By Jimmie Geddes email: j.geddes@mobilenapps.com | Jan 26, 2013 10:41 AM EST
Verizon Wireless has officially discontinued its very first and only Nexus smartphone. The carrier had partnered with Google to offer a 4G LTE version of the Samsung-built Galaxy Nexus. Unfortunately Verizon will no longer be selling the popular smartphone.
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When Google announced the Galaxy Nexus, it first offered it in an unlocked GSM version and released it in November 2011. An announcement from Google and Verizon popped up a few weeks later announcing that Verizon would offer a 4G LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE would become Verizon's flagship Android phone and would also be the only other Android smartphone besides the GSM variant of the Galaxy Nexus that came with Google's latest version and biggest update to the Android operating system at the time, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The device proved to be a very popular device for Verizon - after being on sale for a few hours, the device completely sold out in Verizon retail stores as well as its online store. The device's popularity was mainly due to being a Nexus-branded device and the first one to be offered by Verizon.
However, relation between Verizon and Google was becoming strained. Google ships its Nexus smartphones with a stock Android experience and makes the promise of releasing updates to Nexus devices whenever it releases an update to the Android operating system. That proved to be a thorn in Google's side as Verizon took many months before it would actually approve any OTA update for the Galaxy Nexus that ran on its network. This is also probably why Google has not partnered with Verizon on its newest Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 4 which it sells on its Google Play Store and through a partnership with T-Mobile. The device is very popular and completely sells out within minutes whenever Google replenishes stock on the Google Play Store. T-Mobile began offering the device on its online store on Jan. 23 and within hours, the device was completely sold out.
While the Verizon Galaxy Nexus may no longer be on sale, it is very much alive and has one of the biggest and loyal development community behind the smartphone. I own a Verizon Galaxy Nexus and love it. Samsung did an excellent job with its design and build and Verizon 4G LTE is insanely fast on it. The best "feature" I love about the device is the developer community who tirelessly work on adding features, apps, custom ROMs, etc. to an already solid device. They brought Jelly Bean to my Galaxy Nexus within days of Google announcing it in June via a custom ROM. Verizon didn't get around to releasing Jelly Bean for the Galaxy Nexus until the end of September. I've owned many smartphones but the Galaxy Nexus still continues to be one of my all time favorites. Sorry to see Verizon put it out to pasture.
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