The Nexus One WiFi Issue
I read an article on BGR on users reporting WiFi issues with the Nexus One.
I actually am experiencing the issue - so let me provide some insight.
The Problem: Reconnecting to WiFi
When the Nexus One goes to sleep (turns off it’s display) the default behavior is to disconnect from WiFi - I assume to save power. When you wake the device back up it is supposed to connect to your WiFi network automatically. The problem is that this never happens.
The Nexus One gets itself into a state where is disables reconnections to the WiFi network and won’t try to connect again unless prompted: this can include rebooting, turning WiFi off then on again, or telling it to connect to the network.
Part of the issue seems to involve leaving the home-screen before WiFi connects. Could be coincidence - not sure.
Another potential coincidence is that I don’t seem to experience the issue at my office. Pretty much the same WiFi both places though, Apple AirPort Extremes. The only difference might be Airport versions.
This is Actually a “New” Issue
What do I mean by that? The Nexus One in question is actually my second and my original Nexus One did not exhibit this behavior. It would connect to WiFi without prompting.
This doesn’t mean it is hardware related. But it could very well be. Equally likely that a firmware issue can fix it.
The Solution
There isn’t one at this point short of installing a 3rd party app that reconnects you once your WiFi drops out.
Hope Google gets to the bottom of this one soon.
UPDATE
It appears to be a chipset issue after all involving the WiFi sleep mode and certain routers. It is also the case that it should be fixable in software.
Android 2.2 Previewed at Google IO
Well, it was more than previewed - Google actually let it out into the wild for a bit where Nexus One users with the AWS version of the phone (think T-Mobile or WIND) were able to update.
The update has since been pulled (search and ye shall find, though) but I tossed it on my Nexus One and gave it a once over.
Tethering FTW
Android 2.2 adds WiFi tethering. This really is the killer feature, especially if you are packing a WiFi only iPad.
It is super simple to setup and works like a charm.
Flash Support (Not that I want it.)
Android 2.2 also adds support for Flash - not that I’d suggest installing it or turing it on.
Of the three people that cheered when this was announced, two work for Adobe and one makes CPU hogging Flash ads for websites.
GUI Updates
Google is starting to add a bit more polish to the Vanilla Android GUI. For example, quick access to your phone or browser is now available from the home screen.
I would expect this to be kicked into overdrive with Android 3.0 whenever we see it. Google has hired a key player from Palm’s WebOS team and I would expect that to significantly improve the look of the stock Android OS.
Nexus One and Android
The killer combo really comes from two things, hardware and software.
Hardware
If you have ever held a Nexus One you know the hardware is amazing. HTC really knows how to make a great phone that is sleek and sexy. The OLED display is the best I have seen on a phone.
Software
Android is the perfect OS if you are a GMail or Google Apps user. There simply isn’t another platform besides Android that does justice to GMail in a mobile environment.
The Punchline
When you combine great hardware with great software you win. The experience would be perfect if it didn’t look like Google.
