Google, Broadcom close to enabling 802.11n on Nexus One?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted April 23rd 2010 6:22AM
posted April 23rd 2010 6:22AM
We need a name for this whole drama -- we like "n-Gate," but it's a little too close to N-Gage for comfort. Anyhow, you might recall that Google briefly listed 802.11n support in the Nexus One around the time of its release, then wiped all mention of it only to have iFixit's teardown reveal on no uncertain terms that the Broadcom-sourced wireless chipset was definitely capable of rocking it. The word on the street is that Google and Broadcom have just pushed new drivers for the chipset into the Android repository that enable the functionality, which likely means that future stock firmwares will support it -- Froyo, for instance -- including anything the Nexus One should happen to be graced with in the future. Faster wireless is always a good thing, as far as we're concerned... especially, you know, when Google closes the book on 3G issues. Follow the break for claimed video proof that this 11n business is all too real.[Thanks, Robert]
@burn I've never, ever ever ever had an issue with the 3G on my Nexus One.
So shut your mouth and stop assuming that it's a problem with every device.
@Tullsy This commenting system sucks.
@Tullsy same with me, I've never had any 3G issues with my Nexus One as well. I absolutely love it. I think these people are on crack or something.
@Tullsy
hmm.. well the people who ARE experiencing issues would beg to differ..
If your on the best 3G coverage carrier, don't you expect that? THE BEST 3G coverage?
What am I supposed to do, move to a different location or orient my phone differently like they say?
I'm just saying, as it is from my experience. So stop assuming that everyone has the same experience with this device as you.
I never said it was a bad phone, love it to bits, got custom roms, etc... just no 3G when I need 3G...
@burn T-Mobile version I assume?
Nice addition. It will be interesting to see how well it works once the CDMA devices are released.
@slipdisc I hope the Incredible will have this update as well
@slipdisc
cdma nexus one is a myth, didn't you see the last Myth Busters show? it was totally busted. but alas, i long for it as well, and now my new wireless n router does as well
@MrGoodCat
go on the n1 website and the see the Verizon (CDMA) version - to be released spring 2010.
@MrGoodCat It is indeed coming to Sprint as well.
http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1403426&highlight
So...will Google HAVE to charge for any updates that turn this on? I hear they would HAVE to do this and there's no way around it...well according to "some" people. Some sort of accounting law that no one knows about.
@Tes Some sort of accounting law/contract that pertains to the Broadcom chip or the WiFi spec or what? I don't see how else it could be possible...
Does anyone else think this is somewhat pointless tho? I mean, G speeds already outstrip broadband speeds by a longshot for most people... What sort of large transfer could you be doing to your phone w/frequency to really take advantage of 802.11n?
@Tes look, you learn something new everyday......trolls do rise with the sun.....neat.
so you've gotten every iteration of windows as a free upgrade since windows 95 or before? oh no, thats right....you've paid out the nose for it....ten bucks too steep for you tes? if so, stop trolling and work on your career....btw, i'd much rather have the option to pay for an update than own certain android devices that will never see anything beyond 1.5.
i'm just trying to figure out when its ok to charge for major upgrades and when its not....
@Tes tell me this also....when is it ok to sell a smartphone that has no chance of ever seeing a legit firmware upgrade to consumers without letting them know? one more quick question....how much do you think it will cost winmo users to replace their 6.x 3rd party apps with their WP7 equivalent?
btw.....sent from my nexus one
@ummmwhat
Your name is very apt...it's exactly what I said when I read your reply. Let me see if I have this right. You're comparing the major update of an OS that I would use daily for several years to something like being charged to "turn on" a chip that was already present when I paid for my device? Please...please tell me how you managed this astounding leap of logical dexterity? Unless you're saying you should be required to pay for every update ever I'm not seeing what it is you're trying to get at.
@Tes sorry i didn't spell it out for you....i'm not speaking about this update at all....i thought that "major" update would be enough for you to get....it was more of a response to you trolling....i'm amazed that it actually extends beyond apple articles....the fact that you managed to troll in post about the N1 getting 802.11n is beyond me.
did you consider suicide when apple announced their massive quarter results? or just sit in the dark and cry?
what on earth will happen when apple inevitably passes msft in terms of actual market cap, and apple is officially bigger?
pathetic
@ummmwhat
Look, you're the troll here as you've not said a sensible thing since you became all butt hurt and started ranting. I OWN Apple products so feel I have a right to mention it...I have PAID for updates of firmware and, no they were not major updates. Sorry. I paid for an update to my iPod Touch that gave me access to a bluetooth chip that was already there AND took away the ability to double tap for the iPod controls within apps. Yes...it TOOK AWAY functionality. Apple waved it away as they had added the ability for the developers to access music from within the app...brilliant, but not much help on apps that had reached the end of their development life as far as the devs were concerned.
So, my fanboy friend. you can discuss the relative merits of tech companies with me like an adult that uses tools to get things done rather than pinning your elegance to a company that doesn't even know your name, or you can go have a wank over some Apple magazine or something. Basically, while I sit here listening to music on my iPod, typing this on a Dell running Windows and expecting a call on my HTC phone running Android, realising I'm an adult with no affiliation to any company apart from the one I work for, I say humbly...grow the fuck up.
@ummmwhat
Furthermore, HTC pulled the same bait and switch nonsense with a graphics chip a few years back...I was against it then too. It's called principals, and I don't bend them depending on the companies I patronise.
@Tes you're absolutely right....you have no affiliation, just an undying/unhealthy hatred for one. its a great sign of maturity. you're a joke tess, and any reasonably middle of the road engadget reader can see it.
@ummmwhat
What is this one company I HATE again? (baring in mind I own two iPods, two Windows machines, one of which dual boots Linux, an Xbox and PS3, two Nokias, a HTC Desire, Logitech remotes mice and keyboards, Shure and Seinheisser earphones and Samsung TV hooked up to LG Bluray player)
You keep living in your little word where everyone is a fan boy like you.
@ummmwhat
Just stop. Everyone can see your trolling. Your not fooling anyone.op.
Please. Just stop.
@ummmwhat
Dude don't worry yourself, dude is just trolling and trying to be smart. Google always gives everything for free, big ol' Google, they are everyone's friend.
@Kwame Nkrumah
It must be a new form of trolling where trolls call non trolls trolls.
@Tes No. Google will never charge for updates for the Nexus One, no matter how much pixie dust is included. The code that enables this is all licensed under the GPL anyway.
802.11n works a hell of a lot better than G when you are out of sight of the router/accesspoint. Multiple antennas are actually there doing something on N, whereas on G it just tried one, then tried the other and used the one that was the least bad.
Any word if it is dual band tho? Really hoping I can ditch my 2.4GHz APs around the house so I can use a video sender again.
@richms I really hope it's not dual-band. Nothing against using 5GHz, but if you've been reading tech blogs, you know that the average person doesn't know how to configure a dual-band router. What happens is that when a 5GHz supporting device comes out like the iPad or the nicer laptops, people have all sorts of problems connecting on the 5GHz N connection because their router isn't configured properly. They then go on to blame their devices, and then other people get the impression that there is something wrong with the new laptop or phone. The Nexus One already has a poor enough reputation to being with.
Speaking of which, my Buffalo HP-G300NH router thinks my Milestone is talking 802.11n. It shows in the client list as 802.11n "enabled". Any comments?
I don't know about all of you, but I'm more interested in getting the FM radio working. I don't even have and 11n router, and have no need for one right now, G is plenty fast for me.
@garfnodie I agree...wireless-n on a phone (no matter how fast it is) doent really make sense as most of the time you will end up opening mobile sites. For youtube or other video streaming apps, wireless-g is enough even if you're watching hd videos.
This will be in cyanogen's next Rom long before Google releases it
Sigh.
So much squabbling and wasting thousands of reader's time.
Allow me to clarify to everyone: You can already connect in 802.11n mode with your Nexus One to a 802.11n router. It connects on the 2.4GHz channel as the chip doesn't have 5GHz capability. I'm connected right now that way and have done so for several weeks. I'm using Cyanogen's roms.
Perhaps some readers could harness their enthusiasm for arguing with each othet into doing a bit of research on the technical subject matter being discussed, and channel their knowledge into contributing to the discussion at hand rather than looking like the tech equivalent of hillbillies arguing about who's pick-up truck is bigger.
@dir
They just released the proper drivers for the device to do wireless-N and cyanogen just compiled them. Not sure if your little rant was directed towards me or not, but your wasting your breath/time trying to get people to behave on here.
My nexus one has been N-enabled since day one, it even says 72Mbps on the connection screen.
I've made a video showing that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW1q74WhD8A
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but why would you need better than 54 mbps on your PHONE? It's not like you need to stream HD to the 3.7 inch screen.
@David Wagner
It's not about the max speed, wireless n gives much better and more consistent signal. Somewhere you have intermittent signal with g you'll have strong signal with n (and get 3MB/sec rather than 100kb/sec)
@Bratyr And better signal probably translates as better battery-life too.
How about enabling Verizon on the Nexus One? I'm tired of waiting
BLURRY!!!
"Look, we can't fix 3G. Let's turn on 802.11n and maybe that'll shut them up for a while."
What about power consumption of using 802.11n (which, AFAIK, supports a higher wattage radio signal) vs 802.11g?
Seems to me that using Wireless N is going to eat through power quicker than Wireless G, and unless signal range is a real problem, I can't think of any mobile application that would require more bandwidth than the 22 Mbps (raw througput) of Wireless G. Hell, that's enough to handle two 720p video streams.
I guess if you REALLY need to stream raw 1080p video to your Nexus One over your network, Wireless N might be useful. Just don't expect it to look pretty!
@Electrofreak Only if you're pegging it usage at 100%. Do you use the Snapdragon CPU at 100% 1GHz all the time too? Better signal probably means better battery-life too.
I just wish they made the video camera better. 20fps and shitty audio is not what I was expecting on a 2010 $500 phone. Thats my only problem. Everything else the phone does is awesome
Sorry... What? How was I using 802.11n on Nexus One at home then? My Nexus One connects to my router at 68mbps speeds...
I thought it was enabled since release...
Can you update this story?
It's somewhat false considering you already can use n.
People in these very comments have already proven it, and in a current thread on the XDA N1 forums with others proving it already works as well.
@Johnny Rockets I've updated to clarify that we're talking about stock ROMs here.
How about they first fix the issue where wi-fi fails to connect when you turn on the phone and you have to connect manually half the time?
@kballs liar, that never happens to me. check your router.
Excellent News! And for the record the 3G on my Nexus One works FLAWLESSLY, I have never had any of these mythical problems people keep trying to bring up. Its Tired, just let it go!!!
naybe this will get enabled for my htc desire seeing as they are both rocking the same chip ?
maybe* lol