Manually update your GSM Galaxy Nexus to 4.0.4

Are you a GSM Galaxy Nexus owner, but for whatever reason you can’t pull down the much-anticipated 4.0.4 update? Maybe you’re stuck in a low coverage area or you just don’t want to spend the data before (or after) you reach your cap. For whatever reason, you no longer need to wait: Google has posted the full ZIP update for earlier versions. Installing is simple, even if you’ve never done this sort of thing before – but you will need the proper Android ADB tools and drivers installed on your computer. Before you begin, click here to download the English GSM Galaxy Nexus update file, or check this XDA thread for localized versions in other languages or older updates.

Once you’ve finished the download, go to the Settings menu on your phone. Tap Developer Options, and make sure USB debugging is enabled. Connect your Galaxy Nexus to your computer and unlock it. Copy the ZIP file to the Internal Storage folder in your device. If you’ve downloaded it on your phone, use a file browser to copy it to the /sdcard folder. Open a Command Prompt or Terminal window in the same folder as your ADB install. Type “adb devices” and make sure that your Galaxy Nexus appears in the list.

Now type “adb shell”, press enter, then “su”, then press enter again. Type exactly the following, without quotes: “cp /sdcard/7f97fbc19417.signed-yakju-IMM76D-from-ICL53F.7f97fbc1e.zip /cache/7f97fbc19417.signed-yakju-IMM76D-from-ICL53F.7f97fbc1.zip” (If you downloaded another language update, change the name of the ZIP file appropriately.)

Type “exit”, then press enter. Type “exit” and press enter again. Now remove your Galaxy Nexus from the USB cable and power it down. Now press the Power, Volume Up and Volume Down buttons together to bring it into Bootloader mode. Press Down Volume twice, then the power button to enter the stock recovery. Use the volume buttons to select “Apply Update”, press the power button, and you’re golden. Once it finishes, reboot your phone.

XOOM Wifi and Nexus S owners can follow the same basic guides if you find links for the official updates, though the exact method of getting into the bootloader and recovery varies. If you need a non-English update, check the XDA link above; it should have just about everybody covered. Galaxy Nexus LTE owners, you’re out of luck for the time being… unless you’d like to try your hand at some custom ROMs.

Archos G9 update rolling out – fixes HDMI and WiFi issues on ICS

Archos recently released Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich for the G9 series of their Android tablets. It has only been available for a short time but it looks like they are on top of things and have already started fixing some minor bugs. If you own an Archos G9 and recently updated to Android 4.0 ICS this latest firmware update today should solve some of those WiFi issues some have been reporting. More details and change-log after the break.

Their naming scheme is a bit confusing but the Archos G9′s are currently running on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, but the build from Archos rolling out today is 4.0.5 — not Ice Cream Sandwich, but that is the version of Archos’ own firmware. Apparently with ICS they’ve had a few issues with WiFi going extremely slow after being on for more than a few minutes. Some users have also reported no audio or audio issues with HDMI-out and streaming video or games. Archos has quickly fixed the problems and the update is available now for those interested.

As always the update should arrive over the air for the devices, but you can manually go to Archos.com and download the update yourself should you chose to take that route. For more information and the full change log head here to get started. We wish all manufacturers issued updates this fast, because Ice Cream Sandwich for the Archos tablets has only been available for a few weeks. If you’ve been having any of the above mentioned problems get the latest firmware and let us know in the comment section below how things go.

Rumor: Galaxy S III coming in April with NFC

Another day, another fleeting rumor of the ever-elusive Galaxy S III. After skipping out on Mobile World Congress tro throw its own party Apple-style, Samsung still hasn’t mentioned when it intends to bring the Galaxy S III to market. The CHEIL Worldwide Marketing company thinks they know, according to ZD Net Korea: they say that Samsung is planning a huge promotion for April, when they expect the phone to launch in multiple markets worldwide. The 2012 Summer Olympics will reportedly play a large part in the initial promotion.

The reasoning for the Olympic tie-in is a deal between Samsung, credit card company Visa and the IOC, launching a new NFC-based payment system with the Galaxy S III as the flagship device. NFC certainly makes sense – Samsung has been including it with most of the high-end phones it’s announced in the last few months. The April release seems a little dubious, to be honest: there’s already a Samsung event scheduled for later this month in France, so they’d need to get the product finalized, announced and delivered in a span of just a few weeks.

There’s very little information about the Galaxy S III that can be verified. A large screen, fast processor and Samsung’s TouchWiz version of Ice Cream Sandwich seem like a given, but every analyst and insider between here and South Korea seems intent on getting a word in edgewise. At the moment about the only thing we can say for sure is that a successor to the incredibly popular Galaxy S III is on its way – some time, somewhere.

Huawei unveils the Ascend D Quad, claiming it’s the world’s fastest smartphone

As Mobile World Congress prepares to open its doors in Barcelona tomorrow, Chinese manufacturer Huawei has unveiled what it claims is the world’s fastest smartphone – the Ascend D Quad.

With a K3V2 quad-core 1.2GHz/1.5GHz processor, this Android Ice Cream Sandwich-touting handset will certainly be no slouch.

In a 64mm x 8.9mm casing, it sports a 4.5-inch 720P HD display, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound and Audience earSmart voice technology. Camera-wise, we’re looking at a pretty standard (for high-end Android devices) 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, plus 1080p full HD video-capture and playback.

Huawei claims that the 1800mAh battery will last “for one to two days with normal usage.” Experience of brochure battery life claims leads us to believe that when we see it, although the company claims that proprietary power management technology boosts battery life by up to 30%. The Ascend D Quad will be available in black and white models.

 

Huawei has also announced the Ascend D quad XL, with a 2500mAh battery for a supposed “two to three days of normal usage,” and the Ascend D1, with a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU and 1670mAh battery.

The Ascend D quad series is set to launch in China, Australia, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North and South America, and the Middle East in Q2 2012. The Ascend D1 is set to launch in these markets in April 2012.

Meanwhile, The Verge has pictures of Huawei’s MediaPad 10 HD, an Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with a 1080p display and an 8-megapixel camera in a super-thin 8.8mm thick casing.

Keep up with all The Next Web’s Mobile World Congress coverage here.

Huawei Ascend D Quad