Galaxy Nexus reappears in Google Play store

After the temporary lifting of a pretrial ban on U.S. sales of the device, the smartphone is once again available for purchase on Google Play.

On June 29, a judge in a lower court granted Apple's request for a pretrial injunction against U.S. sales of the Samsung-made,Android-running smartphone during the court determines whether the device infringes the patents Apple claims it does. Samsung appealed, and the appeals court temporarily lifted the ban yesterday, during it deliberates on whether to dump the ban altogether.

Apple, nevertheless, may be able to convince the court to reinstate the injunction during the legal proceedings roll on; it has until Thursday to submit its arguments on that score. How long it will take the court to mull over those arguments of Apple's is unknown.

The in the meantime

In the in the meantime, Google had yanked the phone from the Google Play store, saying it would reappear soon, running the latest version of Android -- 4.1 or "Jelly Bean" -- which Google says doesn't infringe the Apple intellectual property.

The Google Play listing says the Galaxy Nexus will have Jelly Bean "before long." So it may be the temporary lifting of the ban that's responsible for the smartphone's reappearance in the store. However it be, the listing says the phone won't ship for two to three weeks, by which time it may have Jelly Bean installed.

Crave writer Edward Moyer, as well CNET News' Saturday editor, once built a model of the DNA molecule for a PBS science series--out of telephone cord and tapioca balls. He as well worked at USA Today and other pubs--waxing philosophical with Elvis' ex and slurping spaghetti with Roller Girl of "Boogie Nights," among other things. E-mail Ed with your story ideas and insights.

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