No Nexus 4 You - Anatomy Of A Smartphone Launch Disaster

• The Announcement: Hurricane-Forced
• The Review Hardware: Trapped And Incomplete
• The Phone: Shockingly Vulnerable To Old Critiques
• The Launch: Like, A Bummer, Man
• The Result: Your Cart Is Empty

I understand that there have already been dozens of rants in regard to Google's "launch" (and yes, that requires ironic quotes) of the Nexus 4. And I understand that sitting here whining about it doesn't help anyone - so I'm going to avoid that. Really. I mean it. Mostly. But I am going to be critical.
From day one, the Nexus 4 has seemed - essentially - cursed. Victim to some dark techno-magic that has ensured nearly every step of the way that Google's flagship $300-350 phone would be delighting as few consumers as possible in the critical holiday sales season.

At this point, there is little doubt that Google has successfully started turning off would-be buyers. Whether it's because they need a phone now, not next month, or because they've slowly convinced themselves that the advantages of a Nexus phone simply aren't worth the alleged drawbacks of this new model.
I'm not just talking about the Play Store ordering fiasco, either. The Nexus 4 has experienced iPhone 4 antenna-gate levels of design criticism for its glass back. Its lack of LTE (sort of) has been lamented by many. And let's not forget that whole Sandy thing, which led to Google unceremoniously dumping an LG press release into everyone's inboxes with all the fanfare of a prepaid budget phone.
This product launch, for lack of a better word, has sucked. Badly.

The Announcement: Hurricane-Forced

I don't fault Google for acts of mother nature. Cancelling the launch event had to be done. And not re-scheduling it somewhere immediately in the wake of the highly-destructive and tragic Hurricane Sandy disaster was in good taste. The eyes of the nation, even the tech nation, were obviously elsewhere during that week. So, they did it without an event.
LG sent out a press release along with a single photo (yes, just one) of absolutely abysmal quality. That was how the world learned of the Nexus 4 officially. Call me crazy, but I'm guessing it doesn't take an army of PR professionals to put together a stock imagery package and place it on Google's highly robust servers with a link in the press email. Oh, and here's that one image everyone got:

Mmm, jaggies.

Official press images went up later in the day. None were of particularly outstanding quality.

In an attempt to shed some well-produced light on Android 4.2 and the new Nexus hardware, Google invited a crew from The Verge out to Mountain View for an exclusive first look. And hey, no hard feelings there - The Verge is a great publication, you won't get any arguments from us. The video they put together was top-notch. But is that how you launch a product, Google? Even one whose launch event was cancelled because of weather conditions? That seems a little... bush-league.

From that video, we were forced to start making inferences about some new features (like lockscreen widgets), and were treated to a view of an accessory whose availability, pricing, or frankly, existence in any practical sense of the word we still know almost nothing about: the Nexus 4 wireless charging station. An update would be nice.

The Review Hardware: Trapped And Incomplete

Google had obviously planned to launch the Nexus 4 in New York, and so, much of the Google PR team was already in the city when Sandy started roaring in. At such announcement events, it's not uncommon for a hardware vendor to provide review units to the press on the spot, so that they can start playing with the product immediately. In fact, it's very considerate, and I wish everyone did things this way.

Unfortunately, for those outlets not based in NYC, or that didn't have correspondents near the city, this caused major problems. The Nexus 4s were basically trapped in New York. If you're a major publication, that probably wasn't an issue, but if you're smaller (say, most Android blogs), and you couldn't get into the city, you were sort of out of luck.

This isn't Google's fault, by any means. I doubt they'd have been able to get the phones shipped to a safe location in time. We were lucky enough to have Ron, who was reviewing the phone anyway, drive into NYC once the roads opened back up to get his Nexus 4. Not everyone was so fortunate, though, and the highly staggered review publication dates are pretty good evidence of that.

When you finally did get your Nexus 4 review unit, it came with a serious "but": features are missing, the software isn't final, and we'll issue an update to the retail version of the OS a day before the phone goes on sale. Reviewers were forced to asterisk almost any negative conclusion they came to about the software with a "well, it could be fixed before release," or a "this might be a bug buyers won't see," and several instances of "feature X isn't on my device, so I can't tell you about it yet."

Here we are, a month later, and Android 4.2 in its release form is still riddled with some serious bugs.

The Phone: Shockingly Vulnerable To Old Critiques

The Nexus 4 has been widely regarded by critics as a pretty great smartphone. As the fastest Android phone on the market. As the one with the best user experience. The Android smartphone with the best design, the best looks, and the most promise in terms of support and new features down the road.

But it has been haunted by two of its makers' very deliberate design and engineering decisions: a glass backing, and a lack of LTE. That hasn't stopped people from buying it (at least not many), obviously, but they're critiques Apple faced for two years with the iPhone 4 and 4S, and that were finally rectified with the release of the iPhone 5.

Then, Google decided it was a good idea to make a phone with both of those characteristics. Characteristics that pretty much every tech critic on earth had decided were legitimate flaws in what were two of the most lauded smartphones on earth.

There have already been a number of reported instances of the glass back cracking rather easily on the Nexus 4. Most notably, it happened to The Verge's Joshua Topolsky. LTE, while you wouldn't be able to use it on the GSM-only Nexus 4 on Verizon or Sprint anyway, is still a notable missing feather in Google's cap. Especially when there are actually two radio chips inside the Nexus 4 that basically work with every cellular frequency on earth.

Whether or not you or I personally think these things are important isn't exactly relevant - the Nexus 4's public perception has been tarnished by them, and there's no going back from that. I listened to Android fans lambast the iPhone's glass backing and lack of LTE connecitivty for two years. I don't think the irony here is lost on even the most dedicated of fanboys. And good luck getting a bumper case.

The Launch: Like, A Bummer, Man

The ordering experience could have been worse. You could have been double-charged. Or charged and not given an order. The website could have given you some sort of obscure 19th century disease. Well, maybe not. The point is, though, Google basically screwed up here on a massive level. It was in stock. Then it wasn't. Then it was. Then it wasn't. Repeat ad nauseam. And then, it was gone. Both models, sold out.

Eventually, the non-stop F5'ing got to the point that Google started directing people to T-Mobile to buy a Nexus 4, at a price above what Google was charging (in essence, given the contractual strings attached). T-Mobile sold out within hours. People wanted it that badly.

Many of those who actually got an order in on launch day then started receiving emails: "Whoops, it might be three weeks before we actually get the phone to you. Our bad, we oversold just a little bit." Oversold? How do you oversell in the era of online retail? How do you not know what your inventory is? That to me remains an utterly absurd excuse.

Then, someone over at XDA started to shed a little light on the situation - a UPS employee allegedly working at a major processing facility in Louisville, Kentucky. According to him, that processing center received 17,000 Nexus 4s, 10,000 of which were of the 16GB variety. Just 17,000 units for a major smartphone launch. It's possible Google had units elsewhere for the US launch, but I wouldn't bet on it - stuff like this is typically handled from one location for the sake of cost and efficiency. Edit: Probably not true after all.

Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later.

The Play Store's Greatest Hits, 2012

As of today, the Nexus 4 is back in stock (sort of), but good luck getting an order in. Google claims they haven't sold out of devices yet, and that's believable: we've been trying since noon to buy some and haven't gotten to the checkout screen once. I don't consider it "fun" to keep hitting F5 on a page in the hopes of getting a company to take my money, personally.

Oh, and if you want an 8GB Nexus 4, good luck getting it before Christmas.

6-7 weeks. Yes, really.

The Result: Your Cart Is Empty

Google, we all understand you're new to launching a smartphone that's actually going to be a little popular. But as one of the most robust web companies in the world, we do expect the experience of not being able to get one to at least be remotely definitive. I don't care if they sell out in five minutes - as long as they're actually sold out, and I can actually stop hammering your storefront with peace of mind that doing so any longer is actually crazy.
Chalk it up to unexpected demand, hurricanes, production bottlenecks, or a desire to do a true "multi-device" launch, the Nexus 4's debut has been a disaster. And even if Google isn't directly to blame, they still let it happen by releasing the Nexus 4 before the supply chain was ready, before the software was ready (arguably), and before even the store through which they are sold was ready. Google couldn't even be bothered to wait to do a proper announcement - even when doing so presented an absolutely golden opportunity to bide time and stock up on more units.
Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, but this goes well beyond an overlooked issue, or a single factor outside of anyone's control. This is a failure to launch on multiple levels.

Via: No Nexus 4 You - Anatomy Of A Smartphone Launch Disaster

Tip Of The Day: How To Defeat The Pesky Play Store Server Errors And Order That Elusive Nexus 4

• The Tip

And the tip of the day, month, year goes to... Syko Pompos! Here I was, sitting on the couch, trying to order the 16GB Nexus 4 for the last 4 hours. That's a lot of hours practically wasted. And I'm not even talking about the first batch which resulted in exactly the same failures and poor experience.

Turns out, there's a little trick you can use to defeat these errors and finally place your Nexus order. Sure, it'll arrive weeks or maybe even months later, but at least you'll reserve your place in line and stop ripping out hair from places where you might still need it.
Within 30 seconds of using this tip, I finally saw the precious Review your purchase dialog and got my confirmation:

Hallelujah! I can finally relax.

The Tip

Note: This tip assumes that you've already added a product to your cart but can't complete the checkout process due to the "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later" error. If the Nexus is really sold out in your country, the tip is not going to help.

Now for the tip. It's actually very simple. And Google will probably hate it and possibly prevent it from working in the future because it creates a lot of extra requests and load on their backend. But we're talking about something sacred here - the latest Nexus. And that. Means. War.
The secret sauce is the Proceed button that gets grayed out when you press it doesn't actually disable itself. It only looks like it does, but in reality, you can click it again. And again. In fact, to make it even more fool-proof, you can TAB enough times to place the keyboard focus on the button (you'll see this orange glow in Chrome, for example) and then hold the Enter button like you've never held anything before:

And better yet, someone has already automated it. Kick back, relax, and watch your browser do all the work. This will be your reward:

Thanks again, Syko Pompos!

Via: Tip Of The Day: How To Defeat The Pesky Play Store Server Errors And Order That Elusive Nexus 4

Android 4.2.1 (JOP40D) Rolling Out To Nexus 10, Nexus 7 Wi-Fi, And Nexus 7 Wi-Fi/3G Manual Update Available [Updated]

• Download

If you just can't wait for the 4.2.1 update to arrive on your Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 (Nexus 4 is here), it's your lucky day. The update URL has been uncovered so you can manually update the device right now.

Just grab the matching file below, both of which clock in at a slim 1MB. The main fix in this build is for the now-famous December People app bug. The update should appear on your device in the coming days, but maybe your contacts have some big events coming up in December and you just can't wait to add them.
The N7 file is for nakasi, which is the WiFi-only N7. There will probably be a different OTA file for the HSPA+ variant (Nakasig). Update: Nakasig is here. There is only one hardware build of the Nexus 10 (mantaray), so the file should work for everyone.
You can install the update to your device via ADB if you have a stock recovery by using adb sideload, or from the internal storage if you're running a custom one. This is a relatively safe operation, but back up the important stuff anyway.

Download

• Nexus 7 Wi-Fi (nakasi)
• Nexus 7 Wi-Fi/3G (nakasig)
• Nexus 10 (mantaray)

via XDA nakasi, XDA nakasig, XDA mantaray
Thanks, Robert!

Via: Android 4.2.1 (JOP40D) Rolling Out To Nexus 10, Nexus 7 Wi-Fi, And Nexus 7 Wi-Fi/3G Manual Update Available [Updated]

Android 4.2.1 (JOP40D) Rolling Out To Galaxy Nexus 'Takju' Manual Update Available

Not to be left out, it looks like the Galaxy Nexus Takju is getting its own 4.2.1 update just after the 1.1MB package started hitting the Nexus 7 and 10.
If you've got a Takju Galaxy Nexus and don't feel like waiting around for the OTA to find its way to your device, you can as always install it yourself.
It should be noted that this update package is only meant for Takju that is, the Galaxy Nexus available in the Play Store. You should also be certain that your device is running 4.2 JOP40C before installing this update. Those with a Yakju Nexus sit tight, the update link should crop up any time now.

As always, be careful when manually installing the update package. Those with a custom recovery can just download the zip below, move it to their device, and flash away. If you're running stock recovery, just follow the simple instructions from our last Takju update post, substituting only the zip file name in Step 2.

Disclaimer: Android Police isn't responsible for any harm to your device - proceed at your own risk.

Via XDA (dmapr)
Download: Galaxy Nexus Takju JOP40D

Via: Android 4.2.1 (JOP40D) Rolling Out To Galaxy Nexus 'Takju' Manual Update Available

Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 Review: Yes, You Want One

I'd like to think that I'm pretty picky about keyboards - after all, I do type thousands of words every single day. I've tried many, many different brands and keyboard models, and it's one of the key features that can make or break any laptop that I'd even consider buying. Thus, when I heard about Logitech's K810 cross-platform Bluetooth keyboard (Logitech, $99), I knew I had to give it a shot.
For those who may not be up to speed with the latest keyboard offerings, the K810 is a full-size backlit Bluetooth keyboard that works with Windows, Android, and iOS. While cross-compatibility isn't a first for a wireless keyboard, the K810 is unique in its ability to pair with three different devices at the same time. Toggling through each one is simple, thanks to the dedicated keys at the top of the keyboard. In theory, this should make text input across several devices insanely easy - just pair the keyboard with your PC, Android phone, and tablet, and away you go. After that, you can type a document on your computer, quickly switch over and respond to a text message on your phone, and then jump over to your tablet to respond to an email. I'm not sure why you'd use your tablet just to reply to an email when you're already sitting at your computer, but for the sake of my example, that's what you did. Deal with it.

I'm happy to confirm that, in reality, this works exactly as it should. The entire process of switching back and forth is nearly seamless - though it does take roughly 2-3 seconds the keyboard to reconnect each time. Then again, I would expect nothing less, because that's just how Bluetooth works.

Aside from the K810's ability to pair with three devices and switch between them at the touch of a button, it also features a fully adjustable backlight. And it's absolutely amazing. The backlight automatically goes off after a certain period of inactivity, too, so it's not draining the battery when you're not actually using the keyboard.
Speaking of, Logitech claims this little guy will get 10 days of battery life with two hours of usage and maximum key brightness each day. If you turn the backlight off, though, it should be able to go for one full year between charges. I've been using the K810 basically all day every day since I received it (paired with my laptop and Nexus 7) at minimum key brightness, and have only had to charge it once in about two weeks so far. Considering I never turn it off (there's a power switch on the right side) unless it's in my backpack, that's not too bad. My biggest complaint about the battery, though, is that there's no way to tell how much charge the keyboard has left. When you turn it on there's a green light to let you know it's OK, and that light turns red when it's time to juice up. Otherwise, there's nothing - no indicator on the keyboard, app, or other dedicated software to output the remaining battery. When I inquired about this, I was told Logitech "can't comment on future products." So, whether or not we'll ever see a way to check the battery level is a crapshoot. I guess it's not a huge deal - the K810 charges over USB, so you can always use it while it's charging. It just becomes wired for a bit.

While that may be a downside, it's only one of the few that I've found with this keyboard. The typing experience is absolutely amazing - it's on par with some of the best keyboards I've ever used. The key travel is short enough to make the experience fast, but still long enough that the action is tangible. The keys are quiet and smooth - simply put, this keyboard is a joy to type on. In fact, I enjoy typing on it so much that I actually found myself wanting to type more than I already do. And that's saying something.
Of course, it's not perfect in that aspect, either. It's actually missing one of the features I use the most on any keyboard: media player controls. Whether I'm working on my laptop with an external keyboard (which I do while at my standing desk) or my Nexus 7, I usually have music playing in the background. If a song comes up that I don't want to hear, I hate having to navigate away from whatever I'm working on just to change the track; thus, I usually rely on built-in controls on my keyboards. Unfortunately, the K810 is missing forward and back. It does, however, have a play/pause button, as well as volume up, down, and mute buttons, so it's not a complete loss.

Another tremendous advantage of the K810 is its outstanding build quality. Unlike other portable keyboards I've used, the K810 feels like a real keyboard. And by that, I mean it doesn't feel cheap and flimsy. It's solid and well made - like something you'd find on someone's desk, not in their backpack. Make no mistake, though - it's definitely small and light enough to toss in your bag and take everywhere you go, and you'll definitely want to do so if you type a lot on your phone or tablet. At the same time, it's also stout enough to use as a primary keyboard on your PC if you choose (unless, of course, you require a 10-pack).
Overall, I think the K810 may actually be the best keyboard I've ever used, or at least a very close second. It's difficult to really put into words how much I like it compared to all the other keyboards I own, especially considering I can't say I've ever typed on one that made me want to just keep typing. That's not to say it doesn't have downsides, but there's no such thing as a "perfect" product, anyway. Still, all the makings of a great keyboard are here: a smooth typing experience, adjustable backlighting, ultra-portability, the ability to easily switch between multiple OSes/devices, and solid battery life. The fact that it doesn't have a battery monitor or media controls is easily overlooked (for me anyway), but it would be hard to find anything negative about it if they decide to add that to an upcoming model.

So with that, I give you the links to buy one for yourself.
Logitech ($99.99), Amazon ($104)

Via: Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 Review: Yes, You Want One

[New Game] Infinite Dreams Takes To The Seas With Sailboat Championship

Sailboats do not have a reputation for being particularly exciting, but the new game from Infinite Dreams is looking impressive anyway. In Sailboat Championship, you can run a different kind of race than you're used to. Basically, this title is a little more leisurely than the typical racing game.

You'll be racing against computer-controlled boats in various stunning environments. What this game lacks in speed, it makes up for in atmosphere. The water shimmers flows realistically, putting your device's hardware to good use. There are towering rock faces, reflections, and even inclement weather. There are also a ton of courses, boats, and achievements to unlock.

Sailboat Challenge should work on most modern devices, but it has been specially optimized for the Samsung Galaxy S III (so says the developer). It's not clear if that means the Exynos or Snapdragon version - or maybe it's not even true. This one is $1.99 in the Play Store if you're interested.

Via: [New Game] Infinite Dreams Takes To The Seas With Sailboat Championship

Samsung Stratosphere II Free For Upgrades At Amazon Wireless, $100 For New Customers

Do you want a QWERTY slider phone on Verizon? Then your options are pretty limited at this point. And by "limited," I mean this is basically your only option: Samsung's Stratosphere II. It's WVGA-tacular! It's also free if you use your existing Verizon customer upgrade over at Amazon Wireless, which is a good deal. I guess. New customers looking to get in on this not-exactly-bleeding-edge slider will have to fork over a Benjamin, though $100 is still thirty bucks less than what Verizon will charge you.

The Stratosphere II has things, as well. Things like a dual-core S4 Snapdragon processor, 4" WVGA display, and an 1800mAh battery. Of course, the now-standard Verizon LTE is also in tow. Hit up the source link to take advantage of this deal now.
Amazon Wireless

Via: Samsung Stratosphere II Free For Upgrades At Amazon Wireless, $100 For New Customers

[New Game] Hamilton's Great Adventure Brings An Indiana Jones-Style Puzzler To Nvidia Devices

Ho there, adventurers! Are you tired of running through the jungle, and ready to do some actual exploring? Then Hamilton's Great Adventure might just be for you. It's the latest in Nvidia's stable of ported games exclusive to Tegra hardware. Don't let the title fool you: Hamilton's Great Adventure is in fact a puzzle gam through and through, with some light twitching and platforming elements for some extra spice. The game is available now, at a pricy $3.99 split up into two chapters.

Aside from the lush atmosphere and tricky puzzles, the biggest draw for the game is its unique structure. Players control both the title character and hit pet bird Sasha, who flies around the level opening paths and collecting treasure. While there are hazards and enemies, the pacing is pretty chill, so those looking to relax with a challenging brain teaser or two will feel right at home. While stages are timed, you aren't required to finish within a time limit - quick completion with extra treasure is entirely optional.

If you're on the fence, we'll have a review of Hamilton's Great Adventure up soon.

Hamilton's Great Adv.THD: Expansion

Via: [New Game] Hamilton's Great Adventure Brings An Indiana Jones-Style Puzzler To Nvidia Devices

HTC Ramping Up Wide Europe / Asia Rollout Of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) To The One X

If you have a European or Asian model One X (read: Not AT&T), start frantically hitting that check update button - it's peanut butter jelly Jelly Bean time. We're hearing from multiple sources that HTC is beginning to roll out Jelly Bean to the One X in various regions today.
This update brings Android 4.1.1 and Sense 4+. Expandable notifications, Google Now, and some fairly minor tweaks like a new Gallery app in Sense are in tow. Sense also now has wonky holo blue highlights throughout the OS, so that's cool, I guess.
If you can't see the update on your phone, we've got a pretty easy explanation: your particular CID (a regional hardware identifier code, typically by country or carrier) hasn't had Jelly Bean rolled out to it. My European One X, for example, is CID 001, but has not received the update. In fact, we have no confirmations of any European CIDs receiving the OTA yet.
Here are the CIDs we have confirmation on so far:

044: Singapore
038: India
621: Taiwan (already rolled out last month)

As the day goes on, expect a lot more CIDs to be added. And if your One X has received the Jelly Bean update, be sure to let us know your CID! This can be done with a simple CID retrieval app (like this one). Alternatively, if you're a DIY'er, just load your One X into fastboot mode and open up a command prompt and type "fastboot getvar cid" - that'll do the trick, too. Here are some screenshots of the Jelly Bean build on an 044 CID One X.
Note that there will be two updates to get the OTA - a small "battery fix" update, followed by the larger Jelly Bean update.

Thanks, Dave!

Via: HTC Ramping Up Wide Europe / Asia Rollout Of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) To The One X

Google+ Integration For Play Store Reviews Is Live - All Previous Reviews Say "A Google User" [Updated]

Well, folks, we don't want to say we told you so. But if you'll take a look at any app in the web version of the Google Play Store, you'll see that almost all of the reviews have had the name entry changed to "A Google User." Try to add a review, and you'll find that you're required to do so from your Google+ account.

The change seems to have affected the on-device view a little differently - according to checks on multiple devices here at Android Police, the names that were formerly there (usually linked to the old Google Profiles) are just plain gone. Putting in a new review from an Android device at this point, even while logged into Google+, will create yet another entry by "A Google User." Reviewing via the web, even if you've already entered a review, will require linking to Google+. We assume that a forthcoming update will bring the functionality to the Play Store app itself. Google has previously pulled the same switcheroo with Chrome apps and Google Maps reviews.

As shown in our APK teardown of the latest Play Store release, the ability to share your reviews on Google+ should be coming soon. While this change certainly makes things seem a little anonymous at the moment, the switch to Google+ integration should help developers respond to complaints posted on the Play Store. Privacy advocates may feel differently.

Update: It looks like the server-side update is already rolling out. Nexus 7 users are already spotting the integration dialogue when they try to add new reviews - it should be showing up for everyone soon enough.

Thanks, Mike!

Via: Google+ Integration For Play Store Reviews Is Live - All Previous Reviews Say "A Google User" [Updated]

[New App] Adblock Plus For Android Released: Root Users Block Everything, Stock Users Block WiFi Only

The perennial favorite of Firefox and Chrome power users has arrived. Adblock Plus for Android was just released to the Google Play Store, compatible with all devices running 2.1 or higher. Just like its desktop counterparts, it'll block ads in your browser... but only in certain circumstances. Those who are rooted (regardless of Android version) will block all ads in the standard browser and Chrome. If you're not rooted, it'll block ads on WiFi for Android 3.1 or later.

Those running an earlier version of Android will need to delve into their Settings menu, in order to manually enable the proxy-based filtering employed by Adblock Plus for Android. Adblock has posted the instructions on their website, including more specific directions for oddball devices like the Samsung Galaxy I, Galaxy Y, and the Alcatel Onetouch 918D.

There are a few more restrictions due to the nature of Android. SSL-encrypted sites won't get any ad filtering, and there's currently no way to get rid of the persistent notification icon. Those who prefer Firefox for Android will need to use the separate plug-in. The filter subscriptions and auto-updating from the desktop version is present, but there's no way to add a website (like, say, your friendly neighborhood advertising-supported Android news portal) to a whitelist yet.

Via: [New App] Adblock Plus For Android Released: Root Users Block Everything, Stock Users Block WiFi Only