We have some good news for Sprint Galaxy Nexus users now. The handset released almost two years ago but we delighted to see that Sprint are still providing updates for their patient users. An update to official Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean is now starting to roll out to selected users, with everyone due to receive the update over the next few weeks.

For a device that shipped with Ice Cream Sandwich, you have to say that it is top notch stuff from Sprint, especially for a Samsung handset that is infamously slow on delivering updates on other carriers in the US. Not on Sprint though it seems as they’ve just sent out word that some users will be due an OTA update to Android 4.2.1 by the end of the week.

We say some, as they’ve also said that the rollout phase will take between 10 and 21 days, so there’s no need to stress if you don’t have it at the first opportunity. For those that have been lucky enough to receive a notification already, you’ll be able to enjoy new features such as a redesigned camera interface and also the impressive new PhotoSphere features that come with Android 4.2 as well.

There is also going to be certain lockscreen widgets that you’ll be able to use without unlocking the device first which is useful. One thing we do find interesting from Sprint’s statement, is that they’ve said that handsets selected for the update will be chosen at ‘random’ and not location based that we have seen in the past with other Android updates.

The million dollar question is, do you have Android 4.2.1 yet on your Sprint Galaxy Nexus? Updates started rolling out as of Wednesday January 30 so let us know if you have spotted the update yet or not.

Over the weekend, we initially told you about Android 4.2 problems that users were experiencing when using the software on the Nexus 7 tablet. Now though, these problems have extended onto the Galaxy Nexus as well, with a collection of bugs that are causing consumers considerable hassle.

One popular issue that had been doing the rounds online, was the rather silly bug which caused the December listing to be missed out on the Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.2, when inside the contact lists app and organizing birthdays. You can see over on Google’s official Android project website that the problem wasn’t affecting a minority, but rather all users who had already installed Android 4.2 on their Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 as well.

That isn’t the only gripe with Android 4.2 though, as a problem compilation by Android Police details some of the other issues related to Android 4.2 as well, specifically an annoying auto-brightness bug that appears to be affecting Nexus 7 users more than Galaxy Nexus devices.

Bluetooth appears to be having major problems functioning on the Galaxy Nexus as well, while in worst cases some users are also complaining about random reboots which obviously needs to be fixed up asap by Google. As far as we’re aware, the collection of issues all appeared strictly after updating to Android 4.2, so Google are going to have their work cut out to solve the problems and try to keep users happy.

Are you still experiencing Android 4.2 problems on the Galaxy Nexus? Keep checking Google’s official project website here and we’ll inform you ourselves if Google plan to issue a swift update before the end of the week.

As most of you are well aware, the only two devices that have the official Android 4.2 update are the Nexus 10 tablet and the highly impressive Nexus 4 smartphone from Google. The only problem here though is that consumers are having major problems trying to obtain a Nexus 4 due to overwhelming demand, leading some consumers to ponder whether they are just better off waiting for an unofficial Android 4.2 update instead.

If you belong in that latter bracket and are in possession of a Galaxy Nexus, today is your lucky day. You’ll now be able to enjoy the fruits of Google’s latest Jelly Bean update over the weekend, by installing the pure Android 4.2 Jelly Bean ROM which is based off Google’s own AOSP, or Android Open Source Project.

The update has been posted to the XDA Developer Forums and the pleasing thing to note is that it looks like all of the major features are fully functional, with no sign of any major bugs. Looking down the list, we can see that gesture typing from Android 4.2 is working fine, as is Google Now and the new PhotoSphere camera features that Google demonstrated on the Nexus 4 recently.

The file is available in zip format and should obviously only be installed if you know what you are doing. You need to be rooted once again and have a custom recovery set up for it to work. If you are worried about losing data, always ensure that you have performed a backup before attempting to install any custom software.

Once again, the underworld developers come up with the goods before carriers. The Galaxy Nexus is almost certain to be getting an official update to Android 4.2, but it’s a different story altogether when you note that the release is in the hands of Verizon. Let us know how you get on with this and if you are now running Android 4.2 smoothly on your Galaxy Nexus.

If you are in possession of a Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.1.1, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can now download the camera APK from Android 4.2 and enjoy all of the new camera features, including the new gallery and fancy PhotoSphere abilities.

For those that are not aware what PhotoSphere entails yet, allow us to give you a brief reminder. You can now take 360 degree photos in a Panoramic like setting, and then instantly share it off to various spaces, including Google Maps if you want to take your image global.

It’s just one of the impressive new features packed inside Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (not Key Lime Pie yet) and you can enjoy it for free if you have a rooted Galaxy Nexus handset. As always, there is a lot of tinkering to be done beforehand and it involves a bit of flashing – meaning that you’ll probably want to back up your data first before attempting.

If you are interested in trying this out, you will find a full set of instructions and all of the relevant download links over at the XDA developer forums. Alternatively, if you don’t have a Galaxy Nexus but also want a taste of Android 4.2 early, you may be interested in downloading the Android 4.2 keyboard with Gesture typing instead – details on this can be found courtesy of Android Police here.

So Android 4.2 is not even out yet, but already two major new features of Google’s new software have slipped out for early preview. Have you already had a play at the Android 4.2 camera or keyboard features? If so, let us know your impressions of both and whether you would recommend the update or not.

We told you at the end of August that a new build had been rolling out to handsets and although it was originally thought to be Jelly Bean, we’ve since heard that this was only available for test Galaxy Nexus handsets – not a full release for the public.

Galaxy S3 users ironically find themselves in the same boat, waiting on Verizon time and time again to give just a hint that an official update is coming soon. We do have news of an update that is due to land on the Galaxy Nexus in a few days time, but it won’t be the Jelly Bean update we’re hearing.

Instead, Verizon may be planning to roll out an OTA update for the Galaxy Nexus to fix problems regarding signal quality, when trying to use 4G LTE data. We’ve heard that the problem is so bad for some users, that they’ve had to request replacement devices numerous times, and it appears that Samsung and Verizon are now looking to eradicate the problem asap.

The guys over at Droid-Life have acquired a document which suggests that Best Buy are aware of an imminent software update to fix the 4G signal problems. It’s not Jelly Bean this time, but most of you will still be very happy that this issue is finally getting sorted out.

How is your Verizon Galaxy Nexus at the moment? Have you had to beg Verizon on customer service for a replacement device after experiencing these very same signal problems? What takes priority for you – Jelly Bean or a 4G signal fix first?

If you’re not aware, the GSM Galaxy Nexus has already received an update to the latest version of Android and LTE owners are still waiting for their update after Google promised that the update would be landing on all Nexus devices.

That means of course that it is up to the carriers to push them out to consumers and so far, there has been plenty of frustration over Verizon’s infamous waiting game. A glimmer of hope has emerged in the form of a new software update that is appearing on some Verizon Galaxy Nexus devices, identified with a new build number of JRO030.

The guys over at Droid-Life have suggested that this is the update to Jelly Bean, but the important thing to note though is the that the person who received the update may be using a test version of the Galaxy Nexus. That means that the update may not be available for a little while longer, but it could be a great indication that Verizon will be releasing the update for everyone soon.

There’s no harm in heading to your settings page to try and push the update manually though, so get back to us with your results. If you do happen to see a new update available and it is 146.6MB in size, then consider yourself lucky as you have just been updated to Jelly Bean early.

Would this give a little credibility back to Verizon in your eyes if the update is definitely releasing soon? So far, there’s no word on the update for Sprint Galaxy Nexus users either, so we’ll update you if we hear anything regarding that.

Do you see an update notification on your Verizon Galaxy Nexus?

After the 6 month wait for Ice Cream Sandwich and the bare mininum of official updates since the handset launched in December 2011, it has hardly been a perfect scenario for those who initially thought they were getting a true flagship handset from Google.

With Jelly Bean updates already finalized for the GSM Galaxy Nexus and now the Nexus S it seems, questions may start to be raised on when Verizon plan to offer the update to users. It is really down to Verizon as well, since you should know now that Verizon is the one who has to approve the update first before it goes live, hence the reason why Google had no trouble at all issuing the update to the GSM Galaxy Nexus without any barriers.

Will consumers have to wait another 6 months until Jelly Bean arrives on the LTE model? That could potentially mean having to wait until December until you get your hands on the latest version of Android and a lot of you will probably argue that it simply isn’t good enough.

There is of course alternatives around this merry go round problem and that falls to you in the way of custom ROMs, as long as you have a rooted handset. If you insist on holding out for an official update, we’re afraid to say though that you may be waiting for another few months yet.

As a Verizon Galaxy Nexus owner, how does it make you feel seeing older handsets such as the Nexus S getting Jelly Bean before you? Do you essentially feel a bit cheated by your carrier, or have you known the update situation with Big Red for a while now and decided that unofficial software is the way to go? You do have that unlocked bootloader remember, so Verizon are not exactly stopping you from heading down this route.

We’re pleased to say that it looks like this is finally the real deal at long last and there won’t be any signs of further delays to get this version on the LTE Galaxy Nexus. Earlier this week, Verizon had posted the official software update notes informing customers of an upcoming Android 4.0.4 update with a build number of IMM76K, and now they are starting to deliver.

If you have a Galaxy Nexus now on Verizon, there’s a good chance that you may of already had a notification to update to Android 4.0.4. If you haven’t yet, don’t panic as rollouts, especially Verizon’s are known for their sporadic nature so you may have to hold on a little longer. Failing that, you can always try the traditional method of going to your device’s settings and phone settings to see if the manual update is available.

Based on the update notes that Verizon has already provided, Android 4.0.4 will bring some improvements to your device’s overall performance and you shouldn’t experience any more display freezing or choppy audio during calls. Several improvements have also been made to Email services, such as emails now displaying correctly when the text size is set to large.

It has been a long time coming hasn’t it, but it looks like LTE Galaxy Nexus owners will finally be on the latest version of Android where they belong. Now that this update saga appears to be coming to an end, we wonder what the odds are on the Galaxy Nexus receiving Android 4.1 Jelly Bean by the end of 2012 are? Let us know if you have received Android 4.0.4 in your area or not.

We have previously told you that the likes of Flipboard and S-Voice, two ‘exclusive’ Galaxy S III apps have already been yanked from the handset and become available for use on other phones. Now though, many more aspects are available to try out and if you have a Galaxy Nexus at your disposal, you can essentially turn your device to mimic features that Galaxy S III users will have once the phone launches in Europe at the end of this month.

A complete set of wallpapers, sounds, animations and applications are available to bring over to the Galaxy Nexus, providing that you are already running CyanogenMod 9 and AOKP. If you don’t have this and don’t have any experience in customizing your device, it is best to avoid so you don’t end up with a bricked device.

If this is well within your realms though, you’ll be able to enjoy all this and the likes of S-Voice and S-Memo if you don’t already have them. A short video demo of these Galaxy S3 features running on the Galaxy Nexus has been provided by the good guys over at Droid-Life. As you can see, the interface is as smooth as you like and you have to say that it looks fairly awesome. Instructions on how to download and all of the links can be found over at XDA Developer Forums here.

At the moment, we’re not sure if this works on the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Note, but if you have already managed to get this working on other Android handsets, let us know in the comments section below. Are these the kind of things that make the Android OS great? We think so.

Even other Android owners are probably even aware of the Galaxy Nexus’s plight on Verizon, as it’s an unusual occurrence where such a high profile device fails to receive official support since launching a mere six months ago.

It’s almost turned into something of a laughing stock and obviously not the kind of headlines you are expecting to read when talking about Google’s current ‘flagship’ smartphone. Luckily, this update episode may be coming to an end as Droid-Life has heard that the Android 4.0.4 update could be dropping on May 22nd.

There’s no leaked documents from Verizon or Best Buy databases this time, but apparent confirmation from Verizon employees state that this is the solid date that the update will land. However, despite that there’s also no guarantee that Android 4.0.4 will bring any notable new features to the table and it could just be an update littered with bug fixes.

After waiting six months, we would like to think that Samsung are planning to add some new functionality in order to make up for the huge delay. The company did a similar thing when rolling out the premium suite Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note, so something on those lines would be great.

Are you holding your breath for an update on May 22nd, or do you just think it will turn out to be another disappointment? Let us know if the lack of official updates is ruining your Galaxy Nexus experience or not.