It's time to get your Android phones upgraded again, as version 2.3.4 begins to roll out this week. Your phone, if compatible, should receive it sometime this decade, or you can follow the instructions below and update it yourself.
The biggest feature upgrade is that video chat is now available on Google Talk for all those whose devices with a front-facing camera. You can now call and see your contacts whether they're using a compatible mobile device or Talk-enabled Gmail on their computer.
More importantly for those experiencing performance issues with their Nexus S and Nexus One handsets are updates to improve stability.
Bugs causing intermittent shutdowns or reboots, strange connection icons, navigation problems and poor battery life -- something we've personally experienced -- should now have been kicked into touch. Fingers crossed.
The update is set to roll out to the Nexus S and other 2.3+ devices over the coming weeks.
If you can't wait, have a Nexus S and want to install it manually, follow these instructions:
- Download this ZIP file to your phone.
- Rename the downloaded file 'update.zip' and ensure it's stored in the root folder of your phone.
- Shut down your phone.
- Hold the volume up button while powering on the phone. This boots it into the bootloader mode.
- Highlight 'recovery' from the list using the volume buttons. Select it by pressing the power button.
- When the triangle appears on your screen, press the volume up and power buttons.
- Choose update from the list of options.
Thanks to Android Central forums for these instructions.
If that all looks rather scary, you'll just have to hang on until an update automatically wings its way to you. Be prepared, it could be a long wait.
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Comments 16
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anonymous 4 May, 2011 20:12
can anyone confirm the update instructions work before I do this? dont wanna brick my nexus s
anonymous 4 May, 2011 20:41
hey peeps, I just did the update, I had to update from 2.3.1 to 2.3.3 first but then was able to use the update listed above to update to 2.3.4 :) all happy over in the sunny side of Glasgow :O) woohoo
Jed McInnes 4 May, 2011 20:42
@ Fiv Scholarios
To be honest, you probably don't need to, if you have a nexus you will get the update pretty quickly I would have thought.
Michael Reynolds 4 May, 2011 21:02
Nexus S user here. I updated last week, battery life seems to have improved leaps and bounds. The whole phone seems to be performing much livelier, as well. No random shut downs, like before, as of yet. Can't say that I've benefitted from the google talk video calling support - although hopefully it'll encourage the likes of Skype to roll out video calling to Android.
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 08:37
Nexus one owner here. Got the ota update this morning so be patient :)
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 09:50
I am a droid 2 user ( android 2.2.) Can i use this update? please answer.
Thanks
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 11:00
I am a Desire HD user ( android 2.2.1) Can i use this update?
Jason Jenkins 5 May, 2011 12:12
@last two anonymous commenters: Afraid not
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 13:38
I've only had my Galaxy S II since Tuesday. Is it worth my while just downloading this .zip file and updating it myself?
Jason Jenkins 5 May, 2011 14:12
No, it won't work - you'll need to wait for Samsung to release its own update
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 14:16
Ah ok fair enough. Cheers for that!
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 21:02
I upgraded my Nexus S to 2.3.3 and then 2.3.4 yesterday! So far so good. Noticed a change with the battery usage colour!
Anonymous 5 May, 2011 21:50
It's hard to believe that all this time this feature was not available to android phones.
I have been already doing video call with my Nokia N900 running Linux Maemo. N900 is out for almost 2 years now and I was always able to do google talk voice but as soon as video was made available for desktops, I was also able to do video talk from my Nokia N900. It's sad to learn that android from google which had google talk integrated could not do these when a non-android system could do this and more....
Anonymous 11 May, 2011 00:29
Nexus S user who updated on 8 May; the improvement in battery life has been the most noticeable benefit. As a freelance webmaster, I automatically sync 1 Exchange account and 2 POP3 accounts to my handset with 3 Gmail accounts set to sync manually. Prior to update, average battery life was 22 hours. Since the update, I've been charging nightly out of habit but have only reached the land of the greeny-orange battery once.
Anonymous 11 June, 2011 17:39
Could you please advise...... which is "the Root Folder"?
Anonymous 4 July, 2011 14:55
The root folder is the when you place a file on the memory card but NOT in a existing file on the memory card