Andy Rubin said Ice Cream Sandwich updates would be coming to Android devices a "couple of weeks after" the Galaxy Nexus is available. HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson have already chimed in, and we'll be keeping track of the progress on those and other updates right here. If your phone is slated to get Ice Cream Sandwich, this is where you'll find out.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates: everything you need to know
Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx getting Android 4.0 in Q2, Bionic in Q3
Motorola has updated its timeline for Ice Cream Sandwich updates for a number of devices, several of which should see Android 4.0 within the next few months. In the US, both the Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx are expected to receive ICS before the end of the second quarter, while the 3G model of the Xoom should see the update during the same period. Meanwhile a number of devices will be upgraded to Android 4.0 during the third quarter — including both the 8.2-inch and 10.1-inch versions of the...
Sony's Android 4.0 Tablet P update coming May 24th
Sony will be releasing an Android 4.0 update for the Tablet P on May 24th, nearly a month after its Tablet S was updated. While both devices were supposed to get the new software around the end of April, Tablet P users will have to endure Honeycomb for another week before they get the good stuff. In addition to "Small Apps" that let you open a miniature browser window, calculator, or remote control on top of supported apps like the browser, the update will also let you jump straight to the...
T-Mobile updating Sensation 4G to Android 4.0 today, Amaze 4G on May 21st
The T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G is receiving an Android 4.0 update today, right on schedule, bringing an end to a six-month wait for users. Meanwhile, we'd heard previously that an Ice Cream Sandwich update for the HTC Amaze 4G was also on its way in "the coming weeks," and TmoNews has now given us a due date of May 21st. It's a good week to be a T-Mobile customer — today's update news comes after monday's announcement that a number of Samsung T-Mobile devices will be receiving Android 4.0...
Sony Xperia S to receive Android 4.0 update in late May to early June
If you opted to get Sony's handsome Xperia S smartphone despite its lack of Android 4.0, you'll be glad to hear that you won't be stuck with Gingerbread for much longer. In a comment on Sony's official forums, a support representative has confirmed that the smartphone will get updated sometime between "late May" and "early June." Those dates line up well with the estimate on Sony's product page: Q2 2012. If you're wondering about Sony's other Xperia phones, the company has previously given us...
Samsung confirms Android 4.0 upgrades for T-Mobile
When Samsung announced its official roadmap for US Android upgrades, T-Mobile customers were left in the dark: Samsung said it was "in close communication" with the carrier and would be providing more details soon. Those details have now been released, confirming four devices that will be getting Android 4.0: the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S Blaze 4G, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, and Galaxy Tab 10.1. This corroborates part of a leaked document promising an upgrade for the Galaxy S II, but the May 14th date...
HTC Sensation 4G gets Android 4.0 on May 16th, Amaze 4G update available 'in the coming weeks'
We've heard that T-Mobile's HTC Sensation 4G would get an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich "very soon," and now the carrier has announced that the software update will start rolling out on May 16th. Unsurprisingly, it'll be a skinned version, with Sense 3.6 on board rather than the new Sense 4 that's included on HTC's latest phones. The update should automatically be pushed out over-the-air, but if you're impatient and want to upgrade as soon as possible, just start checking the HTC software...
Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 OTA update rolling out
Samsung has started pushing out an over-the-air update that brings Android 4.0 to its Galaxy Note smartphone. The news was broken by Devin Balentina, who included a screenshot of his Dutch Galaxy Note notifying him that the 318MB update was available to download. Unfortunately, his location makes this update likely to only roll out to users with the GT-N7000 international Note — AT&T customers with the SGH-i717 Note will have to wait for their carrier to push out its own firmware. The...
Android 4.0 update available for more Acer Iconia Tab A100 owners
Acer previously announced April 27th as the day that Iconia Tab A100 and A500 owners would be able to get their Android 4.0 update, but it didn't go entirely to plan — while the release sprang early for the A500, the A100 update hasn't made its way out to everyone yet. That may well change for you today, though, as several more users on the AndroidCentral forums are reporting that they can now update their devices. You should be getting a notification saying that the Ice Cream Sandwich...
T-Mobile says Sensation 4G Android 4.0 update is coming 'very soon'
Last month T-Mobile announced that, while an Android 4.0 update for the HTC Sensation 4G was in the works, it wouldn't be launching in April. And though we still don't have a specific date, the carrier now says that Ice Cream Sandwich will be available on the device "very soon." According to a note on the Sensation's support page, the update has already gone through testing and an "official communication from T-Mobile regarding how and when you'll be able to receive the update" is on its way....
Android version breakdown shows big gains for Ice Cream Sandwich
The new Android version breakdown released today shows some significant changes over last month. Android 4.0 is on the rise, likely due to the increasing shelf space occupied by ICS-powered devices like HTC’s One X and One S, and the large number of Android 4.0 updates we’re seeing — like those for Sony’s Xperia Arc S, Neo V, Ray, and Tablet S. In fact, the overall Ice Cream Sandwich share expanded by more than two thirds, from 2.9 percent last month to 4.9 percent for the period...
Samsung Canada starts updating Galaxy family with Android 4.0
Samsung has announced that nine members of its Galaxy lineup in Canada will receive Android 4.0 from today. The Galaxy Note, S II, S II LTE, S II LTE HD, and S II X will all be upgraded soon, but the manufacturer isn't giving itself a deadline any more precise than "this quarter" to complete the updates. On the tablet side of the Galaxy line, the Tab 7.0, 7.0 Plus, 8.9, and 10.1 are all eligible for upgrades. As with any update, when it actually reaches your phone is largely down to your...
T-Mobile Galaxy S II, Amaze 4G and Sensation 4G to get ICS soon, says leaked document
TmoNews has uncovered a purported internal document which lists upcoming Android 4.0 updates and devices. The document indicates that the Samsung Galaxy S II will receive an update on May 14, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G and Amaze 4G on June 16. There are also a number of new phones on the horizon, including the Huawei Astro, Phoenix, and Buddy, two of which could be the rumored Huawei MyTouch devices, as well as the ZTE Pascal.
It's not clear if the document is genuine or accurate, but...
Verizon roadmap leaks: Rezound, Razr, Razr Maxx will get Android 4.0 updates in May
A Verizon document that appears to be a roadmap with the status and dates of upcoming updates has leaked on Reddit. While something like this could easily be falsified (and we've seen incorrect dates in the past) it seems unlikely that someone would go through the trouble of producing a four-page document including BREW update paths just for some karma and upvotes. The roadmap shows that the HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update is in testing and will pushed out on May 9th; the Motorola Razr and...
Sony releases Android 4.0 update for Tablet S
Sony has just announced that the Android 4.0 update for its Tablet S is now available and should be rolling out to owners —j ust connect your Tablet S to Wi-Fi and you should be prompted for a system update. It's good to see Sony living up to its word and delivering this update when it said it would, though we're still waiting for the Tablet P to receive its Ice Cream Sandwich update. To go along with this update, Sony's offering the Tablet S at a bit of a discount — if you buy between...
Acer Iconia Tab A500 owners reportedly getting ICS update a few days ahead of schedule
Acer had announced that its dual-core Iconia Tab A100 and A500 tablets would be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on April 27th, but it appears some A500 users may be getting an early taste. Several owners over at the Android Central forums have indicated that they began receiving the update starting early yesterday. It's continued to roll out to several more users since then, but it doesn't appear to be hitting all devices just yet. There hasn't been any word yet on the A100, but with...
Samsung's US Android 4.0 upgrade plans revealed, Galaxy S still excluded
A list of phones on US carriers set to receive an upgrade to Android 4.0 is now available on Samsung's support pages, providing confirmation for a number of devices. It's not the first time the manufacturer's update plans have been detailed, but the latest announcement is far more carrier-specific.
On AT&T, the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy Note, Captivate Glide, Nexus S, and Galaxy Tab 8.9 will all be upgraded, while on Verizon the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 will receive...
T-Mobile won't be updating the HTC Sensation 4G to Android 4.0 in April
HTC's Sensation series phones have already gotten upgraded to Android 4.0 in many places, but T-Mobile subscribers with the Sensation 4G won't be getting Ice Cream Sandwich until May or possibly later. In a forum post yesterday, a T-Mobile spokesperson confirmed that while he isn't sure when Android 4.0 will be coming, it definitely won't arrive in April. There weren't too many more specifics in the post, but he suggests that T-Mobile is still testing the update in order to avoid releasing a...
Acer Iconia Tab A510 now on sale, Android 4.0 rolls out to earlier Acer tablets from April 27
And then there were two: if we're counting correctly, Acer's Iconia Tab A510 just became the second quad-core Tegra 3 tablet to go on sale in the United States. While it doesn't have an optional keyboard dock like the Asus Transformer Prime, the 10.1-inch Android 4.0 slate does have a fairly sleek design, 32GB of storage and a sizable 9800mAh battery pack to its name, and — assuming you're not holding out for a $199 Tegra 3 — you can pick it up for $449.99 at Acer's website today.
If...
Sony Xperia phones getting Android 4.0 update starting mid-April (update)
The eagerly-awaited Android 4.0 upgrade that Sony promised for Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray all 2011 Xperia phones now looks to be just around the bend. On its blog, Sony has announced that the first updates will start in mid-April for the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V, and Xperia Ray, and will continue over the next four to six weeks. The second round, which will apply to the Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, Xperia Active, and Sony...
Vodafone UK Galaxy S II Android 4.0 update arriving on April 17th
Vodafone UK announced today that Samsung will make its Ice Cream Sandwich update to the Galaxy S II available via its KIES desktop software tomorrow, with an over the air rollout planned for next Tuesday, April 17th. The carrier announced earlier this week that the update would be released today, but it was later pushed back to its current scheduling. Vodafone said Samsung was to blame for the delay, though no specifics were given. Depending on which carrier you bought your Galaxy S II from...
Best Buy leak shows ICS delay for Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx; April 6th update for HTC Rezound
Last week an alleged Best Buy leak indicated that Ice Cream Sandwich would be coming to three Verizon phones this week: the Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx on April 4th, and the HTC Rezound on April 6th. Obviously, the first date has come and gone with no update for either Droid device, and Android Police has a new purported leak from the retailer that indicates the update has indeed been delayed. April 6th is still listed as the planned release date for the Rezound over-the-air update, but we'll...
Sprint Nexus S 4G finally gets official Android 4.0, download available now
Once upon a time, the Nexus S was supposedly the phone to buy if you wanted the latest and greatest Android had to offer in a timely fashion. Then, Sprint's Nexus S 4G became a second-class citizen last December, as only the GSM models of the Nexus S got the new operating system. Today, the woe ends: Sprint has just made Android 4.0.4 available. Over-the-air updates of firmware update IMM76D begin rolling out today, and Sprint says "all users should receive the update in the next month." You...
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 series delayed due to Android 4.0
Samsung has officially put back the release of its Galaxy Tab 2 series, previously scheduled for a UK release last month in both 7-inch and 10.1-inch variants. The reason? According to a Samsung spokesperson talking to IDG, the tablets have been delayed until the end of April because the company needs more time to work on its TouchWiz implementation of Android 4.0. The tablets are set for a global rollout following their UK launch.
This is either depressingly familiar or increasingly...
Official AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 ROM leaks
An official Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note has just been leaked by development site RootzWiki. Samsung recently announced that the update to Android 4.0 would be delayed until Q2, but it seems as though the delay isn't going to be quite as dramatic as it could've been. We've heard from a source familiar with the matter that this is a near-final release candidate going through internal testing right now, with an aim for a public release in the coming weeks.
We've...
Bell Mobility's Android 4.0 update schedule: ICS on all Superphones and tablets by July
The long, torturous wait for Android 4.0 updates might nearly be over for subscribers on Canada's Bell Mobility, according to a leaked internal memo posted by MobileSyrup. Assuming the schedule is the real deal, Samsung's devices will be the first to be upgraded, with the flagship Galaxy S II and 5.3-inch Galaxy Note getting their updates this month, followed by HTC's Sensation and Raider devices in June, then lastly the LG Optimus LTE in July. Turning to tablets, Bell's Galaxy Tab 10.1 and...
Nexus S 4G official Android 4.0.4 update leaked, WiMAX radio improvements included?
Google released its Android 4.0.4 updates for the GSM Nexus S just a couple of days ago, but for users with Sprint's version of the phone it's been a long wait for Ice Cream Sandwich. Thankfully, BriefMobile has posted what it says is the official over-the-air 4.0.4 ROM for the WiMAX-enabled Nexus S. Along with the newest version of Android, the update has a new baseband that early adopters say has significantly improved WiMAX reception. The site promises that the update will be released OTA...
Meizu MX and M9 stock Android 4.0 public beta released
Meizu promised that it'd release a public Android 4.0 beta for both the dual-core MX and the M9, and now it's available. Android enthusiasts will be glad to hear that the beta is a stock version of Ice Cream Sandwich — a Flyme OS-skinned variant will be available later once the update is officially released. While it's only a beta, the fact remains that it only took Meizu three months to whip up an Android 4.0 update for the MX — one of the best turnarounds we've seen in what's been a...
Sony Xperia smartphones get updated ICS release schedule, rollout to begin mid-April
The last we heard from Sony, it was going to be rolling out the Android 4.0 updates to its 2011 Xperia smartphones beginning in late March or early April. Of course, late March has almost passed us by, and the company has now posted a new release schedule for the upgrades. Things are now slated to kick off in mid-April, bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to the following phones over a four-to-six week period:
- Xperia Arc S
- Xperia Neo V
- Xperia Ray
At the end of May and in early June a second wave will...
Best Buy leak shows Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx and HTC Rezound getting Android 4.0 next week
Is Ice Cream Sandwich out yet? Well, it might be available for your Verizon Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx or Rezound next week, according to a leaked document obtained by Android Police. You can see a picture of a Best Buy Mobile terminal in the picture below, and those dates are as clear as can be: April 4th is when the mobile phone retailer believes the Motorola RAZR and RAZR Maxx will get an over-the-air Android 4.0 update, and the HTC Rezound is allegedly scheduled for that update on April 6th....
Sony Mobile releases Android 4.0 beta for Xperia Play
Sony Developer World has announced it's continuing its Android 4.0 rollout with a new beta release for the gaming-centric Xperia Play device. All of the usual caveats apply — Sony says only to install it if you're an "advanced developer," and Google apps (Gmail, Google Maps, Face Unlock) and Wi-Fi won't be available if you take the plunge. Also, since you need to unlock your phone to do the install, owners of the CDMA R800x version of the Play (Verizon customers, this means you) will have...
AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 update leaks
RootzWiki has certainly been busy recently. After announcing yesterday's Skyrocket leak, the site has today released an official Android 4.0 ROM for the Samsung Galaxy II on AT&T. As expected, the update appears to be visually identical to the international version that was released a couple of weeks ago. TouchWiz is in full force as per usual, with only the Android 4.0 multitasking menu and app compatibility being added. With everything functioning as it should, this looks to be a near-final...
Official Android 4.0 ROM for Galaxy S II Skyrocket leaks
We heard last week that the Galaxy S II Skyrocket was to be one of the next ten AT&T devices to be updated to Android 4.0 and it looks like users won't be waiting too much longer. Developer site RootzWiki leaked an Ice Cream Sandwich ROM just a couple of hours ago, and all signs point to this being official 4.0.3 firmware. Just as with the international update for the Samsung Galaxy S II, this is a thoroughly TouchWiz affair, but Chrome Beta and other Android 4.0-only apps are working as they...
AT&T: HTC Vivid update to Android 4.0 now being pushed, ten other devices in 'coming months'
AT&T has announced official availability of an update to Android 4.0 for its HTC Vivid today, the first such ICS update available on any phone sold in the US. Though you could manually perform the update last week — which we did — the new software is just now being actively pushed out to subscribers. The carrier notes that this upgrade will get you first- and third-party app support for Beats Audio, an improved email experience, face unlock, and Bluetooth mouse and keyboard compatibility,...
Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 update delayed to Q2, but will come with 'Premium Suite' of S-Pen software
A couple of weeks ago, a promo video for the tie in between Angry Birds Space and the Galaxy Note ended with an intriguing message: "Galactic Upgrade with Premium Suite coming soon." We now have the details of exactly what that teaser means, and it's a mix of bad and good. Instead of simply releasing an Android 4.0 update, Samsung intends to beef up the custom software it offers for the S-Pen stylus. That good news is leavened with some very bad news: the Premium Suite isn't going to be...
Galaxy S II Android 4.0 UK update schedule for Three, O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile detailed
South Korean, Polish, Swedish, and Hungarian Galaxy S II's have already been updated to Android 4.0, and the unlocked version of the phone has been upgraded in the UK, too. The key word there is "unlocked" — if you've got a UK carrier-locked variant, you might notice your phone is stubbornly stuck in heap of Gingerbread, awaiting carrier approval before getting the update. Thankfully, we've got a few details on when you can expect Ice Cream Sandwich: Three UK has confirmed that its users...
HTC Vivid for AT&T gets official Android 4.0 update (hands-on video)
Buried in its HTC One X announcement, AT&T had said back at MWC that it'd be rolling out an Android 4.0 upgrade for the Vivid — one of the carrier's first LTE handsets released late last year. AT&T doesn't yet appear to be actively pushing the upgrade down to Vivids yet, but it is available; owners can dial *#*#682#*#* to force the download.
We've verified that the technique works on our own Vivid today. The upgrade package is 314.09MB and downloaded very slowly over our typically fast...
HTC Sensation 4G and Sensation XL getting official Android 4.0 updates soon
HTC had already announced that the Sensation 4G and Sensation XL were on its list of devices to get official upgrades to Android 4.0 (with Sense, of course), but timing had been a bit of a mystery. That's starting to come into focus with a new blog post on the company's site today: both phones will be upgraded following broad deployment of the Sensation and Sensation XE upgrades that are just now starting to roll out in select markets. Of course, carriers have a tendency to gum up the works...
Samsung Galaxy S II with Android 4.0 hands-on video
Samsung started rolling out an update for its Galaxy S II handset today, finally bringing Android 4.0 to Samsung's flagship. In case you're not able to update yet, here's a little look at what's new in the move from 2.3 to 4.0.
To cut straight to the disappointment, not much has changed. Of all the new visual elements in Google's latest OS, only the multitasking menu has been included. Everything else – aside from a new lock screen – has been made to look as similar to the Android 2.3...
Galaxy S II ICS update available in UK starting March 19th, subject to carrier testing
Samsung has released more details about its Android 4.0 update rollout for the Galaxy S II. Having already made it available in its native South Korea, Poland, Sweden and Hungary, the company has now told us the UK will be among the next wave of upgrade countries, receiving the software in the week starting March 19th. That date is subject to carriers approving the upgraded Android plus TouchWiz combo, which may delay things by a few extra days (or weeks).
"Samsung UK can confirm that the...
Galaxy S II Android 4.0 update rolling out today in Korea, Poland, Sweden, and Hungary
As promised, Samsung has finally made Android 4.0 available to Galaxy S II users in South Korea via Kies. The company also announced the first details of European availablity — Poland, Sweden, and Hungary will also be getting the update today, with more countries on the way. It looks like the UK could be one of the next up, as a tweet from Brendan Arndt of UK carrier Three has revealed that their final build of Ice Cream Sandwich is currently undergoing internal testing. Samsung has also...
Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich update on SK Telecom planned for March 13th
South Korea's SK Telecom is planning to distribute the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to Galaxy S II owners starting at 10AM local time tomorrow, March 13th. This information was tweeted for the whole world to see earlier this morning, but the offending tweet has since been pulled. We've kept a screenshot for posterity and have also taken a look at some documents on SK Telecom's internal website that confirm the date and time of the download. With all of that preparation in place, the...
Android 4.0 update rolling out to HTC Sensation and Sensation XE in Germany
We knew that HTC would be giving European owners of the Sensation and Sensation XE a sneak peek at the company's Ice Cream Sandwich update, and it appears the release is finally landing for German users. HTCInside is reporting that the over-the-air update, which includes Sense 3.6, has begun rolling out to users in the country. It's said to currently be limited to unlocked devices, and with the Sensation XE weighing in at 283.27MB, it's not a download you'll want to undertake over your...
Samsung promises Galaxy S II ICS upgrade for March 10th, then denies it (updated)
The long-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the Galaxy S II will be available on March 10th, Samsung's official website has revealed. You'll need Kies 2.0 in order to execute the update. Looking through the Samsung FAQ, we see a number of predictable feature additions like Face Unlock and Android Beam as well as the mobile data usage tracker, all standard ICS features. The update to ICS will also drop support for Flash content, so bear that in mind if you're a big mobile Flash...
Archos G9 tablets begin receiving OTA updates to Android 4.0 today
It's been a long time coming, but the Archos G9 series of tablets are finally being upgraded to Android 4.0. This over-the-air update will roll starting today, so start checking your notification area furiously to see when its your turn. As we saw back at CES, this update should bring a fairly clean version of Ice Cream Sandwich to all devices in the Archos G9 range, including the original 80 and 109 G9 tablets as well as the more recently-released "turbo" variants. The new features Archos is...
Verizon confirms at least fourteen of its devices will get Android 4.0, doesn't say when
Verizon has just posted a list to its website to help let people know which devices are destined to get Android 4.0. The list includes the HTC Thunderbolt, Incredible 2, Rhyme, and Rezound, as well as the Motorola Xoom, RAZR, RAZR Maxx, Droid 4, Bionic, Xyboard 8.1 and 10.1. The LG Spectrum and both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and 10.1 appear on the list, too. Problem is, the carrier doesn't even say that the updates will arrive this year — if your phone or tablet is on this list, it just...
Is Ice Cream Sandwich out yet?
This is the vexing question that has been percolating inside my mind while reviewing the Sony Xperia S: is Google's Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android out yet? The instinctive answer would be quick and affirmative, what with the Galaxy Nexus having been on sale for months, but go to your local phone store and try to count the number of non-Nexus ICS handsets currently on sale. It won't take you long since the answer will almost invariably be zero.
Android 4.0 (ICS) was officially announced...
Galaxy S II will get Android 4.0 on March 15th, says Samsung Israel
A now-deleted post on Samsung Israel's Facebook page has said that the Galaxy S II will be receiving its Android 4.0 update on March 15th. The status update, roughly translated by AndroidCentral, read as follows:
We promised we were working on it. You waited patiently. And on 15 March it'll arrive: Android version 4, ICS, to tens of thousands of GALAXY S II devices purchased from cellular companies in the country or directly from us. We are very excited for the launch, hope you are too :)
G...
Sony Mobile releases beta Android 4.0 ROMs for the Xperia Ray, Neo V, and Arc S
The newly-minted Sony Mobile Communications is continuing to deliver on its consumer-friendly pledge to update all 2011 Sony Ericsson Xperia phones to Android 4.0, releasing a preview beta ROM for owners of the Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Xperia Ray. The move follows the alpha release of ROMs for the same devices last December, but adds several new features to match the software's maturation in the development cycle. Most importantly, the GSM modem is now turned on along with the FM radio,...
Acer Iconia Tab A100 and A500 Android 4.0 builds leaked
If you can't wait for Acer's tardy Android 4.0 update for its Iconia A100 and A500 Tabs, this might be of interest: leaked builds of Ice Cream Sandwich for both tablets have been posted over at xda-developers. They appear to be pretty stable with no major issues to report, though you will lose root access if you go through with the update. The builds also appear to feature fairly minimal skinning, which could be a sign that they are very early (the update isn't due for a couple of months,...
Leaked Android 4.0 build for Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch up and running
Android 4.0 is definitely coming for the concisely-named Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, and in many ways it's already arrived. Build RF09 leaked recently, and while it wouldn't boot past the kernel screen, a developer by the name of Shabbypenguin has managed to poke around under the hood and get things more or less working, with 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi intact. You'll likely suffer a few bugs, such as a randomly force-closing keyboard, but if you're really desperate to see what next-gen...
Android 4.0 coming to HTC Droid Incredible 2, Rhyme, Thunderbolt, and Raider in North America
If your phone didn't make the first list of HTC devices getting Ice Cream Sandwich, never fear. HTC's Facebook page now says that in addition to phones like the Rezound, which had its upgrade delayed last week, Android 4.0 upgrades will be coming to Verizon versions of the HTC Droid Incredible 2, Rhyme, and Thunderbolt. In Canada, customers of Bell and Rogers will get Ice Cream Sandwich on the HTC Raider. There's no word on when these updates will start, but considering that the Rezound and...
Eee Pad Transformer Android 4.0 update delayed
If you were waiting on the Android 4.0 update for your original Transformer then you might need to hold on for a little while longer. Asus has now revealed the update will be ready "within the Feb / March 2012 period." We're not sure whether that means there is a big delay, but it certainly isn't being pushed out in mid-February as the company previously promised.
Transformer Prime owners are already enjoying Ice Cream Sandwich on their devices, although some users complained of random...
Acer Iconia Tab A100 and A500 getting Android 4.0 in April
Acer's Iconia Tab A100 and A500 tablets have been pegged to receive Android 4.0 for a while, but the update has been pushed back quite a bit from the original plan of January. The latest we're hearing is that it's now scheduled for April, according to a tweet from the company's American arm. When it actually does end up arriving, we'd expect the update to go live at the same time for both, with carrier interference thankfully being a non-issue on the Wi-Fi-only tablets. April is also when...
HTC Sensation and Sensation XE to get limited 'early access preview' of Android 4.0 in Europe
We've just received word from HTC that it'll be releasing what it's billing as an "early access preview" of its Android 4.0 upgrades for the Sensation and Sensation XE handsets in Europe. The company says that it hopes users will "play with it and enjoy getting used to the ICS experience with Sense," which implies that there'll be changes to HTC's skin in this build — something we've been expecting for quite some time anyway. You won't just be able to download the build at will — HTC will...
Motorola Android 4.0 upgrade schedule released, many have a long wait ahead
Motorola has just updated its large chart with its Android 4.0 upgrade plans, including specifics on what part of the upgrade process each phone is at and rough availability dates by region. Unfortunately, it looks like there's going to be quite a wait ahead, as most of the company's phones still have a long way to go before they get updated: only the Xoom Family Edition, Atrix 2, Atrix 4G, Photon 4G, Xoom 2, Xoom 2 Media Edition, and the international variants of the RAZR, Xyboard 8.2 and...
Sprint Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch Android 4.0 update on the way?
Samsung has already let the world know that the Galaxy S II will be getting updated to Android 4.0 sometime early this year, but we weren't sure exactly when that'd work out with the myriad of variant devices on US carriers. If an RDF file linked to on the xda-developers forum is to be believed, though, it looks like Sprint's version, the Epic 4G Touch, will be getting in on the action fairly soon. The file says software number FB10 is for Android 4.0.3, though it may not be the final update...
Sharp Aquos Phone 104SH launching with ICS this month, upgrades for older phones planned
You may think your Galaxy Nexus comes from the old school of Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sharp's Aquos Phone 104SH was actually the first device to be announced as running the latest version of Android — and it's finally coming out through SoftBank towards the end of this month in Japan. The 8.9mm-thin, waterproof phone is running on a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, has a 12.1-megapixel camera, and a 4.5-inch 720p screen. Unlike Sharp's previous Android phones for the Japanese market, it omits...
Acer Iconia Tab A200 Android 4.0 update rolling out now
Owners of Acer's Iconia Tab A200 tablet are going to have a good Sunday: users are reporting that the device received an update to Android 4.0 today. We're glad Acer followed through with its promise to deliver the update in mid-February, and if you're an owner you should be seeing the download coming in over the air soon — though the update hasn't been officially announced yet. The A200 is not the first tablet to get Ice Cream Sandwich, and other, higher profile tablets have already been...
HTC backtracks on early 2012 Android 4.0 upgrades for most devices, will roll out ICS for Sensation models in March
Back in November, HTC said that it would be bringing Android 4.0 to a slew of handsets by early 2012 — but the company just posted an update on Facebook saying that most models won't receive ICS until "later this year." HTC says that the Sensation, Sensation 4G, Sensation XE, and Sensation XL will receive the upgrade in March, but owners of the Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, Evo 3D, Evo Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S, and Desire HD will have to wait longer than previously thought.
Thanks,...
Ice Cream Sandwich present on one percent of Android devices, legacy versions hold strong
The latest numbers are in for Android version marketshare, and while Ice Cream Sandwich has made some (very) minor gains, Gingerbread and Froyo continue to be kings of the platform. According to Google's Android Developers site, Ice Cream Sandwich was present on one percent of all devices accessing the Android Market over the last two weeks in January. That's up from the 0.6 percent reported for the end of December, but it doesn't seem to indicate an uptick in Galaxy Nexus sales. Operating...
ThinkPad Tablet Android 4.0 update slated for Q2 of this year
Lenovo is planning to release an Android 4.0 update for its enterprise-geared ThinkPad Tablet in the second quarter of this year. That's the word from PCWorld, which unfortunately wasn't able to nail down a more specific ETA. Still, if the numerous improvements Ice Cream Sandwich brought to Asus's Transformer Prime are any indication, it should be a worthwhile wait for owners of the Lenovo device — which just saw a 3G-enabled hardware revision back in November. By the same token, we would...
Eee Pad Transformer Prime with ICS: a preview of Android 4.0 on a tablet
When Asus' Transformer Prime hit the market in early December, it was undoubtedly the best tablet hardware on the market. I said as much in my original review: it had a brand new quad-core Tegra 3 processor, the new 8-megapixel camera took impressive stills and video, and the keyboard dock, like the original Transformer's, continued to add an entirely different dimension to the tablet experience. However, it was the software — Android 3.2 aka Honeycomb — which held the tablet back. Not...
Sony Tablet S and Tablet P to be updated to Android 4.0 in spring, alongside Xperia phones
Sony plans to upgrade its two Android tablets to Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, this spring, at about the same time that it delivers the update to its Xperia smartphone line. The Tablet S and Tablet P, we've been told, are already running ICS and are being tested behind the scenes, though Sony wouldn't be drawn on giving any more specific a release window than the spring. The company does plan to add "some really cool unique bits" on top of Android 4.0 especially for its tablet devices,...
Eee Pad Transformer Android 4.0 update coming in 'mid-February,' Asus promises
Sure, if you've got the latest-and-greatest, quad-core Asus Transformer Prime then you're already enjoying Android 4.0, but the trendsetters — those who got the original Eee Pad Transformer — are still waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich. Asus North America already said on Facebook that the update is currently in the process of being approved by Google, and now the company's said on the social network that the update should hit tablets in mid-February. That's all we know for now; all that's...
Ice Cream Sandwich OTA update for Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi rolling out
The original Android Honeycomb tablet is today bidding a happy goodbye to Android 3 and moving on up to Android 4 courtesy of an over-the-air OS update. Motorola's Xoom Wi-Fi model started receiving the official Ice Cream Sandwich update overnight, according to reports from Droid-Life, Android Central, and by our own tipsters. ICS ROMs for the tablet have been floating about already and you could've upgraded earlier if you wished it, but now the most foolproof method is being put into effect....
Transformer Prime having Android 4.0 upgrade issues, Asus working on a fix
Giddy to smear some Ice Cream Sandwich on your Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, only to see the words "Serial Number Not Found" crush your dreams and deny your upgrade? Asus' Gary Key says the company is aware of the issue, has successfully reproduced the bug, and is working on a fix. The issue doesn't affect all Prime tablets — we got our upgrade right away — but if the Asus servers are giving you bad news and you see "unknown" in the About tablet > Status page, the company recommends...
Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime running Android 4.0 (hands-on video)
Jen-Hsun Huang got the clearance from Google to announce that the Android 4.0 update for the Transformer Prime will be rolling out a little ahead of schedule, namely today. In celebration of this momentous occasion, we got to grips with the Asus tablet, running the fresher and tastier Ice Cream Sandwich software, for a little hands-on time. This is the older Transformer Prime, not the brand new TF700T model (we enjoyed a separate hands-on session with the very latest Prime variant), but we...
Android 4.0 ICS will be available for Transformer Prime today
Jen-Hsun Huang just announced at the Nvidia event at CES that Android 4.0 will be available today for the Transformer Prime, rather than Friday as previously planned. The Tegra 3 successor to the company's detachable-keyboard tablet has been waiting for an update to Google's latest OS since it's release in December. It's only a few days early, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
Update: Video!
Asus Eee Pad Transformer to get Ice Cream Sandwich after January 12th Prime update
Asus may not have been able to ship its Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Eee Pad Transformer by the end of the year, but that doesn't mean it's not coming. According to a post by the company's UK branch on Facebook, the free over-the-air upgrade will be deployed after ICS hits the company's new Transformer Prime; that upgrade is currently scheduled for January 12th. No specific dates were given, but Asus did reassure that the original Transformer's upgrade would be coming "ASAP." While there...
Acer Iconia Tab A200 coming on January 15th for $329.99, ICS update set for mid-February
There's no telling how many Android tablets will be announced next week at CES 2012, but you've got to hand it to Acer for trying to get ahead of the game. While already announced overseas, the 10.1-inch, 8GB Iconia Tab A200 will be heading stateside on January 15th for $329.99. The 16GB version will cost $349.99. Both models will be launching with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, but Acer is promising that there will be a Android 4.0 update available in mid-February here in the US. (Were not sure if...
Android 4.0 coming to Asus Transformer Prime on January 12th, bootloader unlock tool to follow
It's been a big week for the Eee Pad Transformer Prime — Asus released yet another firmware update for the tablet, and now we have official confirmation that Android 4.0 will be coming starting on January 12th. Asus made this announcement on its Facebook page alongside news that it will be providing owners with a bootloader unlocking tool. The presence of a locked bootloader had been a major point of contention for users since it was discovered a few days ago, so it's good to see Asus...
Samsung said to be reviewing Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab ICS upgrades in response to demand
In spite of Samsung's best efforts to bury the news by reporting it a couple of days before Christmas, Friday's disclosure that the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab won't get upgraded to Android 4.0 drew a lot of justified ire. Now the company seems to be backtracking like a champ, as reported by ajnews in Korea, by claiming that it will review the viability of updating those two devices in response to strong customer demand. While restating the difficulties of fitting its entire software footprint...
Kindle Fire hacked to run 'pre-alpha' version of Android 4.0
And here we go. The enterprising hackers at xda-developers have put together an "pre-alpha" version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the Kindle Fire, marking the first time we've seen Amazon's budget tablet running the latest and greatest version of Android. (And the first time we've seen it run a proper tablet OS and not a variant of Gingerbread for phones, actually.) Things seem to be working fairly well for an early build, which is based on CyanogenMod 9, but audio doesn't work...
LG Android 4.0 upgrades will start with Optimus LTE, Optimus 2X, and Prada Phone in Q2 2012
LG plans to begin upgrading its portfolio of Android handsets to Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter of next year, the company has just announced. Among the first phones to benefit from Android 4.0 will be the Optimus 2X, which launched as the world's first dual-core smartphone earlier this year, the recent Optimus LTE, and the upcoming Prada Phone. They'll be followed by the Optimus 3D, Optimus Black, Optimus Big, and a couple of other handsets in Q3 of 2012. Not exactly the most...
Sony Tablet S to get Android 4.0, but no release date yet
Sony Ericsson has already jumped ahead of the rest of the Android manufacturer pack by committing itself to releasing Android 4.0 on a slew of smartphones and even going so far as to to release "preview ROMs" for several of them. On the tablet side, Sony looks like it's being equally aggressive. In a post on its official Sony forums in the UK, a staffer posted a message proclaiming that "Android 4.0 will be available for Sony Tablet." The language was a little vague, but a follow up post...
If Samsung doesn't care about customers, how can it hope to keep them?
Earlier today, Samsung revealed that it won't update the Galaxy S, its most successful smartphone to date, to the latest version of Android. You might shrug and dismiss that as just more evidence of Android's inherent fragmentation or the need for buyers to beware, but I take grave issue with it. This is a decision based not on technical constraints, as Samsung would have you believe, but on hubris.
Consider, firstly, that the Galaxy S sold 10 million units within its first seven months on...
Samsung: no ICS upgrade for Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab because of TouchWiz
Samsung has just distributed the worst news of this Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade cycle: the popular Galaxy S smartphone that sold 10 million units last year and the 7-inch Galaxy Tab tablet won't be upgraded to Android 4.0. The company's argument is that they lack sufficient RAM and ROM to run the new OS alongside TouchWiz and other "experience-enhancing" software. This will come as a massive blow to the great many users of the Galaxy S, who would have rightly expected the 1GHz Hummingbird...
Sony Ericsson announces Android 4.0 update schedule, starts March / April 2012
Sony Ericsson's been putting its foot on the gas when it comes to releasing Ice Cream Sandwich update information for its 2011 smartphone lineup. Today the company announced that updates will begin in either late March or early April of 2012, just a touch later than previously suggested, while providing a schedule for when each phone can expect to receive the company's skinned variant of Android 4.0.
The first set of updates, due in late March or early April, will target the following...
Nexus S Android 4.0 update 'paused,' but it's business as usual
It seems that Google has hit the pause button on its rollout of Android 4.0 to the Nexus S that began last Friday. Details are still sparse, but many users are claiming that they're still getting update notifications over the air — the only difference is that when the update process is complete, the phone simply boots back into Gingerbread, so it appears that Mountain View is able to trigger some sort of rollback from afar. The exact reason for the move is unclear, but the company says...
Samsung will upgrade Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note to Android 4 in Q1 2012, other devices to follow
Samsung plans to make the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note its first Android 4 devices in the first quarter of next year, the company has just announced. They headline a list of ICS-upgradeable devices that also includes the Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy R smartphones plus the full line of current Android tablets: Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and Galaxy Tab 10.1.
There's no confirmation yet that Samsung's carrier-branded Galaxy S II variants will be as quick to the Ice...
Android 4.0 release dates rumored for Bell Mobility's HTC Sensation, Raider, and Samsung Galaxy S II
If you had any doubts that we're officially in the "When's my Ice Cream Sandwich update coming" season, let us put them to rest. Beyond the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S, the big question is how manufacturers will roll out Android 4.0 in conjunction with their custom skins and software. Sony Ericsson is making strong headway, and now Mobile Syrup is giving us our first hints for some other devices. A leaked internal document from Bell in Canada has estimated release dates for a few top-tier...
Motorola Xoom receives early Android 4.0.3 build as Google adds source code to AOSP
Since Android 4.0.3 is the "base version" for Ice Cream Sandwich, Google has added the source code for it to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The build supports two devices — we've already seen the update roll out for the Nexus S, but the other is a device that was also launched in direct partnership with Google: the Motorola Xoom (Wi-Fi). True to form, the enterprising hackers at XDA-Developers have already compiled it into a bootable ROM for the Motorola Xoom.
The build is...
Android 4.0.2 rolling out over-the-air to GSM Galaxy Nexus devices
It's Android update day for Nexus devices, apparently. Hot on the heels of an Android 4.0.2 update for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE and the 4.0.3 update for the GSM Nexus S, Google is rolling out Android 4.0.2 over-the-air to the GSM Galaxy Nexus. We're not entirely sure why this version of the Nexus isn't good enough to get the "base version" 4.0.3 version of Ice Cream Sandwich, but regardless multiple reports show that it's rolling out OTA in some regions as you read this.
Presumably the...
How to manually install Android 4.0.3 on your GSM Nexus S right now
Google has announced that it's rolling out Android 4.0 to GSM Nexus S devices "over the coming month," but it should surprise precisely nobody that Android users have figured out a way to download and manually install the update immediately. Android Central details the steps, which follow the tried-and-true Nexus method of downloading the full ROM image to your desktop, renaming it to "update.zip," transferring it to your device, and then hopping into the bootloader by holding down power and...
Nexus S getting Android 4.0 starting today, GSM models first
It's undoubtedly been a tough wait for Nexus S customers watching the Galaxy Nexus deploy on three continents over the last few weeks with Android 4.0 on board — but all things considered, the wait won't be a long one, particularly considering that the new model just launched for the first time in the US yesterday. Google has just announced that the Nexus S — Gingerbread's premiere device back in November of last year — will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich over-the-air starting...
Sony Ericsson releases Android 4.0 preview ROMs for Xperia Ray, Arc S, and Neo V
Once a laggard in the Android update race, Sony Ericsson is flexing its muscle today by releasing alpha-quality Ice Cream Sandwich updates for its Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Ray models. Though that's extremely cool (and well ahead of the expected releases early next year), average users are going to want to steer well clear of these for now, particularly if you're using the phone as your day-to-day device — the modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all disabled at present. That said, the ROMs...
Asus reports Transformer Prime delay for Italy — end of January, no 3G, Android 4 pre-installed
Asus Italy has reported on its Facebook page that the Transformer Prime won't be making it in time for the Christmas shopping season, and when it does arrive at the end of January, it will be without 3G. In the post, Asus explains away the need for a 3G model at all, pointing to the wide availability of tethering on Android phones, before adding that Ice Cream Sandwich will come preloaded when the tablet eventually launches, "provided that there are no delays from Google." Google released...
Archos G9 tablets getting Android 4.0 in Q1 2012
Archos announced today that its 8-inch 80 G9 and 10-inch 101 G9 budget tablets will be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich some time in the first quarter of 2012. There was some disappointment at the launch of the tablets In September because the processor was dropped from 1.5GHz to 1GHz while the starting price was bumped by $20, but putting the much-anticipated version 4.0 of Google's OS on them might help the company recover some goodwill. Archos also confirmed that the "Turbo" G9s...
Huawei releases 'demo' Android 4.0 ROM for its Honor smartphone
If you've been wondering what the first non-Nexus phone to get Android 4.0 would be, we now have a tentative — and unexpected — answer: the Huawei Honor. Huawei has taken the unusual step of releasing a "demo" Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the device along with instructions on how to roll back to Gingerbread if things feel a little too bleeding edge. Apparently it's stable-enough for one Huawei executive, who posted the above image on Weibo.
We're not sure that a "demo" ROM meant primarily...
Android 4.0 update for Nexus S being tested by Google employees
As of today, the Galaxy Nexus is the only phone officially running Android 4.0 — that is, unless you're a Google employee. Nexus S-toting Googlers have been getting Ice Cream Sandwich as an over-the-air update, as an internal test before the company rolls the OS out more widely. Details are scarce and closely guarded (most of the original tweets and Google+ posts from employees about the update have since been deleted), but initial reports were that Ice Cream Sandwich was working well on...
Acer Iconia Tab A200 will combine Tegra 2 and Honeycomb at launch, upgrade to Android 4 in January
The Iconia Tab A200 that we saw plenty of in a teaser video recently has now seen its full spec sheet revealed. The guys over at Netbook News have been first to obtain the slate's official announcement, which includes a promise to ship the A200 with Ice Cream Sandwich in January and to provide a free upgrade to anyone who buys it with Honeycomb today. Shipments have apparently already begun in some countries, where buyers will be greeted by the familiar Tegra 2 dual-core chip, a...
Sony Ericsson Android 4.0 upgrades coming March 2012?
Sony Ericsson has already promised it's entire line of 2011 phones will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, and now it appears we have a release window for the new software. The head of marketing for Sony Ericsson Italy responded to a customer's question on Facebook, saying Android 4.0 "should arrive by March." Now, that's not an official promise, and unexpected delays could still push that release window back, so we wouldn't cancel our kite-flying plans just yet, but hopefully the wait isn't...
LG confirms Android 4.0 upgrade for Optimus 2X, Optimus 3D, and Optimus Black
LG's Italian Facebook page has revealed that three of the company's biggest Android phones of 2011 will receive the much-anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. Those are the dual-core Optimus 2X, the 3D-equipped Optimus 3D, and the extra-slim Optimus Black. They are just the initial batch, according to LG, who is continuing the assessment of Android 4.0 for compatibility with its lower-end handsets. One thing that should be considered very encouraging here is the fact that the Optimus Black...
Ice Cream Sandwich lacks Flash support, will have it eventually
We're not sure you'd necessarily consider this a bad thing, but Google's new world-beating Android phone, the Galaxy Nexus, comes without a preinstalled Flash Player and offers no option to download or install it from the Market. This is because, says Google, Adobe needs to update the software for Ice Cream Sandwich, which has yet to happen.
That puts us in rather a tricky situation since Adobe recently halted development of Flash for mobile platforms, although SlashGear — who first...
Nexus S Ice Cream Sandwich AOSP build available to download, thanks to xda devs
The Nexus S may already be in line to get an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade from Google itself, but why wait? An enterprising new member of the xda-developers forums, kwiboo, has pulled together a build of the recently open-sourced OS for both the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G. Note that this is the AOSP version, not the SDK port that was available last month. There are a couple of rough edges — such as USB mass storage compatibility and having to manually add your Wi-Fi network — but user...
Samsung Galaxy S II Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade confirmed
Hardly the most unpredictable news in the world, but Samsung has now officially confirmed that the Galaxy S II will be receiving an upgrade to the next big version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. That word comes from the company's UK Twitter feed, though specific dates aren't yet being provided. Samsung's UK strategy has generally been consistent with the rest of Europe, meaning that an update to British Galaxy S II phones will likely be happening simultaneously with those in neighboring...
Sony Ericsson will upgrade entire Xperia 2011 Android line to Ice Cream Sandwich
Great news for anyone who bought one of Sony Ericsson's 2011 Xperia handsets: your phone will definitely be getting upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. This comes straight from the company's official blog and covers the full range introduced this year: Xperia Arc and Arc S, Xperia Play, Xperia Pro, Xperia Neo and Neo V, Xperia Mini and Mini Pro, Xperia Active, Xperia Ray, and even the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.
It's going be fascinating to see how Ice Cream Sandwich fits on...
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich source code now available
Ahead of the Galaxy Nexus's launch later this week, Google has just posted Android 4.0's source code as part of the Android Open Source Project — a big leap from the last major drop, since Honeycomb was skipped altogether. That's big news for the Android community at large, since it's the first step on a long road to making Ice Cream Sandwich ports for every device under the sun — and it's also important for smaller manufacturers who don't have an insider relationship with Google for...
Ice Cream Sandwich Face Unlock feature fooled by a photo
The Galaxy Nexus isn't out yet, but people are already poking holes in one of its fancy new features: Face Unlock. It sounds like fun (even though it didn't work for Matias during his onstage unveil), but there was some immediate skepticism, because many face-recognition systems in the past have been fooled by still photos of a person's face. Google denied this, saying "give us some credit," but it turns out Face Unlock can be fooled by exactly that. Someone from SoyaCincau took a hands-on...
HTC confirms early 2012 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades for Sensation, Rezound, Vivid, and others
HTC was a little equivocal in the immediate wake of Google's Ice Cream Sandwich announcement, but today the company's returned with a concrete list of its smartphones that are set to receive the upgrade to Android 4.0. Early 2012 will see the Evo 3D, Evo Design 4G, Amaze 4G, Rezound, Vivid, and the full set of Sensation smartphones — Sensation, Sensation XE, and Sensation XL — making the move up from Android Gingerbread to the all-new ICS. Importantly, the company describes this as only...
Complete Galaxy Nexus system dump makes Ice Cream Sandwich files available a bit early
The effort to put together pre-release ports of Ice Cream Sandwich just got a major boost today with a copy of the system, boot, and recovery images from a test Galaxy Nexus — courtesy of MoDaCo. It's a developer build, so it's likely to change before final release, but at least it should be fairly easy to whip up themes based on the ROM, because the apps and other files haven't been split apart by odexing. Google won't be releasing the source code for Android 4.0 until after the...
Motorola Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition official, hitting the UK and Ireland in mid-November
Well here we go! After months of leaked specs and images, Motorola's finally decided to officially announce its Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition, though just in the UK for now. Just as we've been hearing for months, the two match each other in almost every way save for screen size — the Xoom 2 has a 10.1-inch display while the Media Edition has a 8.2-inch panel. Internally, they pack 1.2GHz dual-core processors, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and run Android 3.2. (Nope, no Ice Cream...
LG 'firmly denies' that Optimus 2X won't get Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade
LG was dealing with a minor brouhaha early this week as a message briefly appeared on its Indian division's Facebook page that the Optimus 2X — the world's first dual-core smartphone, launched early this year — wouldn't be in the mix for an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. The posting seems to have been quickly removed, and the global LG Mobile page on Facebook has now cleared up the matter:
LG firmly denies the rumors that claim LG will not be providing the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS...
Asus Padfone coming February 2012, Ice Cream Sandwich for tablets in early December
Asus gave us a rough idea of when to expect new tablets yesterday afternoon, but now it looks like February is the exact month when the company's unique Padfone is due. Asus CEO Jerry Shen also held investor calls to explain the company's Q3 results and forecast the future, and Digitimes reports that February will bring two Android tablets in all, possibly even including a 7-inch version of the keyboard-dockable Transformer in addition to the CEO-confirmed Padfone. Shen also reportedly...
Ice Cream Sandwich will play nice with hardware buttons
Of all the changes coming to Android 4.0, the one with the most immediate ramifications for device design is the move to software buttons on the homescreen. We've assumed Google would tweak this detail to avoid a double-buttoned franken-UI for upgrading users, and now we have confirmation: Ice Cream Sandwich will go hardware button-only for current devices. As Google told Gizmodo, the operating system simply won't place the new trio of software buttons in these cases, with the hardware...
Nexus One will not get Ice Cream Sandwich, says Google
Though the Samsung Nexus S will be getting Ice Cream Sandwich in just a few weeks' time, Google's first flagship Nexus device is out of luck. Google's Android product director Hugo Barra told The Telegraph that the HTC-manufactured Nexus One will not be getting Ice Cream Sandwich, saying the hardware was just too old for the platform. (He doesn't clarify, but we'd reckon it has something to do with having only 512MB internal memory.) We were told the same thing during our interview with A...
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Nexus S, Droid Bionic; Motorola to announce other device updates soon
Motorola has confirmed on Twitter that the Droid Bionic, RAZR, and Xoom tablet will be getting updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, but still hasn't set any specific dates. The three devices were already known to be getting updated, but now there is one tweet to confirm them all. Motorola also said ICS updates for more devices would be announced six weeks after Android 4.0 is released — this clarifies previous tweets that were a little ambiguous about whether devices would be updated or just...
Asus Eee Pad Transformer will get Ice Cream Sandwich before end of the year
It looks like Asus is committed to bringing Android 4.0 to its Eee Pad Transformer, judging by the tweet pictured below. Asus's Jonney Shih stated at Asia D that Ice Cream Sandwich should hit tablets before the end of the year, so we'll let you know when we get an exact date.
Ice Cream Sandwich will come to Xoom, says Motorola forums manager
Matt, a Motorola forums manager, made a statement in one of the threads saying the Motorola Xoom would get updated to Android 4.0. In fact, Droid-Life says the Gmail app from Google's upcoming OS already works on the tablet. We can't say we're surprised to hear that the Xoom will get Ice Cream Sandwich — Google and Motorola are pretty good friends right now. You can read Matt's full statement below.
I don't know anything about if it will be first or not -- have no insight into how other...
Sony Ericsson planning Ice Cream Sandwich for all 2011 Xperia phones
We've already heard HTC chime in, and now it's Sony Ericsson's turn to commit to Ice Cream Sandwich. Responding to a reader question on its Facebook wall, Sony Ericsson Netherlands said "we are planning to upgrade our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio to the next Android platform, following Gingerbread 2.3.4." That family includes the Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Pro, and Xperia Mini Pro so far, among others.
Sony Ericsson historically hasn't had the best track record with...
Motorola RAZR getting Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012
If yesterday's two announcements — the 7.1mm thick, kevlar bearing Droid RAZR and the Ice Cream Sandwich-running Galaxy Nexus — left you torn, here's something to look forward to: Motorola announced that the RAZR will be updated to Android 4.0 early next year. During an event in Berlin, Motorola's Alan Mutricy was asked about the new operating system, which launched not ten hours after the RAZR was announced, and responded that the update would come at the "start of 2012." That's a...
Ice Cream Sandwich update to start rolling out ‘a couple of weeks' after Galaxy Nexus release
Having participated in the announcement event for the Galaxy Nexus this morning, Andy Rubin is now addressing the second biggest question relating to Ice Cream Sandwich: when will it get to devices that are already out? In an interview at the AsiaD conference, Andy has put that schedule at "a couple of weeks after" the Galaxy Nexus arrives on the market, which is tantamount to saying the ICS update will be out by mid-December at the latest. The brand new Nexus is poised to hit Asia, ...
HTC statement regarding Ice Cream Sandwich
We have an official statement from HTC's Jeff Gordon:
"We are excited about the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are currently reviewing its features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans. Our goal for Android updates is to give every customer an improved user experience, which means balancing each phone's unique hardware, HTC Sense experience and the Android kernel. While our goal is to upgrade as many of our recent devices as possible, we are committed to...
