Droid Razr: When Will It Get Ice Cream Sandwich?

Droid Razr, Motorola's new flagship device, is now on sale, but there is still no word on when it will get the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system update from Google. As the top new smartphone from Motorola, it's sure to get the update, but it might not happen until January. Google has yet to debut the Android 4.0 version, called Ice Cream Sandwich, but it will be released with the launch of Google's newest smartphone, the Galaxy Nexus. Galaxy Nexus is set to debut in the UK on Nov. 17, but there is no word on when it will come to the U.S. All that is known is that it will debut on Verizon, the same carrier now offering the Droid Razr.

Furthermore, once Google takes the wraps off Android 4.0, it can start rolling out updates to whatever devices it wants. But, even though it is the company's own software, Google does not have the final say on which phones and tablets will actually get the update, even if they are technologically able to run it. In other words, Google can say it's time to send out updates, but manufacturers have the authority to say which devices.

One obvious reason is that they want people to buy new phones instead of just updating old ones. This is likely not a huge factor, however. Most smartphone users may not even be aware of what software version their device is running, and may not consider that to be a huge reason to buy a new phone. For the Droid Razr, the additional question is will Motorola be the first manufacturer to get Android 4.0. Google may not be able to dictate which devices get updated, but it can decide which company goes first. Samsung is the company that is making the Galaxy Nexus for Google, so they could be the first to start updating their devices. On the other hand, Motorola has been bought out by Google, so perhaps its devices will go first. Either way, because Droid Razr is a newly-released high-end phone, it will probably get the update first when Motorola gets its turn.

Tell us in the comments what you are looking forward to in Android 4.0.