Motorola cancels ICS updating for 3 devices

Motorola promised us back in February that they will upgrade a large number of devices to Android 4.0 ice Cream Sandwich. We were very happy by then. But now a statement from Motorola’s Punit Soni has recently revealed that no Ice Cream Sandwich update will see the light of day for three devices. They will forever stay in Google’s older Android 2.3 OS, a sad happening for users of any of these devices. These 3 devices are - the Motorola Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and Electrify.

Other devices remain unaffected, with perhaps some minor changes in dates at most. Hopefully, this will be the extent of the changes, with no more devices and their owners being forced to suffer on Gingerbread. But there is always a way for you. You can root your device and install a custom ROM. You know the developer community will always have your back.

Read the Motorola’s statement for further details.

Motorola Mobility continues to review how each device can deliver the very best experience possible, and at times, this can mean making tough choices – especially as it relates to Android software upgrades. Today, we need to let you know about some tough choices related to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades. Specifically, ATRIX 4G, Photon 4G and Electrify will not receive the ICS upgrade, but continue to be supported with maintenance releases to ensure optimum performance for the consumer.

We are committed to being more transparent than ever on our software upgrade strategy – even when we’re delivering news consumers may not want to hear. We are doing everything possible to continually improve our communication with you and make sure you are a satisfied customer. That’s why we recently announced our $100 rebate program for owners of these and other devices launched in 2011 and beyond that won’t get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. This program starts in the U.S. this fall, and we are working to expand it to select regions around the world. Please watch for updates at motorola.com/tradeup.

Read more »

Android ICS is real for LG Optimus 2X

Earlier Canadian unit of LG mobile gave us a shocker. They told us that Android ICS will not come to LG Optimus 2X ever. But after a long delay, LG headquarter from Korea confirms that the update is in the works. We are not sure yet that is it about the worldwide version of Optimus 2X or not but at least Korean customers don’t need to worry about this. The tweet from LG Korea confirms that the ICS update procedure is already undergoing testing.

The ICS update for the LG Optimus 2X was targeted at some time in Q3. LG Optimus 3D P920 will also be in the queue of getting ICS update. LG didn't specify when ICS will be ready for release.

Source

Read more »

AT&T based LG Nitro HD will get Android ICS on July 31

LG Nitro HD is one of the most powerful and still capable device to date released on 2011. It is a AT&T based handset with 1.5GHz dual-core CPU with pre-installed Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread OS. And finally AT&T decided to seed latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich to Nitro HD owners from July 31. Along with the typical for Android ICS functionality, the LG Nitro HD will get updated to the company's latest Optimus 3.0 UI. This will bring its software in line with the quad-core LG Optimus 4X HD. That’s a good news.

AT&T customers can download the update from here to a computer and then follow the steps mentioned to upgrade their Nitro HD to Android ICS. you can also find the total change log of Android ICS for Nitro HD on the source page mentioned below.

Source

Read more »

HTC Desire HD isn’t getting ICS, wanna know why?

HTC declared earlier that one of their Android powerhouse from 2010 will not get Android Ice Cream Sandwich taste ever, at least officially. Now they are kind enough to notify us the reason. Surely this is not the news you wanna hear but what can I do! If you have interest then you might read the whole article. HTC finds many problems to port Android ICs to Desire HD. One of the biggest issue is the risk of users losing their personal data during the update process.

The larger size of Android ICS would require repartitioning the handset's internal space. By doing this it creates the abovementioned danger. HTC considered reducing the overall size of the package, but came to the conclusion that such a move would impact the phone's functionality. So after testing this HTC decided not to give Desire HD users what they want. But I think that’s not the problem of modders. I am pretty sure that somehow they will manage to port Android ICs to HTC Desire HD. It that will happen I will pass the information to you.

Source

Read more »

Galaxy Tabs will receive Android ICS from July

Samsung is just weeks away from unleashing Android 4.0 ICS for their Galaxy Tabs. This process will start in July and continues till August. According to SamMobile, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus are on the list of upgradable phones. But unfortunately for Samsung Galaxy tab owners, by the time the rollout starts ICS probably won’t be the newest Android release anymore. Google’s I/O event is scheduled to start on July 27 and we’ll probably see Jelly Bean debut at the keynote speech.

Here is the full list of compatible devices:

• GT-P6210 Galaxy Tab Plus 7.0 Wi-Fi
• GT-P6200 Galaxy Tab Plus 7.0 Wi-Fi + 3G
• GT-P6810 Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi
• GT-P6800 Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi + 3G
• GT-P7310 Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wi-Fi
• GT-P7300 Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wi-Fi + 3G
• GT-P7510 Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi
• GT-P7500 Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi + 3G

Source

Read more »

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active ICS update available

Remember Xperia Active? It’s the toughest smartphone out in the wild. The tougher is now smarter with new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Sony has announced on its blog that the update is now rolling out for the phone. The update is being rolled out in batches and will be available in all the regions over a period of time.

You can check out your phone’s notification to see the update signal or manually check for the update. You also need to keep the Sony PC Companion ready for when the update arrives so you can download and install it.

Source

Read more »

Xperia Mini Pro gets Android ICS treatment

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro may be a small device but from now it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Sony has just released the Android 4.0 ICS update for this 2011 model Sony Ericsson handset. As it is a OTA, it should be easier for you to download and install in. The update went live almost everywhere.

Sony also announced that the Xperia mini, Xperia active and Live with Walkman handsets will receive Android ICS update in a matter of days. Sony already seeded the ICS updates for Xperia arc, arc S, neo, neo V and ray. The only one 2011 Xperia to be left out on Gingerbread is PlayStation certified Xperia PLAY.

Source

Read more »

Time for Android ICS on Motorola Xoom

How many times I wrote that Motorola Xoom owners are one of the luckiest Android buyers on the planet? Now I have to write it for one more times. It’s now official that Verizon will push Android ice Cream Sandwich firmware to its Motorola Xoom tablet users from June 4th. That will bring the tablet up to Android 4.0.4, and add features like speech-to-text functionality, a customizable launch bar, a new built-in photo editor and the ability to dismiss notifications with a swipe.

Users can also customize the new launch bar as well as create folders to access frequently used apps from the homepage. There is a new built-in photo editor installed inside firmware allowing customers to crop and rotate photos, remove red eyes, add effects and correct levels of images. There are also some bug fixes there as usual.

It will be a OTA update. So check you device for any new update notification. or you can check the update manually. But remember, not everyone will receive the new software on the first day and it could take a couple of days to reach everywhere in US.
Source

Read more »

Ice Cream Sandwich is now available on Galaxy Note

Galaxy Note is surely one of most anticipated device from Samsung with higher public interest though it has a pretty high price tag. After a long time Samsung finally release the Ice Cream Sandwich firmware for all the Notes around the world. We are not sure about the complete change log yet because there is no official announcement yet. But this 319MB OTA update will replace your current S Note app with advanced note-taking and productivity tools with new S Memo widget.

There is no specific date of release of the firmware. Some regions and SIM-free devices will be first. If you don't get a notification for the update over the air, you can also check with your Kies computer software.

Source

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S II I9100G gets ICS update at last

I know that some of you will be very surprised to see the title. Because Samsung Galaxy S II received Android ICS update back in March 2012. So why am I writing this? Because Samsung Galaxy S II has a TI OMAP 4430 chipset based version which is I9100G. It only receives the firmware upgrade just now in several countries around the world. It seems the rollout has now reached almost all the I9100G Galaxy S II units worldwide.

It's good to know that Samsung hasn't forgotten all about the less popular versions of the extremely popular Galaxy S II and is deliver their due ICS servings.

Source

Read more »

HTC releases eligible handset names for ICS

After so much speculation HTC is kind enough to release the whole list of Android devices capable of running ICS OS officially. The update for the Sensation and Sensation XE have already started rolling out in some regions and will roll out in others in the coming weeks. The update for the Sensation 4G and XL will follow shortly, along with the rest of the handsets. But HTC doesn’t provide us any time frame for the update procedure. I expect that these devices will get ICS before June this year. Otherwise it won’t help too much.

Here are the names of lucky devices-

1. DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
2. HTC Amaze 4G
3. HTC Desire S
4. HTC Desire HD
5. HTC EVO 3D
6. HTC EVO Design 4G
7. HTC Incredible S
8. HTC Sensation
9. HTC Sensation XL
10. HTC Sensation 4G
11. HTC Sensation XE
12. HTC Raider
13. HTC Rezound
14. HTC Rhyme
15. HTC Thunderbolt
16. HTC Vivid

Source

Read more »

Camera caught HTC Ville in action with Android 4.0

The HTC Ville has appeared in a YouTube video and is sporting the latest, yet unofficial, version 4.0 of the Sense UI on top of Android 4.0.1 ice cream sandwich, and a confirmation of some of specifications very important.

The processor power has been confirmed as a dual-core 1.5 GHz with 1 GB of RAM, an 8 MP snapper, a 4.30-incher of qHD (540 x 960) resolution of the HTC brand unibody design, but the Ville looks sharper than the current crop of HTC high-end droids. HTC Ville is only 8 mm thick.

The Sense UI version 4.0 offers some revamped screen and menu transitions and looks really smooth. The Ville is expected to be unveiled on MWC 2012 in Barcelona, starting the end of next month.
Source

Read more »

LG is preparing to release quad-core ICS running DROID

CES 2012 is just over but the rumor mill isn’t stopped at all. We are already getting much news about some quad-core running mobile phones. After HTC, LG is now the highlights. Their X3 Android phone looks to be one of the early challengers to HTC in the quad-core market. LG X3 has Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU onboard along with4.7-inch 720p HD screen. Obviously latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS is pre-installed inside X3.

The reports also said that X3 is only 9mm thick though it has a 2000mAh battery to power the beast. Other features of the phone includes 16GB of internal storage, 8 megapixel camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and an NFC transceiver.

We don’t have any exact release date for LG X3 but June-July 2012 will be the time for it.
Source

Read more »

Samsung users see the leak of 2 new Android ICS ROM for Galaxy S II

Samsung Galaxy S users see a lot drama surrounding its Ice Cream Sandwich update. After so many official news are now confirmed that it won’t see Android 4.0 in its lifetime, at least not from Samsung. But there is no confusion about Samsung Galaxy S II and its ICS update. Samsung guys are working hard to the new Android 4.0 with their TouchWiz UI for the i9100 Galaxy S II.

Proofs for this are two official Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 ROMs that have leaked. The two versions are I9100XXKP4/OXAKP4 and I9100XXKP8 / OXAKP8 based on Android 4.0.1 and Android 4.0.3, respectively. SamMobile.com is reporting that while both are early alpha versions of the final update supposed to hit all Galaxy S II devices early in 2012. The more stable one is the latter. There are many screenshots of how the Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz update looks on the S II are also leaked.

If you simply can't wait any more for Samsung to release the final ICS update for your Galaxy S II, then jump to the source links below for full instructions on how to get the updates now.
Source | Via

Read more »

Samsung again confirms that Android ICS isn’t for Galaxy S

Update: Value pack is also not possible for Galaxy S, Samsung confirmed later.
Samsung already played some games with Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab 7.0 owners regarding Ice Cream Sandwich update. At first they said that these two devices are not compatible with Android ICS because of TouchWiz. Then they said they reconsider their chance. Now they are saying the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S will get a Value pack update, instead of the real Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Samsung decided that the I9000 Galaxy S hardware would be unable to provide satisfactory user experience with Android 4.0 ICS and TouchWiz on top. So it appears that the two most famous Android devices won't get an official taste of the latest Android ROM.

What is new value pack about? The value pack update is said to improve the user experience by bringing some of the ICS features to the Gingerbread ROM. Better web browsing, multi-tasking and new widgets were explicitly mentioned, but there's no saying if other apps will be updated as well.

Fortunately the Galaxy S is fully capable of running the stock ICS, as proved by the guys over at XDA. If you want to do it now then check this link to install Android Ice Cream Sandwich firmware on your Samsung Galaxy S II.
Source

Read more »

LG announces update plan of Android Ice Cream Sandwich

LG made promise about Android ICS long time ago. They said us that an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich for their phones released in 2011. Now they have just announced a release schedule for the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

The updates will start rolling out in two waves like Sony Ericsson. The first wave will begin in Q2, 2012. LG Optimus LTE, Prada phone by LG 3.0, the LG Optimus 2X, the LG Optimus Sol, the LG my Touch Q and the LG Eclipse are the first in line.

The second wave of updates will begin in Q3, 2012 and will cover the following handsets: the LG Optimus 3D, the LG Optimus Black, the LG Optimus Big, the LG Optimus Q2 and the LG Optimus EX.

Many of these devices run Android 2.2 Froyo untill now. So it seems LG skip Gingerbread for those handsets. But we are happy that LG have slowly learned the importance of timely updates and now seem to be doing an even better job compared to the likes of Samsung and HTC.

Here is the full note by LG on their Facebook page-

LG will be offering the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS upgrade for a range of LG smart-phones which were introduced this year. The global upgrade schedule will begin in the second and third quarters of 2012, which will be followed by a global roll out.

During the second quarter of 2012 upgrades will begin for the following smartphone models: the LG Optimus LTE, Prada phone by LG 3.0, the LG Optimus 2X, the LG Optimus Sol, the LG my Touch Q and the LG Eclipse. These upgrades will be followed by upgrades for the following smartphone models during the third quarter of 2012: the LG Optimus 3D, the LG Optimus Black, the LG Optimus Big, the LG Optimus Q2 and the LG Optimus EX.

LG will be taking all possible measure to offer a smooth OS upgrade in a timely manner. The exact start dates can vary by market, as each country can have different requirements, depending on the carrier and the smartphone model.

LG would like to thank its customers for their most valued loyalty and support. Further details on the ICS OS upgrade, including their exact start dates, will be released prior to their commencement. Please stay tuned for more updates from LG.
Thank you.

Source | Via

Read more »

Sony Ericsson announces 6 months timeline for ICS upgrade

Sony Ericsson already posted the name of future Ice Cream Sandwich running devices earlier. Now we have some specific time frame from them. A post on the company's blog indicates that the updating process for the Xperia smartphone begin at the end of March/early April 2012. The first batch of Sony Ericsson phones to get a taste of ICS are Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray.

At the second phase seven more Xperia smartphones will receive ICS including Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini and mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Live with Walkman. The update rollout for the second wave will begin from the end April or the start of May 2012.

Source | Via

Read more »

Coby has 5 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet for CES 2012

CES 2012 is not anytime near but we already heard about many companies preparing to make there stall with many new products. And obviously tablet is in the top of the list. Now we heard a huge roar from Coby. Coby has five tablets running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for CES 2012. They all share the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU. The slabs range between seven and ten inches, and will offer up to 1GB of RAM with up to 32GB of expandable memory -- Wi-Fi radio and HDMI-out come standard.

Coby is planning to make them available to consumers within the first quarter. And everyone expects those are cheap than others. Now wait and see. Before seeing keep reading the Press Release Coby has for you now.

Lifestyle CE Leader to Be Among the First to Market with Extensive Lineup of Powerful Ice Cream Sandwich-Operated Capacitive Touch Units - Q1 2012

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Coby Electronics Corporation, the CE leader with products designed to fit every lifestyle, today announced it will ring in the New Year with the exciting launch of its all-new, highly-anticipated collection of Android™ 4.0 OS – "Ice Cream Sandwich" – Internet tablets. Among the first to market with one of the largest lineups of Ice Cream Sandwich-operated tablets, Coby will debut five standout introductory models, giving consumers a wide variety of unique styles and sizes to choose from – all at incredible prices – starting Q1 2012. The brand-new Coby Android 4.0 OS tablet collection will be unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Booth #12027, in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 10-13, 2012.

"Coby is thrilled to announce our premiere range of feature-packed Android 4.0-powered Internet tablets that will put the world in consumers' hands as never before," said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Coby Electronics. "We also are proud to be among the first companies to make available a wide range of the newest, Ice Cream Sandwich-operated units, helping to further underscore our commitment to meeting the demands of a broad base of consumers with innovative products in the hottest CE categories."

Following on the success of Coby's current top-selling Internet tablets, the exciting Android 4.0 assortment will include the 7" MID7042, 8" MID8042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 9" MID9042, 9.7" MID9742 (4:3 aspect ratio), and 10" MID1042. With lightning-fast access to thousands of apps and wireless web browsing, the upcoming units all will feature 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU and offer capacitive multi-touch screens, up to 1GB of RAM, expandable memory up to 32GB, Wi-Fi and HDMI 1080p output. Overall, Coby has stream-lined its features to address the core applications including: browsing the web, playing games, email and viewing one's favorite media.

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Nexus beats iPhone 4S in every browser test

With the new Google phone, Samsung Galaxy Nexus the first one to be delivered with Android 4.0 Ice Cream sandwich is on the door- everybody is comparing it with Apple new iPhone 4S. The Galaxy Nexus hardware platform isn't too fast comparing other dual-core Android phones. TI was chosen as the launch silicon partner with its OMAP 4460. The SoC takes a pair of Cortex A9 CPUs running at 1.2GHz and gives them a dual-channel LPDDR2 memory interface to talk to. The GPU is Imagination Technologies' PowerVR SGX 540. The CPU side of things is comparable to Apple's A5, although the cores are clocked noticeably higher than the 800MHz we saw in the iPhone 4S.

But the Galaxy Nexus’s true power is its software, brand new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. All of the goodness of Honeycomb makes its way to a handset along with even further optimization work. One of the early Galaxy Nexus owners ran the usual browser benchmarks on his phone and shared the results with us. Google has obviously done a lot of browser optimization in ICS as performance is now better than even Honeycomb. And Anandtech is happy to show us the result.

The Google phone was put through a pair of browsing benchmarks--Sunspider Javascript Benchmark 0.9.1 and Rightware Browsermark--and it came out with the top results in both cases, ahead of the Droid RAZR running Gingerbread and iPhone 4S running iOS 5, which swapped turns in the 2nd and 3rd place spots.

Read more »

Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II is now confirmed

This is definitely a good news for all the Samsung Galaxy S II owners. Because Samsung UK posts this news on their Twitter feed a few hours ago. Though we are pretty sure that Samsung Galaxy S II will taste Android 4.0 sometimes in future but this confirmation makes all of us happy for the moment.

But as always we don’t have any news. And GSMArena expects the entire Galaxy S II variant including US Galaxy S II 4G and I9100+ will be treated with Ice Cream Sandwich as like UK customers.

Source | Via

Read more »