Google Nexus One won’t get Ice Cream Sandwich update

Vlad Bobleanta  By on 26 Oct 11

Truth be told, we’ve been afraid that this would happen ever since Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich announcement. Why? Because back then there was talk about the Nexus S getting updated to the latest version of Android, and within weeks of the Galaxy Nexus hitting the streets even, but no Googler even mentioned the Nexus One, the original Nexus device.

Still, for the past week there was hope. But today all of that is gone. The Google Nexus One will not be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Not officially, at least, since you know that there will be plenty of ICS-based custom ROMs for the device.

The information comes from Google’s Director of Android Product Management, Hugo Barra. He told the Telegraph that the Nexus One’s hardware is simply too old to run the new OS version.

We’ve thought about this long and hard, and there is only one possible culprit here – the low internal storage space. Because, while the Nexus One may have a first-gen (read:old) Qulacomm Snapdragon processor, that’s still clocked at 1 GHz, just like the one in the Nexus S, so it can’t be that much worse. The RAM amount is the same in both the Nexus One and Nexus S, and that’s pretty much all the hardware that actually matters in these cases.

We have a feeling that many Nexus One owners won’t like this at all, and for good reason. They were promised timely updates to future versions of the OS, and so far they got two. Which seems like a pretty low number. Also considering that the Nexus One isn’t even two years old at this point… people are bound to get upset. Unfortunately though, it’s not clear if they’ll have any other solution to this than either getting a new phone (and, obviously, Google would very much like that to be the new Galaxy Nexus), or running a custom ROM.

We’re still hoping that Mr. Barra was mistaken or misquoted, but to be honest the chances for either of those things having happened are pretty slim.

This begs the question – when will the Nexus S be cut off, update-wise? One may also wonder how Apple is able to update the iPhone 3GS, which is two and a half years old at this point, and has a measly 600 MHz processor, to iOS 5, whereas Google can’t pull off an update for the Nexus One which has a 1 GHz processor.

Anyway, the good news is that Mr. Barra has reiterated that the Nexus S will get updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich a few weeks after the Samsung Galaxy Nexus starts shipping. And apparently that means that Nexus S owners will definitely get the update before the end of this year.

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  • Anonymous

    There are other techinal reasons beyond just processors and RAM. You yourself mentioned the low internal space.

    Also, iOS 5 runs HORRIBLY on the 3GS. Google just doesn’t want Nexus One owners to have such a bad performance experience. Plus, ICS makes use of the dual cores. Even though the NS will be upgraded.

    Remember, not all devices are created equal. The 1ghz processor of the N1 is a lot older by technology terms than the one used in the NS.

    But none of that matters. If you have a N1 its time to upgrade anyway. Contracts should be up.

  • Woody

    I’m so glad I decided the N1 would be the last Android phone I would ever purchase, then I moved over to the iPhone. Fuck Google. Those clowns said GB would arrive on the N1 “in the coming weeks” and then proceeded to take months to officially release it. Now, even with video proof the N1 can handle ICS, the shitheads are saying it’s too old. Really, fuck them and the horse they rode in on. Bye, bye Android.

  • http://twitter.com/csteinle Chris Steinle

    The internal storage on the N1 is a SERIOUS issue. It became a very obvious design flaw on the device (and on its close sibling the HTC Desire) within only a few months of use. Once updates for internal apps started appearing that took an extra 10MB+ of space (I’m looking at you Google Maps) it started to become an extremely serious drawback of an otherwise still excellent device.

  • http://plus.google.com/100780849097348485078/posts Stynkfysh

    While it is really great that 3GS folks can get the iOS upgrades through to iOS 5, let’s not forget that iOS has not changed all that much – not relative to what ICS is supposed to bring, anyway.  And things are left off of the older iPhone models as well, so the older phones really get partial upgrades.  Siri is case in point.  If I am not mistaken the Nexus line is supposed to be upgradable for 18 months, which it was – wasn’t it?

  • http://plus.google.com/100780849097348485078/posts Stynkfysh

    While it is really great that 3GS folks can get the iOS upgrades through to iOS 5, let’s not forget that iOS has not changed all that much – not relative to what ICS is supposed to bring, anyway.  And things are left off of the older iPhone models as well, so the older phones really get partial upgrades.  Siri is case in point.  If I am not mistaken the Nexus line is supposed to be upgradable for 18 months, which it was – wasn’t it?

  • Kschotts

    Well if they removed some ics features that don’t run on n1, face lock nfc, and made all google apps 2sd, we would be able to have enough space.

  • http://xaviersythe.com Xavier Sythe

    EXT2SD (App2SD+).  It basically treats a partition on your SD card as part of the phone’s internal memory…and all apps will work on it. (If you decide to use it, you’ll want a high-quality SD card)

  • Tech Fan

    iOS5 is running just fine on my 3GS, thanks.
    Looking forward to seeing ICS. And BBX.
    It’s a great time to be a smartphone owner!

  • Jce2023

    Its too bad that you’re ass is as dumb as the millions of people who ran out to get the iPhone 4s when there is virtually no difference between the 4 n 4s. And don’t say Siri or dual core processor cause in the real world that doesn’t mean shit!

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