As we all know, Verizon is terrible when it comes to updating their phones. While this is usually the case with most carriers, the fact that it takes Verizon so long to update their Galaxy Nexus device is even worse as quick updates are one of the most important features when it comes to Nexus devices. Verizon customers are certainly not expecting an official update anytime soon, so as a result, most users will turn to custom ROMs. However, not all users like doing this as custom ROMs certainly come with some risk and instability.
We published an article earlier today explaining that because the Android 4.3 binaries for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus are already available from Google, it could be extremely easy to cook up a working custom ROM for the device. Well now, as expected, the first of these ROMs have surfaced.
User baldwinguy77 over at RootzWiki has released an Android 4.3 ROM for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. According to the user, the ROM comes from Google’s official source code and has very little modifications. The only thing that was changed were the aspects that are required to make the ROM work on CDMA networks. This is because the user is shooting for an experience that is as similar to the future OTA update as possible.
The best part is, this ROM does not require root. That’s right, you do not need to be rooted in order to use this ROM, giving it the OTA look and feel. However, the ROM is easily rooted and includes a ZIP file if you wish to do so. This does not mean that there are no risks in doing this. As always, you should always make a backup of your device before flashing anything new. Still, this is certainly good news for users who don’t like rooting their devices and are interested in trying out Android 4.3.
Those of you who have a Verizon Galaxy Nexus and are willing to do this, please report back to us with your results! For the rest of you, are you waiting for an official update from Verizon? How long are you willing to wait?
Source: RootzWiki