Pathik Shah

How to Install Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Google Nexus One

The Nexus One was the first official ‘Google’ Android phone and has always received new updates first, atleast until Android 2.3 Gingerbread was released.

Android 3.0 Honeycomb was launched recently, but it is only for tablets, so you cannot install it on your phone, right?

Wrong.

The geniuses at XDA have ported over Android 3.0 Honeycomb to the Google Nexus One.

The Android 3.0 Honeycomb Nexus One Port is now available for download, but it’s full of bugs, so try it at your own risk.

Download Android 3.0 Honeycomb SDK Port for Google Nexus One

The Android 3.0 Honeycomb ROM comes with:

Root
Busybox
File Manager from CM7
QuickBoot
Terminal emulator

Do note that you can’t make calls, or send messages using the port yet, but there are few things as cool as running Android 3.0 on your Nexus One.

via XDA

Keep checking the XDA thread for updates and detailed instructions.

How to Buy Google Nexus S in India

The Google Nexus S by Samsung is officially the best Android phone yet. It is the only phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and sports some killer hardware. You can check out the Google Nexus S Review here.

It hasn’t officially been launched in India but you can get the Nexus S in India by having a friend in the US ship it to you.

Update: The Google Nexus S is up on Infibeam for pre-order at Rs. 24000

You can also buy the Google Nexus S on eBay India for just Rs. 32999. It is unofficial, obviously, so you won’t have any warranty from Google.

The seller currently has a 97.4% feedback on eBay and seems legit.

Buy Google Nexus in India – 1

Buy Google Nexus in India – 2

Check out these two eBay links. The price seems reasonable. It is available for around Rs. 25000 ($529) in the US.

How to Root Google Nexus S

How to Unlock Google Nexus S Bootloader

You need to have the Android 2.3 Gingerbread SDK installed.

To Unlock Nexus S Bootloader

1. Switch off your Google Nexus S

2. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons to reboot it in the standard recovery mode.

3. Open the Command Prompt (Run > CMD) and type fastboot devices to make sure that your phone is connected via USB

4. Type adb reboot bootloader and fastboot oem unlock to unlock your bootloader.

5. Select Yes, Unlock Bootloader using the volume keys.

To Lock Nexus S Bootloader

1. Type adb reboot bootloader

2. Type fastboot oem lock

Via XDA

How to Install Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Google Nexus One

How to Upgrade your Google Nexus One to Android 2.3 Gingerbread

EDIT:

Google has released the source for Android 2.3 Gingerbread. We already have an AOSP build of Android 2.3 Gingerbread which you can install on your Nexus One.

Install Android 2.3 Gingerbread AOSP Build on Nexus One

1. Download the Android 2.3 Gingerbread AOSP build and copy it to your Nexus One’s SD card.

2. (If you have custom recovery already, skip to Step 5) If you’re running a stock Nexus One, you’ll need a custom recovery to flash the Gingerbread build. To do that, download Amon Ra’s Recovery, then copy it to the /tools folder in your Android SDK directory. (Download the Android 2.3 SDK here)

3. Reboot the phone into the bootloader (turn off, hold trackball and power) and plug into your computer. Make sure your hboot version is 35.0017.

4. Type fastboot flash recovery xxxxxxxxxxxx (where xxxxxxxx is the exact filename of the recovery image, including extension).

5. Now enter the recovery (from choose “bootloader“, then “recovery“).

6. Wipe data and cache.

7. Flash gingerbread_passion.ctso.zip on your Nexus One.

8. Reboot. Your Nexus One should now be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Read the rest of this entry »

Google Nexus S Review: First Look

The Google Nexus S (Google/Samsung Nexus 2) is now out. It has been officially launched by Google with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

It is pretty similar to the Samsung Galaxy S, but does come with a few improvements. The specifications are almost the same though. It’s as if Google just added a few features to the Galaxy S and slapped on a sleeker design to create the Nexus S.

Google Nexus S Specifications

Dimensions: 63 x 123 x 10 mm
Weight: 129 gms
Display: 4 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen contour display, 480 x 800 pixels.
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1 GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Memory: 16 GB internal memory
Camera: 5 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash
Connectivity: GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1
GPS: GPS with A-GPS
Battery: Li-ion battery, 1500 mAh

Design

The Google Nexus S seems to have a very stylish design and comes with a 4 inch AMOLED “contour” display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, same as the Galaxy S. It is one of the best mobile displays ever. The phone is very sleek, and one of the best looking Android phones yet.

Hardware and OS

The Google Nexus S comes with the latest version of the Android OS – Android 2.3 Gingerbread which was launched today. It comes with a whole load of new features like a better user interface and NFC, more of which you can check out at the Android Developers blog.

It comes with excellent hardware specifications. It has a 1 GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor with 512 MB RAM and 16 GB internal storage.

Multimedia

The multimedia features are the same as the Galaxy S, by which I mean totally awesome. It has one improvement over the Galaxy S though, it comes with LED flash with the 5 MP camera.

Connectivity

Connectivity options are the same as in the Samsung Galaxy S; it comes with GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and a GPS transceiver with A-GPS.

It comes with a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery, just like the Galaxy S.

The Verdict

The Google Nexus S is one of the best Android phones yet. It improves on the Samsung Galaxy S and comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the latest version of Android. Thankfully, it comes with a vanilla version of Android 2.3, instead of any bloated carrier version.

It will be available on T-Mobile in the US on December 16.