Nexus devices are great. They get software updates directly from Google very soon after the new versions of Android are made available. The downside of that is that newer versions of Android aren’t always bug-free. We’ve seen Google push out minor updates to Android 4.4 right after release to fix a small number of bugs, but it looks like there are still a handful of issues surrounding Android’s Bluetooth stack that was introduced in 4.2 to replace the older, less-functional stack in prior versions of Android.
The new Bluetooth stack brought some new really cool features to Android, such as Bluetooth LE that helps power many smartwatches and wearable tech, and KitKat built on that feature set to add in a few more enhancements. Unfortunately, some really basic things have been broken in the process for many Nexus users, including Bluetooth pairing, volume control, and general inconsistency with Bluetooth devices. Audio quality can be affected, connections can randomly drop, and even the entire Bluetooth service can crash because of these issues. Overall, definitely not something you want plaguing Google’s flagship devices.
These issues affect pretty much all Bluetooth devices, but as for affected Android devices, it’s pretty much been narrowed down to three primary culprits; the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and 2013 Nexus 7. They’re all Nexus devices, but a common point between all three is that they’re Nexus devices that specifically use Qualcomm processors. It could just be a coincidence, but it could also have something to do with Qualcomm’s supplied Bluetooth drivers. This is one of the rare cases where it’s nice to have a skinned manufacturer phone, since many of them use custom Bluetooth stacks for their devices to guarantee stability with devices.
Android Police has done an excellent job of writing up a full list of problems and possible solutions, so if you’re affected by any Bluetooth bugs on a Nexus device, you may want to check out the link below to try to get some issues fixed.
source: Android Police
The new Bluetooth stack brought some new really cool features to Android, such as Bluetooth LE that helps power many smartwatches and wearable tech, and KitKat built on that feature set to add in a few more enhancements. Unfortunately, some really basic things have been broken in the process for many Nexus users, including Bluetooth pairing, volume control, and general inconsistency with Bluetooth devices. Audio quality can be affected, connections can randomly drop, and even the entire Bluetooth service can crash because of these issues. Overall, definitely not something you want plaguing Google’s flagship devices.
These issues affect pretty much all Bluetooth devices, but as for affected Android devices, it’s pretty much been narrowed down to three primary culprits; the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and 2013 Nexus 7. They’re all Nexus devices, but a common point between all three is that they’re Nexus devices that specifically use Qualcomm processors. It could just be a coincidence, but it could also have something to do with Qualcomm’s supplied Bluetooth drivers. This is one of the rare cases where it’s nice to have a skinned manufacturer phone, since many of them use custom Bluetooth stacks for their devices to guarantee stability with devices.
Android Police has done an excellent job of writing up a full list of problems and possible solutions, so if you’re affected by any Bluetooth bugs on a Nexus device, you may want to check out the link below to try to get some issues fixed.
source: Android Police
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