Google Nexus One not getting ICS, but Nexus S will in a few weeks

5. terabyteRouser posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:23 4

This is precisely why I'm getting the Nexus over the HTC Rezound and the Motorola Droid RAZR. The uncertainty of Android updates with these other manufacturers is maddening. Although, a true RGB 720p screen from HTC and the sleek design of the RAZR is tempting, I need my timely updates.

14. ygswagg11 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:41 1

i agree with you100% you aint never lied razr looks nice and htc rezound but all in all GALAXY neXus will be the better option updates is a big must. whoever dont go with pure google devices needs to be aware that dont get mad when it takes forever for u too to get this recent updates do to manufactuer's if u have a upgrade go nexus u wont regret f**k the design and looks go with nexus for timely updates......and this phone is properly tuned for ICS the htc sense and moto skin slows the entire os down

17. KingKurogiii posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:45 1

the Razr is "properly tuned" as well being that they both use the same processor and i'm willing to bet that Motorola is going with the approach they're making with their Honeycomb customization with ICS on their devices.

http://phandroid.com/2011/10/11/motorola-spyder-droid-razr-and-xoom-2-captured-in-the-wild/

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47. drodro posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:55 0

I think the Razr uses the slightly older and weaker CPU - OMAP4430. The Galaxy Nexus has the 4460. Not sure if this will make a difference in performance.

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15. KingKurogiii posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:41 1

Motorola is actually really good about software updates. i don't doubt that the Razr will get ICS before the year is over.

18. terabyteRouser posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:47 0

They already announced that it would be released Q1 2012.

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19. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:48 1

i agree but if you are a root user and prefers custom roms, it doesnt matter.. any of the 3 phones you mentioned are more than welcome..

78. cheeseycheeser posted on 26 Oct 2011, 20:32 0

Since Google is buying Motorola AND the RAZR and Galaxy Nexus share extremely similar processors, I'm not too worried about updates :)

84. choupino posted on 28 Oct 2011, 20:18 0

Of Course they will get it.

8. networkdood posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:30 0

Crap, I guess that will exclude the captivate, so I guess I really do need to get SGS2.

11. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:39 2

That's not quite right. Google said at I/O that it was making it part of the Open Handset Alliance agreement that manufacturers push software updates within 18 months of its release. That clause just recently went into effect.

30. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:51 0

the clause is for devices going forward, not retro compatable.

ND,
Samsung said that all 9xxx devices will be getting ICS, including the original SGS1 phones. Just dont hold your breath that its coming soon officially.. hopefully samsung leaks out the builds for ICS like they did for gingerbread to get around carrier slowdown.

49. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 15:24 0

If the Nexus S is getting ICS, it seems obvious that the Galaxy S would get it, since they are relatively the same device.

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60. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:07 0

there are minor differences, but not many. hopefully XDA will work on a port shortly after the nexusS gets it. :)

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13. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:40 3

That's my plan

26. Goldeneye posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:20 2

Exactly! Just because you got a Nexus device don't expect Google to support it forever come on! Is reasonable to get a new device

67. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:18 0

come on the device is under 2 years old, and not everyone got it on its exact release date.. it's unfair for Google not to update it.

50. The_Miz posted on 26 Oct 2011, 15:25 2

I am considering the iPhone 3GS got iOS5. I don't really see any excuse for Google not to push ICS on the Nexus One.

53. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 15:30 0

agreed..

55. protozeloz posted on 26 Oct 2011, 15:57 2

The main argument is about storage, the nexus has a puny 512Rom to hold your new OS, gingerbread already make that space really small so ICS might just simply not fit on the storage.

Now when you see the number of updates both the iPhone 3SG and the Nexus Got you see this

iPhone 3GS
-iOS3
-iOS4
-iOS5
-Still On Sale

Nexus One
-Cupcake
-Froyo
-Gingerbread
-Discontinued

58. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:06 0

i dont think this matters because the Nexus One is still under 2 years of age.. and 3GS is like half a year older than Nexus One..

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63. protozeloz posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:12 0

1)the 3GS has more storage so it can fit a huge OS on its internal memory.

2) Google had a faster update rate, now it seems to be calmed down a bit. so if instead you got One huge OS update a year you will see the nexus one getting one more update

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71. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:21 0

Apple knows that if they run the full blown iOS 5 like what you see on iP4s on iP4 and 3GS, it wont work as flawless as it should. What Apple did was they cut down the features and stuff on iP4 and 3GS so the new OS will run smooth. Google could've done better.

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70. protozeloz posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:20 0

also how does this does not matter? if they need to remove the new look, and the new features to fit the OS in what you have left?

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62. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:12 2

name all the feature differences between iOS3 and iOS5.

name all the feature differences between cupcake and ICS.

That is your reason.


It could be an internal storage issue (not enough for the update), it could be a ram issue, it could be a "not strong enough" issue.. it could be a combination of issues.
Remember, android phones from 2 years (and even a year) ago by and large had very little internal storage and were memory card only for everything. How many HTC and Moto phones have been left behind already because they skimped on internal storage and didnt have enough for the update to 2.2 or 2.3.

There is more to it than "we want to force an upgrade".
Thats an apple trick, not a google trick.

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61. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:09 0

because the difference in iOS4 to iOS5 is minimal.. you added notifications from andriod.
And Apple isnt giving full iOS5 to anyone that doesnt have an i4s. its only a 3/4th upgrade. Siri being the most notable selling point of iOS5 that is missing.

The difference between gingerbread to ICS is quite large. And I would rather have the full update, not some half assed one.

69. Sniggly posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:20 1

For the most part, Android updates are the full monty; very rarely are certain features withheld for devices. If a phone gets Froyo or Gingerbread, it gets EVERY FEATURE that the update has to offer for every other device. It also runs just as well as on other devices, except in rare instances.

On the other hand, the 3GS is not getting everything that iOS 5 has to offer to the 4S or even the 4. Even then, it's well known that iOS updates will run great on the latest hardware, pretty good on the last generation hardware, okay but not great on the generation before that, and not at all on the previous generation. And that's not even touching on the fact that the major updates Apple puts out tend to brick a high amount of the older phones.

73. ilia1986 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:57 0

Sniggly once again sums up everything very neatly :D

In addition - just like the G1 got 2.3 eventually - and judging from YouTube - it ran fairly well - so I'm almost certain that such a relatively strong device like the N1 can get ICS via a custom rom, or such.

Hell we might even see some crazy guy running ICS on the G1\Magic\Original Droid. :P

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79. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 20:56 1

lol, they had to rip 2.3 to shreds to get it small enough to fit on the G1. they had to do the same with 2.2 They got it to run, but it wasnt full featured.

Like sniggs said. android does all or nothing, not half baked like apple's retro updates.

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12. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:39 2

The Nexus S is single core, so no that's not true. But a single core phone will need a good enough GPU to be able to run ICS well.

20. KingKurogiii posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:50 2

i'm thinking most HTC phones with S1s won't see ICS but phones with OMAP3s, Hummingbirds & S2s could get ICS if manufacturers decide to update them. i could see them saying something like "for the best combined hardware and software experience we have decided not to upgrade this phone past Android 2.3" or something like that.

32. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:54 0

This doesnt bode well for the bulk of the single core phones as most use the same setup as the nexus.. the S1 snapdragon chip. If the untouched nexus isnt getting it, that might spell end of the line for other major sets with similar specs like the evo, droid, mytouch4g, ect ect... which concidering the age of some of those sets, isnt completely unheard of.
So if the S1 doesnt make the cut, does the S2 packing phones.. like the G2? hmm.

At least we know the humming bird is supported.. as it is the best of the best of single core chips. :)

36. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:12 3

Exactly. Both devices night seem similar the fact that they both have a single core processor but if you get all geek techy the nexus s has better hardware and since it was also made by Samsung they have even more ability.

The original nexus came out back in early 2010 I believe and had a great run. You can't blame or be upset that it isn't getting upgraded. If you passed on the nexus s and have the original nexus, the galaxy nexus will be a huge upgrade.


Wow I hope nobody takes a shot every time I said nexus, they'd be dead!

64. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:15 0

the nexusS has

way more horsepower
more ram
vastly more internal memory for system updates (and thats why i think the nexus1 isnt getting the update)


ICS is basically rewriting the phone. its doing even more. that system update that is coming down is probably huge. I bet money that any phone that lacks a decent amount of internal (not memory card) storage is going to be left out in the cold. Dont blame google for that, blame the manufacturers that took their time putting real memory into the device.. **ahem HTC and Moto**

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76. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 26 Oct 2011, 19:48 0

Exactly and if you are a tech geek you'll more than likely root and put a custom rom on it anyway then the possibilities are endless.

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21. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 12:51 1

rooting is fun.. like sex.. hehe

66. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:16 1

i dont know if its quite that fun.. but it is fun none the less :)

74. ilia1986 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 17:22 0

"and again people need to understand dont everybody root there phones just to get the recent updates "

Dude.

Not rooting an Android phone, is like ordering a McDonald's meal - and eating only the fries. You don't even get to the main course.

- Explained in terms most people - especially in America - would understand :)

80. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 20:57 0

blech!!! mcGrossies. lol.

23. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:08 3

It's probably just too hard to divorce the updated UI with all of the other features in ICS. There are basic tradeoffs that need to be made, and to give the Android OS the wow-factor that people have been asking for, rather than a simple utilitarian, but malleable UI, requires horsepower.

I'm sure the Nexus One will be able to run ICS eventually, but we'll have to see how smoothly it will work. Remember the Nexus One also has fairly limited internal storage, so if too much is put into ICS, it just won't run well.

Besides which, the as we've talked about, everyone in the industry is working to fit into the 2 year contract cycle that exists in the US. A 2+ year old phone will still work, but to work to support those devices is just silly. I'd rather see more software improvements that keep up with hardware than to see software lagging behind because it has to support older hardware.

If you really want the new features, it's likely that the root community will be able to help you out. But, if you refuse to upgrade your phone after the standard 2 year contract cycle, you'll miss out on features. No reason to complain about it, because it's your choice to not upgrade and let the tech eclipse you. No one should be telling these companies to slow down their innovation.

27. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:22 0

but look at Apple's iOS 5. They made it available for the 3GS which is now 2 years old(older than nexus one). I think the iOS 5 for the 3GS is kinda like a "LITE" version because a lot of features that are on iP4's iOS 5 are missing. But they still manage to nail it that way which I think is great. Of course old hardware and new software sh*t are inevitable but I'm sure they can do it like how Apple did it. They just wanna push consumers to buy a new device. For them it means, less work and more profit.

28. KingKurogiii posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:30 0

the 3GS is only a few months older than the Nexus One for one thing and Apple still kind of Counts on getting the 3GS out to people that want the iOS experience without having to pay a dime. iOS itself doesn't really push hardware limitations like Android does, as a mere updated App Launcher it doesn't take much to run.

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38. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:17 0

that shouldnt matter.. what happened to the Nexus promise then? the reason why theres nexus is to be updated when updates are released.. so for me this is a rip off..

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59. protozeloz posted on 26 Oct 2011, 16:07 1

People forgets an important factor, storage! check how much storage GB chucked of the N1 it was left with no OS space, this is not about nexus One not being capable of holding the update is about the Nexus One Storage Capability for the new OS to be held

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29. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:34 3

This is also the first time Apple made the OS work well on a 2 year old device. iOS 4 was terrible on iPhone 3G, and iOS 3 wasn't good on OG iPhones either. You could update if you wanted, but it would likely be a bad experience. Better to just not offer the update at all.

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37. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:14 2

I vote Michael as the author of the year. Finally someone who actually knows what they are talking about! I could not have agreed more or said it better myself.

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40. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:19 0

I'm sure if Apple did it, Google could've done better..

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34. remixfa posted on 26 Oct 2011, 13:57 1

big differences.

1) iOS isnt nearly as resource heavy as android, and especially not ICS
2) the 3gs is still being sold. the nexus1 went the way of the dodo a long time ago.
3) If manufacturers port a sub par stripped version of ICS to their slower phones, customers will complain about slowdown, ect ect. Ask mytouch3g owners how they feel about android 2.2.. its slooow. Ask a lot of those 3gs owners how they felt about iOS4 and maybe even iOS5.. i hear nothing of complaints about its sluggishness on older sets.

A bad update is WORSE than no update at all.

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42. arcq12 posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:30 1

1) true, but again, they could've cut it down to where it will run smooth on older devices..

2) should not matter if Nexus one is no longer on sale, again the Nexus has a promise.. update to date software when available.. I can understand if the Nexus one is more than 2years old..

3) I have a 3GS with iOS 5 and it works flawlessly the same as it did on iOS 4.. and again these manufacturers or google itself sure has software geniuses. Imagine those phones who didnt get gingerbreads but XDA manages to keep em up.

and of course these manufacturers and carriers arent stupid to release bad updates..

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45. MichaelHeller posted on 26 Oct 2011, 14:36 2

The only promise that smartphones have are to be supported for 2 years. That's it. Smartphones are not computers. They need to be more agile than computers because there is more competition and faster iteration of hardware.

Sure, Google could have cut down ICS so it would run smoothly on older devices, but that's not the point of Android or any other modern smartphone OS. The point is to give the best experience to current and future customers. If you want an OS that doesn't iterate in favor of supporting older hardware, that's been a main factor behind systems like Symbian and BlackBerry taking big dives in the market.

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