Android 4.2.1 finally makes its way to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint as an OTA update
Even though Android 4.2.1 has been available as a manual download-and-flash update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint for a couple weeks now, many people prefer the much easier method of waiting for a notification to pop up on their phones, and then downloading and installing the update over the air. Luckily, the tried and true OTA update method is now available once again for this Nexus device on Sprint, and it couldn’t come soon enough.
Sprint customers with the Galaxy Nexus, including my partner, have been waiting for what seems like forever for the latest version of Android to hit their phones. Granted, it’s only been a few months since Google announced 4.2.1, and this update is happening a lot faster than most other Android phones in the world, but that’s missing the point: people buy Nexus phones because they want a pure, unadulterated Android experience. Part of that experience includes fast updates, and this hardly qualifies as “fast.”
Still, it’s better than nothing. And at the very least, it highlights exactly why it’s so problematic for carriers to have any say or control over when devices on their networks receive OTA updates. Let this be another wake-up call to Sprint.
Here’s the official changelog from Sprint:
[Sprint]
- Operating system upgrade from Android 4.1.1 to 4.2.1, including:
- Redesigned camera interface and new Photo Sphere feature (a 360-degree panorama mode)
- Notifications Shade accessible by swiping top screen edge downwards; swipe down with two fingers to view notifications; tap the notification to expand and take action on it.
- Lockscreen widgets to access certain apps without unlocking the screen; sidescroll right for camera or left for other widgets (time and weather, gmail, etc.)
