This year’s Nexus 7 supported 4G LTE networks right out of the gate on AT&T, T-Mobile and any other GSM network. As such, it should have been as easy as buying the unlocked tablet and activating it for Verizon subscribers. What those subscribers found, however, was that Verizon was giving them the run around as it refused to activate the tablets on its network. Now the carrier finally has a reason.
Speaking to Android Police, a Verizon spokesperson said that its refusal to activate the Nexus 7 on its network all came down to a “systems issue” discovered in Jelly Bean. Instead of working together to fix the problem, Verizon claims Google told it to hold off on certifying the device until it got KitKat.
Here’s the full statement:
During the certification process for the Nexus 7, Google, Asus and Verizon uncovered a systems issue that required Google and Asus to undertake additional work with the Jelly Bean OS running on the device. Since Google was about to launch its new Kit Kat OS, rather than undertake this work, Google and Asus asked Verizon to suspend its certification process until Google’s new OS was available on the Nexus 7.
So, what does this mean for the Verizon subscriber with a brand new LTE-capable Nexus 7? You’re probably going to have to wait for a few more weeks as Google’s rollout of new Android versions to previous Nexus devices usually takes a long time. My Nexus 7 from 2012 didn’t get Android 4.3 until three weeks after it debuted in July. While my experience may vary from yours, you may be in for a long wait until you can activate your new tablet on Verizon. As for AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers, you can just buy a Nexus 7 with a carrier-specific SIM already installed.
[Image: Google Play]