So many of you have probably read my many angry posts about Verizon and this update, and I wanted to put my whole experience with this issue in one place. No ranting, just facts.
So to begin, if you are reading this you either have or are at least interested in the Galaxy Nexus connectivity/stability issues. Here is a brief summary of the problems I know of (but may not have experienced personally):
1. Total signal loss/poor reception.
2. Boot/run stability (phone shuts down/reboots at random).
3. Slow keyboard accelerometer response.
*If you know of any more, please post below.
Now those of you who are uninformed, here's why you're pulling your hair out:
The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to run Android 4.0 ICS. Upon the phone's release, it was discovered that there were many issues with the phone, as stated above. Through thorough testing, Google (Android OS Developer) determined that it was a software issue, and began developing a software update to fix the issues.
Android 4.0.4: The Solution
In February, Google released Android ICS 4.0.4, an update designed to fix the many issues with this phone. GSM versions of the phone received the updates immediately, while CDMA/LTE users were still waiting.
In March, Verizon Wireless announced their CDMA/LTE 4.0.4 version was in testing, and so began the PR snafu that many of us are caught in the middle of. To date, release dates have been promised and broken, and many customers have been lied to by tech support, leaving many people outraged at the telecommunications company.
In April, as Verizon customers still waited, Sprint released the Galaxy Nexus. By 11 days after the phone's release, all Sprint customers had the 4.0.4 CDMA/LTE update, which made Verizon customers incredibly angry.
(The following has been verified by a Tier 2 Tech Support representative who has both a Galaxy Nexus and 4.0.4 ICS today)
In May, Verizon began a soak test of 4.0.4 ICS by pushing the update to certain corporate employee-owned phones. The push to the general public is expected very soon.
Things you should know:
In the earlier months, Verizon tech support was notorious for misleading Galaxy Nexus owners who would contact them about this issue. Here are a list of their fallacies, and the truth about each one:
1. There is no problem whatsoever.
T. There is definitely a problem, it has been well documented and acknowledged by all companies involved. If a tech support rep says otherwise, ask for a manager/higher tier rep.
2. Samsung is to blame.
T. While your customer service rep may tell you to contact Samsung about your problems, as it is their responsibility to push the update, DON'T LISTEN. Samsung is only the HARDWARE provider for the Galaxy Nexus, and therefore has nothing to do with these issues, as they are SOFTWARE issues. This means that Google is responsible, but they have done their part. Verizon is the party holding up the update. Once again, if a tech support rep directs you to Samsung, (this has happened to me before) ask to speak to a manager/higher tier rep.
3. There is no update.
T. There is definitely an update, and if that rep has a Galaxy Nexus, they probably have 4.0.4 as well. Once again, if a tech support rep tells you there is no update, (this also has happened to me before) ask to speak to a manager/higher tier rep.
4. The "new" phone ploy.
T. Verizon sending you a "new" phone (which to them is really a used phone they "fixed") will not solve your problems. All you will end up with is some other PO'd Galaxy Nexus user's old phone, in exchange for the new phone you paid for. It won't have 4.0.4 ICS on it, and therefore will not work any better. Once again, if a tech support rep tries to send you a "new" phone, (this also has happened to me before) ask to speak to a manager/higher tier rep.
That's basically all you need to know. By following the guidlines above when talking to tech support, I hope you can get some real help. To those of you just beginning to research this, I'm sorry about your issues, I feel your pain, and I hope this information saves you a lot of time and aggravation. The fact of the matter is that the Galaxy Nexus is the best phone money can buy, it just needs the 4.0.4 update to function properly. While it is a shame that this issue has been so awful and drawn out, help is on the way SOON. So don't downgrade to a RAZR MAXX, just have a little patience, and you will be very satisfied. I would also like to note that when I called tech support today, (my third attempt) both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 reps that I spoke to were well versed on this issue, and didn't try to push the crap I was handed before. While I still haven't received the update, I have an appointment for 4pm today with a Tier 2 rep that will hopefully fix my phone. So it would appear then, that Verizon is making an attempt to finally help us out. While this by no means justifies the hell we've all been put through with this issue, it seems that finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask below.
And please can we keep the posts about issues, etc. along the lines of useful, factual information? While speculation and ranting is a great way to blow off steam, and admittedly a lot of fun, I did not create this thread to spread conspiracy theories and speculation (I've already done plenty of that). I made this thread to inform people about what is going on, and what they can expect, so that they can get the help they need and really begin to enjoy their Galaxy Nexus. And for those of you who think I'm backing off, I still stand by my rants and theories from earlier, and I still think that all Galaxy Nexus users should file a complaint to the FCC about their issues. Verizon deserves to be punished for this fiasco, and while we can't do anything ourselves, the FCC can.
In addition to the problems you have mentioned, my onscreen navigation buttons have completely disappeared on more than one occasion. Only way to get them back was to pull the battery. Lately my GNEX has been shutting itself down while I was typing something. This has been the most frustrating phone experience I have had. The first smart phone I had was the Motorola Droid. Still by far my favorite. I have used the Motorola Atrix on ATT and the LG Revolution and Pantech Breakout on Verizon before purchasing the Galaxy Nexus. I would rate all the phones higher than the Galaxy Nexus at this point.
Yeah like I said, I haven't heard of or experienced all the bugs. Personally, the only ones I suffer are the coverage drop and slow accelerometer response. My navigation actually works great, when I have signal of course. I'm sorry to hear you are having so many problems though. Hopefully ICS 4.0.4 can fix your issues as well. Have you tried looking for a Navigation/Maps update? And do you mean they have disappeared from just the home screen, or the main menu altogether?
PS - As an addition to my original post, the Tier 2 rep I spoke to confirmed that the 4.0.4 update does fix the coverage drop issue, or at least on his Nexus.
I worded my response a little messed up, its my onscreen capivate buttons. Back, Homescreen, and what ever the 3rd one is, i shall call it History. Those are what have disappeared so when I am in an App I can't get out.
When I have a signal, the Google Maps Navigation is amazing. Helped me find a nice Irish Pub in Lancaster, PA when I was down that way. Fantastic directions. Sorry for the confusion.
I also frequently have the problems you mentioned above.
Other problems I have that could be labeled as more annoying (instead of critical like the loss of signal and random reboots that you already mentioned) are
1. The horrible battery drainage - I have to charge my phone at least twice a day. This is rumored to be corrected.
2. I live in a heavy LTE area and my 4G radio falls asleep and reverts to 3G. I have to toggle to just use CDMA, wait a few seconds, then toggle to use LTE / CDMA to "wake" it back up. This happen several times a day.
3. The screen rotation from portrait to landscape is very slow - as in sometimes taking a several seconds (4 or 5) to rotate
4. After a while my wi-fi radio seems to falls asleep and I have to turn off wi-fi then turn it back on to "wake" it up
I haven't actually noticed this personally, but a lot of people suffer from their mic cutting off, so the other party cannot hear them. I often use Bluetooth so that may be why I've not noticed it. For those that have this problem, I would rank this as critical instead of annoying.
I've had my phone "freeze" a few times and had to pull the battery. But that is probably not unusual for anything that has an operating system.
I hear you on that Mike. I mentioned the slow accelerometer response in my post, but the others are good. Personally I think the mic cut-off issue people are talking about has more to do with signal loss than actual mic failure. I noticed a couple times as my phone was (naturally) losing signal during a call I lost speaking ability but could still hear the other side of the line before the call was dropped. As for freezes, I haven't had one.
I am on my second handset (a "new" phone sent to me by a tier 2 VZW CS agent after contacting Samsung support). Both handsets have the same problems listed above as well as the mic cut out problem. The mic cut out problem is the one that I find difficult to live with since my phone is also used for business.
I have been able to get it to happen less by re-booting my phone daily. Hopefully the long awaited 4.0.4 (promised to my by VZW support and store staff for the past 5 months) will roll out before end of May.
Love ICS. Hate the phone part of this phone.
I'm enjoying my replacement Droid maxx so far. Way better than Nexus.
Not to ask you a stupid question, but you're sure it isn't the hide feature those buttons have when in-app? They turn into small, faint dots in certain applications. And yeah Google Maps Navigation is excellent. I don't even get live traffic on my year-old Garmin. And have any of you tried Google Goggles? That's a pretty awesome app too.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
