But this is not an issue with HTC phones exclusively. In fact, Ice Cream Sandwich is more the exception rather than the rule on Android devices across the board. There’s a total of four smartphones shipping with the OS preloaded, just over a dozen with upgrades available, and more than 30 on the “coming soon” list.
Phones shipping with ICS
Your choices here are limited to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which was released in December in partnership with Google and features an unskinned version of Android 4.0, and the HTC One lineup comprising the One S on T-Mobile, One X on AT&T, and Evo 4G LTE on Sprint. These are soon to be joined by the Samsung Galaxy S III, which is expected to launch globally soon, including all four major carriers in the US.Phones with ICS upgrades rolling out now
These smartphones are already being upgraded to Android 4.0. If you own one of these and are still waiting for the update to come through, keep in mind that they’re being rolled out over a period of several weeks. |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
| HTC | Samsung | Sony |
| 83 Sensation | 91 Galaxy S II (unlocked, Canada) | 81 Xperia Ray |
| 84 Sensation XE | 79 Galaxy S II LTE (unlocked, Canada) | 80 Xperia arc S |
| 82 Sensation 4G (T-Mo, Bell, Virgin Ca.) | 83 Galaxy Note (unlocked) | Xperia neo V |
| 71 Vivid (AT&T) | 71 Nexus S 4G (Sprint) | 71 Xperia arc |
| 82 Velocity (Australia) | 84 Nexus S (unlocked) | 77 Xperia neo |
| 78 Amaze 4G (T-Mobile) | ||
| Raider 4G (Bell Canada) |
Phones with ICS updates "coming soon"
Not all phone manufacturers are offering specific details as to when
each of their devices are getting upgraded to Android 4.0. Motorola is
only listing them by quarter, while HTC recently provided a two-month
release window, and Sony is being a little more specific with the next
round of updates starting this week and continuing throughout June into
the third quarter. Samsung is not giving out any dates whatsoever.
HTC
| Smartphone model | Timeframe | Device release date |
|---|---|---|
| Sensation XL | May-June | May 19, 2011 |
| EVO 4G+ | May-June | June 2011 |
| Rezound | June-July | November 14, 2011 |
| EVO 3D | June-July | June 24, 2011 |
| EVO Design 4G | June-July | October 23, 2011 |
| Desire S | June-July | March 8, 2011 |
| Incredible S | June-July | February 26, 2011 |
| Rhyme | June-July | September 29, 2011 |
| Thunderbolt | July-August | March 17, 2011 |
| Desire HD | July-August | October 20, 2010 |
| DROID Incredible 2 | TBD | April 28, 2011 |
The upgrade to Android 4.0 will include Sense 3.6, not Sense 4, since some aspects of Sense 4 require dedicated hardware, which is not available on all devices.
Motorola
| Smartphone model | Timeframe | Device release date |
|---|---|---|
| Droid Razr (USA, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, EMEA, Japan, Korea & LATAM) | Q2 2012 | November 11, 2011 |
| Droid Razr Maxx (USA) | Q2 2012 | January 26, 2011 |
| Atrix 2 (Asia-Pacific, LATAM, USA, and selected other markets) | Q3 2012 | October 16, 2011 |
| Atrix 4G (USA) | Q3 2012 | February 22, 2011 |
| Droid 4 (USA) | Q3 2012 | February 10, 2011 |
| Droid Bionic (USA) | Q3 2012 | September 8, 2011 |
| Photon 4G (USA) | Q4 2012 | July 31, 2011 |
| Atrix / Atrix 4G (Asia Pacific, EMEA and LATAM) | TBD | -- |
| Electrify (USA) | TBD | September 22, 2011 |
| Photon 4G (Japan) | TBD | -- |
Samsung
| Smartphone model | Timeframe | Device release date |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S II (AT&T, T-Mobile) | TBD | April 28, 2011 |
| Galaxy S II Skyrocket (AT&T) | TBD | November 6, 2011 |
| Galaxy Note (AT&T) | TBD | October 28, 2011 |
| Captivate Glide (AT&T) | TBD | November 21, 2011 |
| Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (Sprint) | TBD | September 16, 2011 |
| Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G (T-Mobile) | TBD | March 21, 2012 |
Sony
| Smartphone model | Timeframe | Device release date |
|---|---|---|
| Xperia mini | Week of May 28 | August 2011 |
| Xperia mini pro | Week of May 28 | August 9, 2011 |
| Xperia pro | Week of May 28 | October 18, 2011 |
| Xperia active | Week of May 28 | October 1, 2011 |
| Sony Ericsson Live | Week of May 28 | Q4 2011 |
| Xperia S | End of June | March 1, 2012 |
| Xperia P | End of June | Unreleased |
| Xperia U | Q3 2012 | May 7, 2012 |
| Xperia sola | TBD | May 7, 2012 |
| Xperia ion | TBD | March 1, 2012 |
Sony is rolling out Android 4.0.4 to its devices while remaining on kernel 2.6.32 — technically, ICS should feature Kernel 3.0.X+. It’s unclear if this will result in any issues or missing features. A developer for Sony Ericsson had previously said that it takes a lot of testing and validation to make a new kernel stable, so they decided to keep the tried and tested 2.6.32 kernel to release ICS as quickly as possible.
Why all the fuss about having the latest version?
If there’s one lesson to learn here is that you should buy a phone
that makes you happy today, not one that promises new features with an
update that may or may not appear. Granted, that’s a valid advice for
any consumer electronic purchase, but Android serves as the perfect
example for it.That said, it’s not unreasonable to want your one-year-old phone to be able to get the latest software update, especially when you know it’s technically capable of running it. There are many new features to be gained in the transition from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. Here are a few of the most noteworthy:
- UI Improvements: Android 4.0 is based on a new look and feel, the Holo theme, which offers a more consistent experience throughout the OS and makes it easier for users to find those common buttons and actions. There’s also a new “Roboto” font that’s easier on the eye and has a more modern feel.
- Multitasking, Widgets, and Folders: There’s a new Recent Apps button that lets users jump from one task to another, and a side-swiping gesture to get rid of apps you’re no longer using. Users can also resize widgets to their liking and drag and drop icons on top of each other to create folders.
- Contacts and sharing: ICS ditches the old Android 2.3 contact list for one that shows richer profile information, including large profile picture, phone numbers, addresses, and a button for connecting on integrated social networks. There’s also a new NFC peer-to-peer sharing feature that allows users with NFC-capable devices to share apps, contacts, music, videos by touching one phone to another.
- Improved speed and full hardware acceleration: Tests have shown significant performance improvements in Android 4.0 when it comes to handling graphics and using the web browser.
- Data usage manager: Android 4.0 allows users to monitor total data usage by network type and application, as well as set limits on those data-hungry apps so you don’t incur in expensive overage fees.
- Various other new features and enhancements: You can access the camera and notifications without unlocking your device first, there’s a new face-unlock feature, Wi-Fi direct support to share files between compatible devices, improvements to the camera and video apps, and more.
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