Today Google began to offer a new U.S. GSM Galaxy Nexus directly from the Play Store, with a price tag of $399.00 contract free and this is definitely good news moving forward. This is the device that truly encompasses what a Nexus device is meant to be completely open and directly from Google. An automatic crash report was posted to Google+ last week reporting a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean the next major version of Android. The issue was that the devices code name was not of any Galaxy Nexus currently available that is until today where that code name turned out to be of the U.S. GSM Nexus that Google now sells directly from the Play Store.
The addition of this straight from Google Nexus brings up the question of how does it fit in with the other Nexus’ either from Verizon, Sprint, or international variants? As an owner of a Verizon Galaxy Nexus it does feel that the device gets the short end of the stick when it comes to “Official” updates from Google/Verizon as they have still not updated the phone from 4.02 while other GSM version are already on 4.04 which includes some needed bug fixes and battery life improvements. It being a Nexus however I have of course already placed a 4.04 ROM on the device as it is unlocked and loaded.
It would be nice though if it received the updates straight from the source on day one. Which of these devices will be the first with Jelly Bean remains to be seen, but it surely being tested on Google’s unlocked version which should at least see it the same time as other devices. Jelly Bean is being tested on the Verizon model of the Nexus also as we have received from an anonymous first hand source who has seen it in action. So all version will see the update and hopefully Google is working with Verizon to see the updates pushed out at the same time to correct the fact that we have had to wait for updates that Nexus owners are supposed to have on the day they drop.
Which Nexus do you see getting the update first, and will your next purchase come directly from Google now that they have returned to offering devices first hand?