Nexus 7 gets Android 4.2 update as Google scrambles for Nexus 4 stock

Spider

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Summary: Devices launched with Android 4.2 on Tuesday may have sold out within minutes - a situation Google says it is trying to rectify - but at least those with existing Nexus 7 tablets are getting the update.

By David Meyer | November 14, 2012 -- 09:08 GMT (01:08 PST)

Google has begun updating Nexus 7 tablets with Android 4.2, while promising to replenish stock of the other Nexus devices that launched with that version of the OS, only to sell out within minutes.

The new version of Android, named 'Jelly Bean' as its predecessor was, adds Swype-like Gesture Typing functionality and a 360-degree camera function, along with a refreshed iteration of Google Now.

The Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 10 tablet went on sale using Android 4.2 on Tuesday, but only briefly. The same went for the new, 3G-enabled version of the Nexus 7, but at least those who already have Wi-Fi-only Nexus 7s are getting the bump up from Android 4.1 — an upgrade that has also started rolling out to the Galaxy Nexus.

Google announced the Nexus 7 update in a Google+ post late on Tuesday, in which it also acknowledged the stock shortages of its newer devices.

"There's been so much interest for the Nexus lineup that we've sold out of some of our initial stock in a few countries," the company said. "We are working hard to add more Nexus devices to Google Play in the coming weeks to keep up with the high demand."

Demand was certainly high, although it is not clear how many Nexus 4s, Nexus 10s and 3G Nexus 7s Google actually had ready for the launch. The Nexus 4 sold out in less than half an hour in the UK, US and elsewhere.

As the comments thread on the Google+ post shows, many customers expressed frustration with Google's ordering process. There were many reports of the orders hanging, and the Play Store also displayed 'Coming soon' notices alongside the sold-out products for most of Tuesday, before Google finally changed the notice to read 'Sold out'.

One reason Google sold out so quickly might be that its systems double-booked many orders, and did not give affected customers a chance to cancel their second order. As this tweet shows, the company has since emailed many customers to check whether they really meant to order multiple units:
 

J515OP

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Jan 6, 2011
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Interesting. Google really needs to get its act together. They are not just a search company any more but a big boy retailer with hardware and software (apps, music, videos and books) for sale on their site. There are no more excuses for having poor checkout processes, coordination, organization or anything else. Apple manages it, Amazon manages it, ebay manages it and on and on. There are no more excuses Google. Put some money into your retail operations and fix this mess!
 
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