Ice Cream Sandwich Trickles In For Android Devices

By Tech Wire Asia | 19 March, 2012

Android 4.0 is the highly anticipated OS update for existing Android devices currently running on Gingerbread (Android 2.3). Although Google released Android 4.0 in December, different manufacturers were slow to integrate due to personalized features per brand.

While the next update to the OS (Android 5.0: Jelly Bean) will be rolling out with new devices reportedly by Q2, users are eager to use Ice Cream Sandwich for the new Touch Wiz UI, Face Unlock and Android Beam (for NFC-based sharing).

Users can use the Kies application to download the update. Those who have rooted their phones (not advisable for non-techies) should try the Android forums for their updates, because Kies won’t recognize their OS versions, and they may run into problems.

Samsung Electronics announced the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for GALAXY S II. The upgrade started in Poland, Hungary, Sweden as well as South Korea last week and will gradually roll out to other markets. Android 4.0 ICS software upgrade for GALAXY Note, GALAXY SII LTE, GALAXY Tab 8.9 and 10.1 will follow soon.

HTC also announced the update for HTC Rezound: Android 4.0 ICS with Sense UI 3.6, which has updated radios that helps with the signal and improves battery life. HTC also said they would update the OS for 16 of their smartphones and tablets already in the market.

Motorola on the other hand, said it will put the Android 4.0 ICS update in its high-end smartphone Droid Razr XT910 by the second quarter of this year, along with the Xoom and Xoom 2 tablets. The Motorola Atrix 2 will get Android 4.0 in the second half of this year. Sadly, Motorola does not plan to update any of the smartphones available in India any time soon.