Google to release volume fix to Samsung Galaxy Nexus users
Still no word on when Verizon will ship the LTE version of the smartphone in the US
By Matt Hamblen | Computerworld US | Published: 15:51, 01 December 2011
Google is rolling out a fix to a volume fluctuation problem in the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The fix is due to reach current customers by next week.
Google confirmed the update in a short statement released late Tuesday after the phone's maker, Samsung, acknowledged the problem on 23 November.
The nature of the fix and how the update is distributed were not explained by either Samsung or Google.
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Many bloggers have speculated that the fix rollout delayed Verizon Wireless' shipment of the Galaxy Nexus on its 4G LTE network. The volume problem was noticed two weeks ago by Galaxy Nexus users in the UK, where the phones are used on GSM networks.
However, Verizon, Google and Samsung would not comment on when Verizon is shipping the device or whether there has been a delay.
A Verizon spokeswoman said the carrier tests all of its phones, adding: "We don't comment on any one aspect of the test process as it relates to a specific phone..."
Some reports said the volume variations were unrelated to the wireless network used, while others, including one on Androidcommunity.com, said the volume issue affected GSM phones (used in the U.K. where the device has already shipped) on the 900 MHz band.
The LTE variant of the Galaxy Nexus for Verizon would probably be different enough from the GSM version in the UK that an LTE device patch would not be required, Androidcommunity.com said, adding, "but Google and Samsung may have patched it anyway to cover their bases."
Verizon was named the LTE carrier for the Galaxy Nexus in the US in October. There was widespread speculation that the phone would go on pre-order 29 November, with US availability on 8 December. However, Verizon has not given official dates for either, and the phone is still not on pre-order.
The Galaxy Nexus has been touted primarily as the first smartphone to run Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
Google and Samsung won't comment on how the volume issue relates to the OS or other components in the phone.
