According to an article on The Telegraph Google’s Hugo Barra has said the first Google handset is just too old to run Android 4.0. The handset was originally launched in 2010 and was manufactured by HTC, and back in November of last year Google even closed the handsets support forum. Some owners were hoping that the new operating system would still be compatible with the Nexus One.

Barra also hit back at Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer’s recent attack on the Android platform, and said Android 4.0 is the best yet and very intuitive. He continued by saying “but there is no need for an instruction manual or a computer science degree”.

There has been some criticism of the operating system though with some saying it was slow, but this was put down to a faulty device at the launch event in Hong Kong according to Barra. He added the Galaxy Nexus offers sixty frames per second and was incredibly smooth.

Barra said ice Cream Sandwich had been designed with “the next three years in mind”, and will be easily used by all levels of users. Are you disappointed Ice Cream Sandwich is not making it to the Nexus One?

The fact that this smartphone is reaching its second birthday is not in its favor, but a developer has taken the ‘bull by the horns’ and ported ICS to the Nexus One, it is by no means perfect, but it is still very early days. The Nexus One’s 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon and 512MB of RAM seriously lack the oomph that today’s top-end smartphones offer, if you check out the video at the bottom of this post you will see what we mean.

In the video you can clearly see that the Nexus One is running Ice Cream Sandwich, in terms of general navigation things seem smooth, in fact swiping across your home screens and opening up menus seems pretty much perfect, but as soon as you get widgets into the equation you instantly notice that the One’s internal hardware is struggling, according to the video’s narration there are also pretty frequent crashes, video decoding issues, audio problems and a lack of WiFi, but we reckon over time things will get much more smoother.

We can’t take any credit for the video, so we would like to thank dr1337md for the video and point you in the direction of his YouTube channel - we are pretty sure that he will keep posting videos as he makes progress with the port.

According to a recent comment posted by dr1337md he has now got WiFi working, however he is seeking help in regards to Android NDK to fix the sluggish graphics – if you think you can help him head on over to his YouTube account and send him a message.

Maboot says that a few bugs have been fixed in the Gingerbread 2.3.4 update for the Nexus One, so those who still have the handset will be happy about that. The first thing that you will need for the manual install is Gingerbread 2.3.3 and the 2.3.4 firmware file here.

Once you have downloaded the file you will need to rename it to update.zip. The next step will be to connect your handset to your PC via USB and copy the ROM to the phones root on the SD card. In no way should you try to unzip the file. Once this is done just disconnect your device and then boot in recovery mode. After that you then need to select the Bootloader and recovery.

We know that this is a long process, but it is worth it just to get the update early. Once your Nexus One reboots again just press the volume up and down using the buttons. You are now on the home straight, as all you need to do now is select the “Apply sdcard:update.zip” and select the GRJ22-from-GRI40……zip” file. The final thing is to flash it, this is done by pressing the power button.

Did this manual install work for you?

The biggest feature that Nexus S users enjoyed in the 2.3.4 update was the addition of Video and Voice chat within Google Talk, but since the Nexus One has no front-facing camera, unfortunately the video chat aspect is no where to be seen.

However, there are still other worthwhile features as part of the update, and they include things like improved battery life, better WiFi connectivity and GPS accuracy and there’s also an important bug fix which will reduce the likelihood of your phone shutting down randomly.

If you are still in possession of a Nexus One, you can proceed to Google’s official link here and download Android 2.3.4 manually, as reported from Android Community. Alternatively, you can wait for the official notification from Google on your handset to download the same update OTA.

What option will you choose, manual or OTA? If you already have version 2.3.4 installed on your device, let us know your thoughts on the changes. Is everything working fine?

As reported from RedmondPie, you should be aware that this is the SDK version of Honeycomb that we’re talking about, but it’s still the Honeycomb that we have seen a lot lately on tablet devices such as the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

It’s pretty remarkable that a handset as old as the Nexus One can still run a smooth version of Google’s latest Android software – if this trend keeps up, there isn’t really a need for Nexus One owners to upgrade hardware we feel.

You can check out a preview screenshot of Honeycomb running on the Nexus One below, there’s a few more over at Redmond Pie. You know, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see Google Ice Cream running on the Nexus One at the end of the year either – we wait in anticipation for that to happen.

For those of you who have already tried out this port of Honeycomb on the Nexus One, what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer this tablet-based OS, or are you going to head back to Gingerbread?

We’ve added a video below too, so you can see actual footage of Honeycomb running on the Nexus One.

As reported from Phandroid, users should get the OTA notification on their handset throughout this week, prompting them to update to version 2.2.2 of the Android 2.2 Froyo software.

At the moment, there isn’t an official log of exact changes, but don’t be surprised if the update specifically targets an SMS bug which had also been troubling Nexus S users – and was fixed up by Google recently.

If you have already had the notification from Google, let us know if you have spotted anything major that we should know about. If you are still waiting for the update, hang in there as rollouts can often take a while to reach everyone.

On a side note, Google are still planning an update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread for the Nexus One, but perhaps another status update for patient Nexus One owners is needed if they intend to delay it further.

At the start of the month, we informed you that the Nexus One would definitely be receiving an official OTA update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. At the time, Google stated that this update would be dropping ‘in a few weeks’, but obviously that time is now upon us and the update is nowhere to be seen.

Google has once again reiterated that the update is still on the way, by delivering the following message to Nexus One owners via Twitter, as reported by Phandroid –

”The Gingerbread OTA for Nexus One will happen in the coming weeks. Just hang tight!”

So why you may be slightly disappointed that you won’t have it in time for Christmas, at least you can rest assured that it hasn’t been cancelled or anything like that. If you really can’t wait for the official OTA, you can try out this custom ROM which we told you about yesterday.

If you are a Nexus One owner, let us know your thoughts on the delay. Are you patiently waiting for Gingerbread?

The Nexus One is due to be one of the first Android handsets to receive the official Gingerbread update, but for those of you who want a slice of Android 2.3 just in time for Christmas, you may want to try out the custom ROM.

As reported from Android Central, the ROM has been created by developer Chris Soyars, as he has posted the download link up on his website, along with a series of important instructions that users will need to follow if they want to try it out.

If you do decide to install this, be aware that it will overwrite your recovery and you’ll also lose the collection of standard Google apps on your Nexus One, which includes the Android Market. It’s not hard to download them yourself though so this isn’t a huge issue.

You’ll also have to do without use of the camcorder, as this particular feature isn’t working in the ROM yet. With that said and done, head to the website above to try it out. Remember to read the instructions first and ONLY attempt this if you know what you are doing – we take no responsibility for your actions.

There is also a video below for you to check out. If you have successfully installed the Gingerbread ROM on your Nexus One, give us your feedback so that others can try the download.

If you are currently own a Nexus One handset, the chances are that you’re still satisfied with it are fairly high, as the Nexus One remains one of the best and most popular smartphones on the market.

However, it is fairly outdated now, and just like iPhone owners, consumers usually jump at the chance to buy some upgraded hardware. And upgraded hardware is certainly what you’ll get with the Nexus S, as in terms of a spec comparison, the Nexus S wins the battle with the addition of a larger screen (4-inch), front facing camera, Bluetooth 3.0 and of course Android 2.3 Gingerbread in the box, although the Nexus One is likely to be the first existing handset to receive the update before the end of the year.

It will most likely come down to personal preference though, and unlike other handset sequels, the Nexus S is built by a different manufacturer – Samsung, whereas the Nexus One is a HTC phone. If you are looking for a more detailed comparison between the two handsets, we’ve found a great article over at Pocket-Lint for you to take a look at.

As a Nexus One owner, are you tempted to upgrade to a Nexus S, or are you going to keep your current handset? On a side note, we’ve included a short clip of the cool NFC feature on the Nexus S, check it out below.

Since the Nexus One is Google’s official test dummy, you can bet that the device will be the first to receive the Gingerbread update once the Nexus S is released.

We previously heard rumors that the Gingerbread update was already rolling out to select Nexus One owners, but we can confirm that those details were incorrect. Instead, Google has confirmed that the Gingerbread update for the Nexus One will be available in a ‘few weeks time’ – which obviously means that Nexus One owners will get a lovely present before the end of the year.

Hopefully we’ll be bringing you further update news for the likes of the Droid X and HTC EVO 4G, but at the moment, it’s Nexus One owners who should be celebrating. If you own a Nexus One, let us know your thoughts on the forthcoming update.

Source – Read