Ice Cream Sandwich: List Of Top Smartphones Received And Waiting For The Update

Android's Ice Cream Sandwich is the coolest option for all the smartphones available now in the market. The same has been admitted by the phone manufacturing giants like Samsung, HTC and Motorola. The companies are either launching their phones with the ICS or they are now updating the OS of their existing phones.

The transition from Android 2.3 to Android 4.0, however, always seems to have been stalled due problems ever since it was released five months back and most of the manufacturers are yet to launch ICS on their existing devices.

ICS, which builds on the things people love most about Android, such as easy multitasking, rich notifications, customizable home screens, resizable widgets and deep interactivity, is a simple, beautiful and useful OS that adds powerful new ways of communicating and sharing.

Check the list of existing phones that have already received or are waiting to taste the Ice Cream Sandwich.

Samsung Galaxy S2

Samsung Galaxy S2, touted as the 'best Android phone', has become more attractive to smartphone lovers for its recent Ice Cream Sandwich update that took place earlier this month.

While the release of the Galaxy S3 expected within months, many Samsung fans feel the ICS update for the S2 has come late. Even then, with this update, S2 can finish its run before making room for the S3.

Galaxy S2 sports TouchWiz user interface version 4.0 is known for being slick and adds real utility to the daily use of the phone. With the new OS, the user can enjoy an endless carousel of homescreens and also browse through the new Google Chrome browser. Also, the new ICS update has provided lockscreen update, which is a text saying, Swipe screen to unlock.

ICS has a host of changes for security, such as Face Lock, fully encryptable phone and its SD card and so on.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Galaxy Nexus was the first Android smartphone in the US to come with Android's latest OS, the Ice Cream Sandwich. The OS has provided a unified and consistent look with system-wide gestures and improved functionality.

The simple and elegant OS with a new menu button and menu lists, the redesigned notifications pull-down, the highly organized settings menu and the photo-editing Gallery app were the main reasons for the magnificent sales of the Nexus.

HTC Vivid

HTC Vivid, one of the first smartphones in the US to get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update on AT&T, had a messed-up beginning with Verizon and suffered a horde of battery issues.

The phone got a major boost from Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) all the way up to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). And, this is the first time that users can get carrier-issued updates. HTC Vivid also marks the first official over-the-air ICS update.

The update can be downloaded and installed from AT&T directly by phone via Wi-Fi.

Although the update did not bring any major changes in the look or performance of the HTC phone, it did receive a customizable launch bar at the bottom of the home screen, which comes preloaded and boasts some newly introduced features like updated HTC's Sense UI, Beats Audio enhancements and new data-management screen in Settings.

Other HTC phones like, HTC Sensation XE and Evo 3D, Sensation, Sensation XL are also expected to get the ICS update.

Motorola Razr

Motorola has also released a list of its smartphones that are expected to receive the ICS update. While the company has quite an enticing list of phones, Moto Razr is perhaps the most eagerly awaited one to receive the ICS update.

The official update will be available only in Q3 2012.

The official list of Motorola smartphones getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update includes Droid bionic, Droid Razr, Droid Razr Maxx, Droid 4, Photon 4G, Motorola Atrix 4G (at&t), Atrix 2 and Electrify.

Samsung Galaxy Note

Galaxy Note lovers will certainly get miffed with the news that the Korean electronics giant has still not ported the ICS update on the Note. The update was expected to come in the Q1 and now the company has officially pushed that to sometime in the next quarter. According to Engadget, the ICS update will arrive worldwide as part of a Premium Suite software upgrade and will have some exclusive apps that will highlight its S-Pen stylus.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Phones will also receive Android ICS Update in March, 2012, reports the company.

The devices which will receive the Android ICS updates are Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Ray, Xperia Arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Pro and Xperia Active.

The LG smartphones are also lined up for an ICS update. The list includes a few phones that are getting updated in Q2 2012: LG Optimus 2X, LG Optimus LTE, LG Optimus Sol, my Touch Q, LG Eclipse. While some phones like the LG Optimus 3D, LG Optimus Black, LG Optimus Big and Optimus Q2 are expected to get the OS update in Q3.