll continue to incessantly check our inboxes for a special invitation from Verizon or HTC, though we won’t hold our breath.

Were you hoping to see the HTC One series come to Verizon’s network? Does the Droid Incredible 4G LTE suffice for your HTC smartphone needs? Sound off below.

AT&T has finalized plans to offer a shared data service to families, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega told CNET yesterday. The plans are set to be unveiled later this year, though de la Vega was unwilling to provide details as to timing, plan details, or pricing. AT&T joins Verizon as the two companies considering [...]]]>

AT&T has finalized plans to offer a shared data service to families, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega told CNET yesterday. The plans are set to be unveiled later this year, though de la Vega was unwilling to provide details as to timing, plan details, or pricing. AT&T joins Verizon as the two companies considering rolling out a shared data plan as early as this summer.

Many wireless customers gripe at having to pay two separate data plans on family lines, especially when neither person comes remotely close to the standard 2-3GB limit most companies offer. Some would rather pay for the ability to share the same allotment of data and mitigate the need for costly separate plans. Of course, data plans tend to be where carriers make their money, so we’ll have to wait and see what AT&T come up with as final products for shared data services.

We should be learning more details of AT&T and Verizon shared data plans in coming weeks, perhaps as soon as a few days as the wireless industry settles into the big easy for the CTIA Spring 2012 show. Our own Taylor Wimberly is on hand in New Orleans, and we’ll be bringing you all the goods from the show floor as it emerges.

After months of leaks, rumors and dozens of blurry pictures, Verizon has officially unveiled the DROID Incredible by HTC. While we’ve seen quite a few spec variances over the past months, the official handset internals match up with some of the most recent rumors.

Looking at the specs, Verizon’s DROID Incredible 4G LTE is a [...]]]>

After months of leaks, rumors and dozens of blurry pictures, Verizon has officially unveiled the DROID Incredible by HTC. While we’ve seen quite a few spec variances over the past months, the official handset internals match up with some of the most recent rumors.

Looking at the specs, Verizon’s DROID Incredible 4G LTE is a decent phone. It’s size matches up closely with the HTC One S, while featuring NFC and LTE connectivity like the EVO 4G LTE and AT&T’s HTC One X. Additionally, the DROID Incredible 4G LTE features a removable battery and a microSD expansion slot which will allow users to add an additional 32GB of storage to the device.

It’s hard to say which of HTC’s four devices is better than the other since they all offer features which make them each unique in their own right. The DROID Incredible 4G LTE may have a smaller screen and underclocked processor, but its removable battery and expandable storage options may actually make it a more appealing option to Android enthusiasts and power users.

Verizon’s staying silent on the price, but the press release does mention that the DROID Incredible 4G LTE will be available on its website and in Verizon stores within the coming weeks. We wouldn’t be surprised if Verizon prices the phone at $299, but we feel a fair price would be something between $149 and $179.

How do you think the DROID Incredible 4G LTE stacks up against the HTC One X, One S and EVO 4G LTE?

HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE specificiations

• 1.2Ghz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 4-inch qHD (960×540) Super LCD display (with Corning Gorilla Glass)
• 8GB of internal storage
• 8 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, BSI f/2.2, 28mm lens and 1080p HD video recording
• VGA front-facing camera
• Size: 4.8 x 2.4 x .46 inches
• Weight: 132 grams (4.66 ounces)
• 1700 mAh removable battery
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Beats Audio
• Bluetooth 2.0
• NFC
• LTE
• G-Sensor, Light Sensor, Digital Compass, Proximity Sensor
• Android 4.0
• HTC Sense 4.0

Want to be the first to find out when Samsung announces details on the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III? They just opened up a registration page for the device and promised customers will receive the latest updates about their highly anticipated device in exchange for your email address.

Some will [...]]]>

Want to be the first to find out when Samsung announces details on the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III? They just opened up a registration page for the device and promised customers will receive the latest updates about their highly anticipated device in exchange for your email address.

Some will probably notice there is a field for carrier preference that lists AT&T, C Spire, Metro PCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon, but we wouldn’t read too much into that. However, Samsung did say the device will come to 296 mobile operators in 145 countries, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually landed on all those.

Could the Galaxy S III come to all these US carriers? Maybe...

Samsung was the first major manufacturer to get into the Android tablet game a year and a half ago with the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab. It was an excellent piece of hardware, but there was no official support for tablets on Android, it was really expensive and was initially only available with a data plan. [...]]]>

Samsung was the first major manufacturer to get into the Android tablet game a year and a half ago with the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab. It was an excellent piece of hardware, but there was no official support for tablets on Android, it was really expensive and was initially only available with a data plan. Not surprisingly the Galaxy Tab thus saddled didn’t exactly burn up the sales charts, regardless of Samsung’s early claims to the contrary.

Fast forward to today and I have in my hands the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE from Verizon. Things have come a long way technologically in the last year and a half, but some of the same issues persist. Is the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE good enough to overcome the criticisms that plagued it’s predecessor?

1. Build Quality

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE (7.7) is thin. It seems like a simple statement and I’m sure you’re nodding your head that yes you know all about thin tablets. I’m telling you right now that you are wrong. The 7.7 is pure thinsanity (yes, that just happened). I’ve included a couple comparison shots above with my Galaxy Nexus and a deck of cards to try to give you a sense of it. If you prefer to go strictly by the numbers it is 7.87mm thick, which is about .7mm thicker than the Droid RAZR. So if it’s that thin it must feel like you can snap it like a twig, right? Surprisingly not. There isn’t a significant amount of flexibility in the device despite it’s narrow dimensions and while I wouldn’t advise doing any concrete bounce tests, the kind of basic jostling and short drops that typically happen to devices wouldn’t leave the 7.7 any worse for wear.

While I know some people would prefer that their devices be carved out of a block of metal, I appreciate the feel and light weight offered by Samsung’s durable plastic construction and the 7.7 is one of the finest implementations yet.

2. Aesthetics

The 7.7 is one of those devices that I was just immediately taken with when I first saw it at CES this year. Now the amazing screen, which I’ll get to in a moment, is a big part of that, but the form factor and look of the device aren’t to be ignored.

I’ll try to avoid specifically obsessing over the thinness again, but the overall size of this device is fantastic. While the 7.7-inch screen feels much more substantial than any phone screen, it is still small enough to produce a manageable and portable device. The 7.7 fit in all of my jacket pockets and if you are into looking ridiculous it might even fit in the back pocket of your pants (albeit with the top sticking out). At just 12 ounces it’s actually plausible to just throw this thing in a pocket too as it is barely noticeable and of course its weight completely vanishes when in a bag.

The 7.7 breaks a bit out of the Samsung tablet mold and I’m a big fan of the look they went with here. The back is predominantly brushed metal with dark grey plastic at the top and bottom. The back immediately reminded me of the HTC Legend, which was a beautiful device. The front is obviously dominated by the screen and is ringed by a thin black bezel with white Verizon and Samsung logos gracing the top and bottom respectively.

Following around the outside of the device there’s the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and the proprietary Samsung charging/docking port at the bottom. On the left side as you look at the device there are microSD and sim slots. Finally the right hand side has the power button, volume rocker and an IR port.

3. LTE

As per usual the LTE was fast as fast can be. However, I do get to finally break my endless chain of “this device performed just as the rest of my LTE devices perform in my area.” The 7.7 had consistently superior upload speeds to my Galaxy Nexus and an HTC Thunderbolt sitting side by side. Upload speeds were in the neighborhood of 10-14mb whereas my Galaxy Nexus and the Thunderbolt remained in my familiar range of 4-8mb. Download speeds were consistent with the rest of my devices with speeds in the range of 12-16mb on average. Upload isn’t usually the big stat that people throw down, but if it’s something you are craving the 7.7 can deliver.

4. Performance

Samsung stuck with their homegrown 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos 4210 processor with the Mali-400MP GPU for the 7.7 and while quad-core may be the flavor of the day, the dual-core Exynos manages to push the pixels around fast enough that I doubt anyone will be disappointed.

The 7.7 ran every game and app that I threw at it. Obviously if you’ve been eyeing any of the exclusives in the ‘Tegra Zone’ then those are going to be out of reach for you, but otherwise I doubt you’ll find an app that the 7.7 won’t run well. The only place that I saw occasional lag or slowdowns was in app launching or screen transitions and I’m reasonably confident that Android 4.0 will iron out those minor issues.

For those of you that are more numerically minded you can check out the benchmark results that I got with the 7.7 below.

Update: A commenter rightly pointed out that I neglected to mention the storage capacity so I’m slotting it into performance. The 7.7 offers 16GB of on-board storage and as previously noted has a microSD slot that will let you bump that up another 32GB if things get tight. I appreciate the option to expand, but with all of the streaming and cloud storage options at this point I think I’d be hard pressed to even fill the 16GB.

5. Display

If our scoring allowed me to give more than one point to the display I absolutely would as the Super AMOLED Plus display on the 7.7 is the best I’ve seen. People talk about looking at the new iPad screen and being blown away and in my opinion the 7.7 is even more eye catching. I understand that at 1280×800 it may not have the pixel density of the iPad, but the deep blacks, the vivid color reproduction and the insane viewing angles more than make up for the fact that I can see some pixels if I hold it a few inches from my face.

I mentioned it once already, but the 7.7 grabbed my attention the moment I saw it at CES and that first reaction was completely driven by this screen. If you mainly use your tablet for web browsing and productivity apps this may not be as critical to you, however for those of you that watch video or play games on your tablet this screen makes a world of difference. I’m just hopeful that we keep seeing Samsung push this screen tech out into the rest of their smartphone and tablet lines.

6. Camera

The cameras on the 7.7 are adequate for tablet usage, but shouldn’t of course be thought of as a replacement for a real camera or even the camera on any remotely decent Android phone.

The rear-facing camera is 3.2MP and in bright light it can capture noise free images, but I’d avoid it unless you are going to slap some heavy filters on it (fortunately Instagram supports it so you can do exactly that). I only really see the rear facing cameras on tablets to be good for augmented reality apps and the 7.7 camera performs just fine in that regard.

The 2MP front-facing camera is one of the better I’ve seen. I tested it by calling over GTalk on my desktop and was impressed with the fluidity of the image. I’m sure you’ll have similarly positive results with whatever your video chat app of choice might be.

7. Ports

Like most of Samsung’s tablets the 7.7 has only the proprietary 30-pin connector for charging and wired data transfer. I cannot put into words how much proprietary connectors and/or media annoy me. I have hated it for years while Sony has done it and Apple of course seems to revel in the practice. It would have been bad enough 5 years ago when every single cell phone you got had some slightly different charger, but today we are so close to everyone standardizing around microUSB. Samsung needs to stop this foolishness.

While I realize it isn’t the most wildly used feature it is a bit disappointing to not see an HDMI out as Android finally has a bevy of streaming video options that you might just want to toss up on the big screen.

So what is the redeeming port that tips the scales of this section to a ‘meh’ from the gaping maw of ‘bad?’ Why naturally it’s the IR port. No, stop laughing, I’m serious. I was pretty skeptical when I first saw the IR port on there and it wasn’t until I fired up the Peel Smart Remote app (see Software for more on Peel) that I realized it was actually good and useful. Now this is definitely a your mileage may vary situation, but considering the overlap in the Venn diagram of tablet usage, coach sitting and TV watching is nearly complete for me I can definitely see getting a lot of use out of the IR port. If you have ill will towards IR ports based on years of disappointing experiences with IR on PDAs then I recommend you give this a chance as I think it actually delivers on the promise that all those PDAs dangled in front of us.

8. Software

I’ll start with the Peel Smart Remote app since I just brought it up with the IR port. Now yes if you have some insane all-in-one remote you are unlikely to care about this app, but if you are rocking whatever remote came with your TV then this should be a nice boost. The Peel app is stupidly simple to set up as rather than forcing you to find an oddly sized booklet and punch in codes like you are playing a mid-90′s PC game they just have you enter the brand of your TV and then it proceeds to spit codes at it until it manages to power your TV on. There’s another couple of steps to establish what cable/satellite package and then the final step is to input the types of shows you are into. It’s all painless and took no more than 5 minutes. Once you have it set up the app provides remote functions, as you might imagine, but the real value is the display of what’s playing right now that you might be interested in watching. It’s a graphical display akin to what you see on the Hulu, Netflix, or HBO Go apps and perhaps because of my familiarity with those apps it feels far more natural and practical than traditional channel surfing. There are quite a few more features that I won’t get into as this isn’t a review for Peel Smart Remote, but suffice to say I thought it was a much more welcome piece of bloatware than what we have come to expect.

Verizon putting a couple dozen pre-installed apps of varying value on their devices is hardly news at this point so I won’t really get into it. Kindle, Netflix, QuickOffice and the aforementioned Peel Smart Remote are among them so it’s not all bad.

Finally the biggest knock against the 7.7 in this category is that it is currently running Android 3.2. Samsung has had it on their Android 4.0 update list basically since they started publicly reporting one, but we still don’t have a definite timeline for that update to happen. As this is a temporary problem I don’t see it as a deal breaker by any means and when you do finally get that Android 4.0 update I think it’ll iron out a few of the little hiccups you see here and there.

9. Battery Life

The 7.7 manages excellent battery life despite its diminutive frame. I typically was able to go about 12-15 hours before needing to plug back in. Toward the low end if I was streaming video over LTE extensively, but even with quite a bit of streaming you would be hard pressed to kill the battery with any kind of normal days usage. This is good news considering the battery is not replaceable so you are stuck with what’s on board.

Standby battery life was similarly impressive with very minimal drain (4-6%) if I neglected to charge the tablet overnight. Unless you are travelling and using the Tab constantly the tablet should easily get you through 2-3 days between charges without the need for any serious battery conservation.

10. Price

All good things must come to an end and the pricing is where things unravel for the 7.7. The tablet is available on Verizon for $449, but that carries with it a 2-year data contract at a minimum of $30 a month for 2GB of data. You can of course opt to buy it without a contract, however you are going to have to shell out $699 for that privilege and that’s a tall order in todays tablet market. If you could buy the 7.7 for $450-500 and have the flexibility to opt in and out of data on a month to month basis I would feel differently about its value proposition.

I loved carrying the 7.7 around for the last couple weeks and for my usage it is the best tablet hardware available on Verizon today. Unfortunately the hardware is only one piece of the puzzle and the other pieces just don’t quite manage to slot into place for the 7.7 which is why it ended up with just an OK score.

The pricing of carrier branded Android tablets just continues to be an unmitigated mess. The off contract price of $699 just isn’t going to happen and at $449 with a two-year contract the minimum cost of ownership is $1,169 and for a device category that is still trying to prove itself that’s a tall order.

The Android tablet app problem persists as well and while I actually attribute it more to discoverability than a true lack of apps the end result is still the same. There’s every indication that Google is going to be giving more attention to tablets this year and so I’m hopeful that we may be in the last days (well, months anyway) for this particular complaint.

If you are in the market for an LTE tablet the Galaxy Tab 7.7 on Verizon belongs on your shortlist. It is my favorite Android tablet available on Big Red at the moment and depending on your use cases I think it holds its own with the iPad as well. The display is phenomenal and the form factor strikes an excellent balance with a screen size that gives you far more than a phone while keeping the dimensions and weight down to the point that you can take it anywhere. To repurpose a quote often used by photographers, the best tablet is the one that you have with you.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is an amazing phone, but customers who purchased the Verizon version have not been too happy with the device because of a number of bugs. After nearly 5 months of waiting, it appears that Verizon could be close to releasing a software update that resolves many of the known issues that [...]]]>

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is an amazing phone, but customers who purchased the Verizon version have not been too happy with the device because of a number of bugs. After nearly 5 months of waiting, it appears that Verizon could be close to releasing a software update that resolves many of the known issues that users have been complaining about.

Verizon customers with the Galaxy Nexus are still running Android 4.0.2 (unless they hacked their device), while most other Galaxy Nexus models have already moved on to Android 4.0.4. The latest update included over 100 changes and fixed many of the annoying bugs that people were complaining about.

This week several lucky Verizon subscribers started reporting that their device received an upgrade to Android 4.0.4 over the air. This latest software package included a build number, IMM76K, that was newer than the Android 4.0.4 build that Verizon was testing back in February.

Several persistent hackers were able to discover the download URL for the update package, but Google quickly pulled it down after it leaked out. There are instructions floating around all over the web if you want to try and manually flash it, but keep in mind this might not be the final version that goes out to all Verizon customers. I have decided not to hack my Galaxy Nexus because I want to share the voice of the average Verizon subscriber who has no clue what flashing is.

We recently reached out to Verizon to see if they could provide us a statement on the software upgrade for the Galaxy Nexus and we finally received something we could share.

All updates are a result of work with our hardware and software partners and have to be tested on our network just like our phones. When they are ready we push them to handsets but we don’t do that until we are absolutely certain they won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.Company RepresentativeVerizon

Based on that statement it appears that Verizon might be testing a new update with a small group of devices. We don’t know when the broad rollout will begin, but Verizon has a good track record of letting the online media know when new software updates are available.

As we reported last week, a Google employee said they were “very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere.”

It’s unfortunate that Verizon customers had to put up with a device that randomly reboots daily, has multitouch issues, drops call, and suffers from poor battery life, but at least help is on the way.

Going forward, Verizon and Sprint customers should get used to the fact that their Galaxy Nexus devices will likely lag behind the GSM version by at least a month when it comes to new updates.

It might not be that big of an issue after this Android 4.0.4 update is out and fixes most of the known bugs, but it could be annoying when your friends on AT&T and T-Mobile are enjoying Android 5.0, and you are stuck waiting on your carrier to approve the update.

Look for an update as soon as we hear the official update is going live.