Ice Cream Sandwich Release Date: Android Apps Leak Features Before Launch

Android's upcoming operating system update for the Ice Cream Sandwich has yet to be revealed commercially, with its rollout only extending to those on the UK's O2 network. But for fans that are anticipating its release, there are numerous Internet leaks and tips to simulate the Android 4.0 experience.

According to tech site Gizmodo, Android's flexibility allows users to install many of the new features on their devices through applications. Instead putting your device at risk by leaking incomplete versions of the software, these tips can show you how to legally find these features.

For example, the upgraded keyboard feature, which is said to sport more accurate autocorrect functions and keypress detection, can be installed through a beta app called Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard.

The enhanced browser capable of supporting tabs rather than windows is also available through an Android app download. Dolphin Browser HD will generally improve your Gingerbread browsing according to Gizmodo. This app can also simulate other browsers, such as the iPhone, and supports offline reading.

But perhaps one of the most anticipated characteristics to come with ICS is the Face Unlock feature, which allows users to unlock their phones with a glance. There isn't an app to simulate this exact experience, but Visidon App Unlock lets you restrict certain apps using a similar method.

These are only a few of the enhanced features that can be made available to Gingerbread, others include data usage methods and a new distinctive font.

Various aspects of the new Android software have also been leaked around the web, such as the ROM that was obtained by RootzWiki. SlashGear described it as stable and functional, with just about every major feature working, and very few bugs reported.

A recent leak has also allowed Motorola Droid Razr owners preview the update by essentially tricking their phones into running the software early. A moderator in the XDA developers forum posted a step by step guide, teaching users to install the leak that supposedly came straight from Motorola's servers.

The upcoming software has made the Samsung Galaxy Nexus one of the most popular smartphones of 2011, and if this upgrade lives up to its claims its sure to please users again.