droidStory

Google is acknowledging the importance of its Android-App-Eco-System by awarding free phones to selected app developers.

“Due to your contribution to the success of Android Market, we would like to present you with a brand new Android device as part of our developer device seeding program. You are receiving this message because you’re one of the top developers in Android Market with one or more of your applications having a 3.5 star or higher rating and more than 5,000 unique downloads.”

For the US market Google will randomly award either a Droid or Nexus One, while in Europe and other GSM only markets developers will receive a Nexus One.

Why is Google doing this? As it turns out many app developers still don’t have access to the latest devices running Android 2.x and it’s in Google’s best interest to have a flourishing app market with as many applications that take advantage of the latest features that Android 2.x has to offer.

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A number of blogs are speculating that the long anticipated ship date for the Nexus One on Verizon might be March 23rd. The date sounds plausible as it would coincide with the first day of the International CTIA Wireless Expo in Las Vegas, and Spring officially starts on March 20th .
Other evidence is a recent FCC approval of a CDMA device that seems to resemble the Nexus One.

I can’t wait to compare the 3G performance of the current T-Mobile GSM version against a Verizon CDMA model and see if the signal strength and 3G performance is still as sensitive to environmental factors e.g. holding the phone. The unreliable 3G connectivity and general network performance is probably my biggest gripe with the N1 right now. I have not observed any touchscreen problems as other people reported.

I figured this now warrants an extra post after there’s been much discussion on the Google support forum. It is absurd that Google keeps trying to put the blame on T-Mobile. The video below clearly shows that 3G network connectivity is fine until you firmly hold your phone in your hand.

Here’s an excerpt from my recent forum post.

I’ve been saying all along that this is a RF issue. I noticed this right away when I got my phone and even posted this video on Jan 9 to show how the N1 drops 3G as soon as you hold it in your hand.

The problem occurs only when you are in an area with a weak 3G signal, anything less than -80dBm. (Higher negative numbers mean weaker signal.)

Basically, if you have -90dBM or less signal strength with the phone sitting on your desk, holding it in your hand will push it down to -100dBm or less. At that point all bets are off. Before the update it would switch to Edge around -100dBm, now it seems to hold on until about -105dBm.

The “dBm” (dB-milliwatt) is a logarithmic measurement of signal strength, and dBm values can be easily converted to and from mW values. So a decrease of roughly 3dBm yields a change of roughly HALF in the mW value.

1mW = 0dBm
-96dBm = 0.0000000002511mW

In essence, the difference between a -80dBm signal and a -100dBm signal is HUGE. Check it out yourself here.

So here is my big question: Why is the N1 getting such a weak signal in solid 3G territory, and why does the signal degrade that much more when holding the phone in your hand?

IMHO the recent update just tweaked the switching thresholds, while the actual problem may be rooted deeper in the RF guts of the Nexus One.

Google announced earlier that the first Over-the-Air Update for the Nexus One will begin later today, with most phones expected to receive the update before the end of this week.

Can’t wait for the OTA-Update? Feeling adventurous? Click here for instructions to install the update in minutes via USB.

Many people have been anxiously waiting for this update, hoping that it will fix the 3G connectivity problems widely reported on Google’s support forum and shown here in a previous post.

Here is Google’s statement regarding 3G connectivity:

3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones

Google also added these additional features to the update, with pinch-to-zoom multi-touch probably being the most exciting addition:

Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web

Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include:

• Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com – access your favorite places from your phone or computer
• Search suggestions from your personal maps.google.com history – makes it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before
• Night mode in Google Maps Navigation – automatically changes your screen at night for easier viewing and driving

Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications

After weeks of frustration in waiting and much heated discussion voiced in more than 1,500 posts to Google’s support forums, there is now a glimmer of hope that a fix to the “Spotty 3G” issue is in the works.

As posted previously here, the Nexus One is having some trouble holding onto a steady 3G connection under certain conditions.  Interestingly, similar problems occurred with the first iPhone 3G and were later addressed with a software fix. Following Apple’s playbook, Google has been mum on the issue until now.

Google finally posted the following statement to the forum today:

Hi Folks,

I wanted to post an update to the Nexus One Help Forum to let you know what we’ve been working on to help address the 3G issues some of you have been facing. I also wanted to thank you for being patient as we work to investigate the problem, an effort which has included our hardware partners.

The data from that investigation tells us that the majority of reported cases appear to be the result of being in low 3G coverage areas.  However, our engineers have also uncovered specific cases for which a software fix should improve 3G coverage for some users.  We are testing this fix now, initial results are positive, and if everything progresses as planned, we will provide an over-the-air software update to your phone in the next week or so.

Thanks again for your patience and for your feedback, and we will continue to keep you informed.

Thanks,

Ravi

I’m glad there’s finally an update on this. I’m really enjoying my Nexus One overall, but having weak or no 3G access takes a lot of fun out using it or showing off its great features.

Stay tuned for an actual date on the OTA update.

TechCrunch just broke this story.

Apparently there is a bug in Android 2.01 – the version currently running on Droid – which allows you to simply hit the ‘Back’ button while receiving a call to bypass the screen lock and jump straight to the home screen.  This problem seems to only affect the Verizon Droid and has not been seen on other phones, like the Droid Eris.

Here’s how you reproduce the problem:

1. Lock your screen
2. Call your Droid and accept the call
3. Hit the ‘Back’ button

You now have full access to all programs, email etc. without ever unlocking the phone as long as the call is in progress.

I was unable to reproduce this on the Nexus One.