Phone Scoop - Samsung Nexus S Updates

Ting to Offer Windows Phone Shortly After Sprint Does

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:34:25 GMT

Ting, an MVNO that resells access to Sprint's network, recently announced that it will eventually support devices that run Microsoft's Windows Phone platform. According to Ting, it will offer the same WP8 handsets sold by Sprint, likely in the May/June timeframe. Sprint committed to bringing HTC and Samsung WP8 devices to market before summer. Ting will be able to sell those devices about four to six weeks later, according to a post on its blog. It also announced that it now supports the Sprint-branded Galaxy Nexus S. Ting runs a BYOD-style, low-cost service.

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Google Pushing Minor Maintenance Update to Nexus Devices

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:40:09 GMT

Google today began pushing Android 4.2.1 to the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and other Nexus-branded devices. The minor update fixes a bug that eliminated the month of December from the contact application. The update is being rolled out gradually over the air.

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Accessories available at 1800mobiles.com

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:39:00 GMT

1800mobiles.com is now selling accessories for the Samsung Nexus S. Follow the link to check it out.

Jelly Bean Headed to T-Mobile's Nexus S

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:27:12 GMT

Google recently revealed that the Samsung Nexus S for T-Mobile and a number of other global operators will soon receive the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. Users will be notified when their device is ready for the update. Google said the update is being rolled out over time. Android 4.1 adds Google Now, the Project Butter performance optimizations, and improved notifications.

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Google Delivering Jelly Bean to HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:36:15 GMT

Google today announced that it is now pushing the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update en masse to the HSPA+ variant of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Google said that Galaxy Nexus owners can expect their device to update within the next few days, and they will be alerted when the update is available. Google expects to deliver Jelly Bean to the Nexus S and Motorola Xoom later this month. Android 4.1 includes significantly improved user interface performance, Google Now, and a range of other tweaks.

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Google Releases Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to AOSP

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:14:54 GMT

Google today made Android 4.1 Jelly Bean available in its entirety to the Android Open Source Project. The move is meant to provide developers with a working image of the platform for use with devices other than Nexus-branded smartphones and tablets. Additionally, Google released proprietary binaries for the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus, and those for the Nexus S and Xoom will follow soon. The name of the tagged release is android-4.1.1_r1, and the name of the development branch is jb-dev.

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Hands-On: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:55:08 GMT

The latest version of Android offers a lot of performance upgrades and some new whiz-bang features. Phone Scoop takes it for a spin on the Galaxy Nexus. Read our hands-on impressions of the new notification tools, camera app, and more.

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Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" Brings Speed, Revamped Features

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:31:23 GMT

Google today announced version 4.1 of its Android OS for smartphones. Nicknamed "Jelly Bean", the new OS is designed to be faster overall, and revamps keys parts of the interface. The new pull-down notifications shade lets users interact with notifications without leaving the notifications area. Interactive widgets are now easier to place on home screens, automatically resizing to fit available space. Android's voice recognition features have been improved to work offline and deliver faster results when searching. Also in search, Google Now delivers search results that are location-specific and up-to-the-minute, including information such as transit schedules, flight status, sports scores, and your personal schedule. Google search results also have a new, more visual look. The camera and gallery apps have also been revamped to make it easier to browse photos you've taken. Android Beam has been updated to make it easier to share photos and pair devices by tapping two NFC-enabled devices together. The new Google Play app store can now update apps by only downloading changed code - instead of the whole app - saving time and bandwidth. Android 4.1 will be available in mid-July for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, and Motorola Xoom.

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Google Sending Android 4.0.4 to Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:31:04 GMT

Google today announced that it is delivering a small system update to the GSM variants of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S, in addition to the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi edition. Android 4.0.4 brings stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, and improved phone number recognition. Google said that the update will become available to other devices in the coming weeks, though it declined to name them.

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Google Wallet Appears in Android Market for AT&T Phones

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:37:08 GMT

Google Wallet has become visible to AT&T variants of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S. The application was previously only available to the Sprint version of the Nexus S (though unofficial workarounds for other handsets were possible). The appearance of the application means that Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S owners will be able to download, install, and use the NFC-based Google Wallet mobile payment system to make purchases at select retailers in select cities around the U.S. Google Wallet is still officially unavailable to the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus.

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Sprint's LTE to Launch On 1900MHz Only

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:36:10 GMT

All of the Long Term Evolution 4G devices released by Sprint this year will use only its 1900MHz spectrum, said Sprint spokesperson David Owen in an interview with Phone Scoop. Right now, Sprint doesn't have access to Clearwire's spectrum nor LightSquared's spectrum for LTE services, so it will repurpose its 1900MHz spectrum assets to handle both its current CDMA voice/data network and future LTE data network. Sprint plans to launch the LTE network, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and LG Viper at approximately the same time, but couldn't commit to a specific date. Sprint believes its LTE roll-out will be complete by the end of 2013, though Owen wouldn't say how Clearwire and LightSquared's spectrum and LTE networks will play a role in that final 4G picture. Clearwire will not, however, expand its WiMax network beyond what it already covers and will eventually transition to LTE. Owen said that Sprint's goal is to offer smartphones and mobile hotspots that provide good battery life and fast internet speeds, no matter what network technology is being used. The new tri-network (CDMA, WiMAX, LTE) mobile hotspot offers that for data-hungry customers. Owen said that tri-network phones are cost prohibitive, so it will offer CDMA/WiMax and CDMA/LTE devices at the same time as it completes its transition from WiMax to LTE 4G networking technologies.

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Google Pauses Android 4.0 Roll-Out

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:15:43 GMT

Google today indicated that it has paused the distribution of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the Samsung Nexus S. In a statement, Google spokesperson Paul Wilcox said, "If you received an update notification a little while ago but the update isn't currently available for your phone, this is likely the result of Google pausing the update in your area while we monitor feedback. The Android 4.0 update is continuing to roll out around the world so your phone will receive another update notification when it's available again in your region." The company didn't explain itself further. It announced last week that the Nexus S would receive Android 4.0 starting over the weekend. The update applies to the GSM Nexus S, and not the CDMA variant sold by Sprint.

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Google Pushing Android 4.0 to Nexus S

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:07:48 GMT

Google announced via one of its official Google+ accounts that it will begin distributing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the Samsung Nexus S starting today. The update will be rolled out to GSM units first, and will be distributed over the air gradually over the course of the next month. There's no word on when Android 4.0 will be made available to the Sprint CDMA version of the Nexus S. Google also posted a set of tips and tricks that Android 2.3 users can take advantage of to get used to the new operating system.

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Google Wallet Expanding to NJ Transit

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:56:28 GMT

Google today announced that its Google Wallet mobile payment service has added a new partner in NJ Transit. NJ Transit operates trains and buses that travel between New Jersey and New York City and are responsible for carrying hundreds of thousands of commuters daily. According to Google, Google Wallet users will be able to use their phones to make payments at vending machines in New York's Penn Station, at the rail station at Newark Liberty International Airport, and on bus numbers 6, 43, 80, 81, 87, 120, and 126. Earlier this week, Google Wallet expanded the number of retailers that accept its NFC-based mobile payments on the Samsung Nexus S via Sprint's network to include American Eagle Outfitters, The Container Store, Foot Locker, Guess, Jamba Juice, OfficeMax and Toys'R'Us.

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Swype Opens Latest Beta to All

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:03:19 GMT

Swype has made version 3.25 beta of its Android keyboard software available to all Android users. The beta was previously only available for the Nexus S on Sprint. The new beta includes a custom skin, tap correction, horizontal word choice list, personal dictionary management, and shortcut gestures to perform actions such as select all, or launch Google Maps or Twitter.

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Swype and Sprint Giving Nexus S Owners an Exclusive

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:20:15 GMT

Swype and Sprint today announced that owners of the Samsung Nexus S will be the first to have access to a new version of Swype's Android keyboard starting today. In addition to a newly revised version of the Swype keyboard, the update includes a custom skin, tap correction, horizontal word choice list, personal dictionary management, and shortcut gestures to perform actions such as select all, or launch Google Maps or Twitter. This version of Swype is only for the Sprint Nexus S, though Swype will offer a beta version to other Android handsets soon.

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AT&T Lands Nexus S Seven Months After T-Mobile

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:45 GMT

Samsung today announced that Best Buy will offer a version of the Nexus S that is compatible with AT&T's network on July 24, with a pre-sale starting today. The Nexus S runs stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, a 5-megapixel camera with video capture, 3D gaming support, and support for NFC (near-field communications) for tap-and-go mobile payments. The Nexus S costs $99.99 at Best Buy stores with a new agreement. It does not appear that AT&T itself will sell the Nexus S, giving Best Buy an exclusive. The FCC first approved the AT&T-compatible version of the Nexus S in February.

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Hulu Plus Now Available to Select Androids

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:13:31 GMT

Hulu today announced that its Hulu Plus service is available to the Android platform for the first time with a new application. Hulu Plus for Android allows subscribers to browse through and stream the video content they want directly from their Android handset. The application works with just six handsets at launch (Nexus One, Nexus S, HTC Inspire 4G, Motorola Droid 2, Motorola Droid X, and the Motorola Atrix), though Hulu said it will add compatibility with more handsets throughout the year. The application is free to download, but Hulu Plus costs $7.99 per month.

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For sale at WireFly

Sun, 29 May 2011 22:33:20 GMT

WireFly is now selling the Samsung Nexus S for T-Mobile. Follow the link to check it out.

Google Wallet for GSM Nexus S Will Require T-Mobile Blessing

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:11:21 GMT

The GSM version of the Samsung Nexus S may receive access to the just-announced Google Wallet service, but Google will work with T-Mobile to bring the service to market for that phone, according to Google VP of Payments Osama Bedier. Mr. Bedier ruled out circumventing carriers like T-Mobile in bringing Google Wallet - and compatible phones - to market. The GSM Nexus S has the same NFC chip required for Google Wallet as the Nexus S 4G that the service is being trialled with today. Google expressed optimism that more carriers would support Google Wallet soon, and that many more phones would include the necessary NFC chip going forward.

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