Earlier this week European Galaxy Nexus users started reporting strange volume fluctuations when certain network conditions were met, making the new flagship phone a headache to use in 2G/EDGE coverage areas. Google has already acknowledged the bug and is promising an incoming software fix, but Samsung’s UK branch took the time to re-confirm the bug and its imminent patching. However, it appears that the manufacturer has frozen shipments of the Galaxy Nexus in the interim.
According to one irate customer, the retailer he had hoped to buy the Galaxy Nexus from was out, and couldn’t process new order from Samsung. The reason given was that Samsung is holding all Galaxy Nexus units until the issue is fixed, though there’s no independent confirmation of this at the moment. A recall was mentioned by the retailer, but since Google has publicly stated that the issue is purely software related, that seems unlikely.
The bug is being experienced by a small number of users, almost exclusively in low-coverage areas. Some simple experimentation implies that the issue lies with the Galaxy Nexus’ handling of the 900Mhz GSM radio band, manifesting in a random change of volume or mute status while in-call. There’s at least one reason to be thankful for Verizon’s continuing and deafening silence on the U.S. release of the Galaxy Nexus – by the time it finally lands stateside, this and other small issues will probably already be resolved.
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Let the UK guinea pigs flush out the bugs before they release it here.
This article is incorrect. Samsung and Google have stated that the problem can be overcome with a software update. This does NOT mean it is a software bug. It is still thought that it a hardware problem due to insufficient RF isolation within the Nexus but the hardware problem can be overcome with a software patch.
If a xenon flashlight was going blind you ten times a second and you could re-programme your eyes to blink ten times a second in sync with the flash, you would not see the flash. Just because you blink and don’t see the flash does not mean it’s no longer flashing!
Software kluges like this can get round a hardware problem but take additional processor time – time that could usefully be spent providing a non-laggy, fluid performance.
Google and Samsung have both been studiously careful in not stating the problem is hardware or “purely software related” – only that it can be rectified with a software update.