04/02/2012

Manually update your Nexus One to Android 2.2 Froyo

According to last week’s Google I/O we have expected the much acclaimed Android 2.2 update, neatly codenamed “Froyo”, to roll-out to our devices in late June.

While Google has now confirmed that the launch phase already started, chances are, you are not one of the lucky ones serviced first.

Originally discovered by phandroid there is, however, a way to manually upgrade your Nexus One to the latest and greatest Android release.

Make sure you read to the end of this article, before following these steps:

  1. Download the Android 2.2 firmware for the Nexus One. The original link provided by phandroid was down for us. Here is a Dropbox mirror.
  2. Copy the downloaded update.zip it to your microSD card via USB.
  3. Switch your Nexus One off.
  4. Hold down the Volume down button as you power the device back on.
  5. A screen should appear showing your phone’s system searching for various files. Scroll down to recovery and press the Power button.
  6. When you see the triangle with an exclamation point symbol, press the Power and Volume up buttons at the same time.
  7. From the menu that appears, select Apply sdcard:update.zip and press the trackball.
  8. When the screen displays Install from sdcard complete select reboot system now and wait for the phone to power back up.

A few remarks:

  • I can personally confirm the above is working. My Nexus One is running perfectly fine on Android 2.2 after the update. However, you do this at your own risk.
  • We provide the mirror to the firmware as long, as we can. Should it go down, feel free to post more mirrors in the comments.

In case you’ve been living behind a rock, here’s everything you need to know about Android 2.2 in one neat list.

(This article originally appeared at The Next Web Mobile.)

Waiting for the Nexus One

Thanks to my friend Zee in the United Kingdom, my Nexus One is almost on its way.

There seems to be no ‘Germany’ on Google’s Maps (did you notice the wordplay?). Anyway, the Nexus One will arrive unlocked and without a SIM Card very soon.

The long wait has begun.


The blogosphere is a buzz about the Google Nexus One – but why?

Okay, a few days from now Google will officially start selling the Google Phone Nexus One.

If you have not been living under a rock there’s absolutely no way you don’t know about it, yet.

Otherwise, Engadget should bring you up to speed. That’s obviously also, where the image credit goes to.

Here is my question for you:

Do you see anything revolutionary with the Google Nexus One, that would justify the noise? To me it appears as yet another HTC manufactured device running a slightly tuned version of Android that ships unlocked for US$ 500.

Apparently no multi-touch, though Android has built-in support for it, and nothing else which sets it apart from the Motorola Droid/Milestone and other Android powered devices, except better hardware specs.

So why the buzz? Simply because it has got a Google sticker on it? Or, because it’s unlocked? You can get a factory unlocked iPhone 3GS in Europe for US$ 500 and run it with whatever carrier you like.

Irony warning ahead: I would understand some of the excitement if the updated version of Android would finally add support for IMAP folders. The IMAP protocol is only some 25 years old, so I totally understand why it took Google more than two years to support those on a platform intended primarily for Internet enabled smart phones. Email is such an edge-case these days anyway…

Seriously, what’s so exciting about the Nexus One?