What is going on with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? The hotly anticipated debut phone for Google’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system should be for sale on Verizon, but is nowhere to be found. Verizon won’t give a firm answer on anything and now the phone seems to be disappearing on the day it should be launching. Instead of launching the Galaxy Nexus today, Verizon has removed the Galaxy Nexus page from its website. More disturbing than that, boxes of Galaxy Nexus supposedly now exist in most Radio Shack and Verizon retail stores, but aren’t being sold. Did we mention that the phone went on sale in Canada yesterday? It’s doubtful that we’ll get an explanation from Verizon, but we’d settle for being able to actually buy the Galaxy Nexus, which currently appears to be so far off of Verizon’s radar that it has been repeatedly delaying the device since November.
Below is a roundup of recent Galaxy Nexus stories and rumors.
Galaxy Nexus page disappears, then re-appears
Reddit users have discovered that the Galaxy Nexus sign-up page on Verizon, which previously let you sign up for updates on the device, vanished for part of today. vzw.com/galaxynexus redirected to a blank shop page where a phone should be. This was likely a broken trigger, and it seems to be up and running now. If the phone had launched today, as rumors predicted, the sign up page would have converted into a purchase page. Since it was delayed for unknown reasons, the purchase page did not go live. This is all speculation, of course.
Radio Shack and Verizon stores stockpile Galaxy Nexus devices
Phandroid, and other sources, report that Verizon and Radio Shack stores (at least) have received sell-able stocks of Galaxy Nexus phones. One reader almost made away with a phone yesterday, but was stopped after a Verizon store supervisor asked the checkout clerk if she had seen “the email,” indicating that an internal note was sent to Verizon stores to not sell the phone. It’s unknown whether other stores, like Best Buy, have received shipments.
Canadians can buy the Galaxy Nexus, but we can’t
The LA Times reports that, as of yesterday Dec. 8, Canadian carriers Bell and Virgin Mobile both began selling the Galaxy Nexus. This is further evidence that the phone was supposed to launch here in the US, but was delayed. If you happen to live in Canada, Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile are both selling the device for $160 with a plan. The phone has been on sale in the UK for several weeks and will launch across Europe shortly.
Galaxy Nexus yanked from Samsung shop in NYC on Monday
Earlier this week, a Samsung Experience shop in New York City, which merely displays new Samsung devices, put out the Galaxy Nexus for display and was quickly forced to remove it. Our article detailing our near-encounter with the Galaxy Nexus gives some history on the device, which was formally announced on Oct. 19 and was supposed to go on sale sometime in November.
Verizon blocks Google Wallet
One of the coolest features of the Galaxy Nexus is its ability to use near-field communication (NFC) technology to turn your phone into a digital wallet. We didn’t expect that Google Wallet would take off immediately, but Verizon is trying to make sure that you won’t get to use it at all. The carrier demanded that Google remove Google Wallet from the Galaxy Nexus and Google has complied. The reason? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that Verizon is working on its own digital wallet technology with ISIS–a likely reason for it to block Google’s efforts.
Will it arrive on the 13th? Maybe the 15th?
Two new potential release dates, the 13th and the 15th, are now floating around. Since Verizon typically releases phones toward the end of the week, we’d lean toward Dec. 15th, but there’s a chance this phone won’t release before Christmas at all. Verizon has yet to give any indication that the phone is coming at all, except for a vague “coming soon” in a press release the other day. That same press release said that two “Droid Xyboard” tablets were “coming out this month.”
Update: Now we’re hearing it might be the 20th or 22nd before the phone arrives, if at all. Still no info as to why it keeps being delayed. We’re still hopeful for the 15th as well.
Update 2: The Galaxy Nexus is out! Date: Dec. 15
Is it worth waiting for?
Well, we think so, but we haven’t been able to try it out yet. Initial reviews of the UK version of the phone have been positive. From the looks of it, the Galaxy Nexus is the shape of things to come, and because it’s a Google Nexus device, owners will get all of the patches and updates they might want as soon as they come out. Almost no other phones will get updates at anywhere near an acceptable pace, if ever, because of the many layers of modification that most phone manufacturers toss on top of the Android operating system. Did we mention that it has 4G LTE?
Still, it’s hard to advise anyone to wait. Verizon is refusing to treat fans of the device with respect. As of right now, we don’t know when the Galaxy Nexus will be released on Verizon, if ever.
The Galaxy Nexus is finally out! Just got mine today. Has anyone else?
No, I won’t wait for this device, and I am willing to bet there will be others like myself who won’t, either. MAJOR mistake by Verizon…
Make sure Verizon knows why you are not waiting. Contact customer service and inform them exactly why. It can’t hurt.
Jeffery
Good article
Well I stay at Singapore and am travelling to the US soon and am hugely disappointed in got being able to buy the phone unlocked one
Why is there a delay ? Also when would i be able to buy an unlocked version of the same.
Regards
Too bad the providers are always selling locked phones only. There should be some way to get an unlocked galaxy.
They selling it on amazon thru expansys or mobilecity online but i dont know if they would be gsm unlocked and compatible
i cant risjk buying an unlocked cdma or lte variant
There is already a GSM unlocked version available. I’m not sure of the situation in Singapore, but a GSM phone might be better if you are a traveler. CDMA and LTE networks are still somewhat rare around the world, from what I understand, but I profess, I haven’t seen a chart on worldwide LTE adoption.
Singapore has three operators – Singltel, Starhub and M1. All of these are GSM operators. In Signapore, all phones are by default unlocked. In the US, I first time came to know about this locked business.
Believe me, I wish the US was more like Singapore and other countries in this regard. You would be best off getting the phone from a European online store. You can buy them unlocked already.
is it okay if i buy from expansys or mobilecity online
will that be gsm unlocked compatible beause i travel a lot
I don’t understand what is going on with any of these companies, but it appears that none of them are on the same page. I picked up Best Buy’s latest Buyer’s Guide (11/27/11 – 12/31/11) for Best Buy Mobile and they have the phone listed with errors from top to bottom. First of all, they actually have the phone listed as a “New” arrival. Normally – as with the Bionic – if the phone is not released prior to that month’s BBM Buyer’s Guide publication, they will indicate the phone as “Coming Soon.” If that wasn’t bad enough, they list it as the Nexus Prime, not the Gallaxy Nexus. They even screwed up on the phones specs indicating it has 4gb internal memory with microSD expandable memory and a 4gb preinstalled. WTF Best Buy?
Over at Droid-Life a user reported actually getting a phone and was able to activate it. An error by a radio shack employee enabled the purchase. The user provided pictures of the phone, subsequent screenshots with the texts that were exchanged with the radio shack employee asking him to bring it back. Eventually, they let him keep it. He was also able to unlock the bootloader.
I really wish I was that user. I thought about trying to fool some unsuspecting employees, but I didn’t get up early enough last Thursday to do it.
I was in a Verizon store here in the Chicago burbs asking about the nexus. The clerk was nice enough to inform me that they had one I could look at. They went ahead and already activated it, so I got to play around with a fully functioning one for a half hour
Nice, fresh perspective, Van Camp. So many dipshit bloggers write about dates they have no credible cites for, which they simply repeat from equally clueless clowns. Their headlines promise something substantive then provide nothing but attempts to use cutesy, trendy phrases, recitations of specs, and telling us which Android Version Ice Cream Sandwich is.
You actually provide a useful recap and some potential explanations. I’ve been with VZW for years. I like their coverage and customer service. They’ve earned a rep for control freakishness and squeezing blood from stones as far as their disabling any feature a phone had that VZW could replace with a billable service. Before the iPhone, they disabled GPS on all their phones to make you pay for VZ Navigator. It’s easy to see why Apple told them no even though VZW was Apple’s first choice for the iPhone.
The other to Nexuses launched fine. I believe VZW, AT&T and other carriers are colluding to limit competition. Verizon was happy to brag about getting a Nexus. Now that Google is sticking to its guns, VZW seems to be throwing a fit and costing Samsung and Google a mint. Everyone hates carriers. It will be great to read about this fiasco in the future, like the delights you get reading about Steve Jobs’ rants about what a disaster AT&T was.
No Google Wallet is a real disappointment for me.
However, wouldn’t it be possible to sideload the app into the Verizon Nexus? I don’t know if it would have to be rooted…
I would think so. Don’t think VZW can force anyone to use their merchant processes (ISIS).
Would the delays have to do with “Patents” that are being violated or a “Boycot” by Verizon.
I do hope that an explanation from all parties involved will be given. Many of us are waiting…. and it must be before Christmas that the GN is available. After that I am out…
The AT&T version of the Galaxy Nexus passed the FCC last week so, presumably, it could come out on their GSM network overnight, as the iPhone did.
Why is there no Galaxy Note release date?
Ha. That phone is so large. I just can’t get too excited about it. But you’re right. I’ll look into it.
I know! I want it because it’s so large!!! :) As far as I know, there isn’t a release date yet… There are rumors that it is preparing for dist. in EU, and after that US… We’ll see… I don’t feel like spending $700 for an unlocked version! lol
But do you really know how large it is? It’s huge. It’s pretty much a tablet. There’s a line somewhere around 5 inches where a phone becomes a tablet. The Note crossed it.
I had a unit in my hand at a corporate kios at local warehouse club last night. I own Droid X. I put my Droid X on top of the GN. Almost same physical outline as Droid X. Like identical. GN was really thin,nice curve shape, smae back plastice piece as S II, and much lighter than Droid X. Basically, they stretched the screen size edge to edge. Apple could do the same thing to get close to 4″ in the 4S. Unit was not active and just sitting in the box. Associate only took it out because I was asking where is it to buy. Associate said VZW was waiting on “Google approval”. Who knows the really story. Time will tell on that piece of news. He did say he was confident, before Christmas you would be able to buy. Let us see.
Two years since I bought the OG Motorola Droid…and I am eagerly awaiting this phone. What a pain in the neck Verizon is!
Me too. I’m stuck on a Droid that doesn’t have touch on the left side of its screen. It had a stroke.
Same here. Contract was up in July. Waited on the Bionic a couple months, then heard about this phone and didn’t get the Bionic.