Samsung Galaxy S2 Ice Cream Sandwich Announced: When Will It Hit The U.S.?

Samsung has finally announced the Android Ice Cream Sandwich update for its Galaxy S2 phone, which is rolling out in Europe Tuesday.

The U.K. will be the next to get the upgrade on March.19, but the U.S. could have to wait a little longer after Samsung revealed that the updates would have staggered release dates across the world. In a recent announcement, the U.S. carrier Verizon said the upgrade would be coming to Samsung devices in the near future.

ICS for Galaxy S2 will be available today in Europe, including Poland, Hungary, Sweden and Korea & gradually roll out to other markets, the company said in a press statement.

Other devices that will receive the upgrade include the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S2 LTE, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1

The company also announced the status of Android 2.3 Gingerbread updates. Samsung Electronics has completed upgrading the Galaxy devices to Gingerbread last year by providing software upgrades to both Froyo and Gingerbread, said Samsung. With the ICS upgrade, Samsung Electronics has solidified its position as the leader of Android devices.

A firmware update for Gingerbread devices will also roll out at the end of the month on devices including the Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab 7, Galaxy S Plus, Galaxy S SCL (Super Clear LCD), and Galaxy W.

Samsung S3

Samsung is yet to reveal its official release date for the Galaxy S3. The phone's predecessor -- the Galaxy S2 -- was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress last year, and then launched in April, which spurred rumors that the S3 would be out at the same time. But Samsung has said that Galaxy enthusiasts shouldn't hold their breath for a March release, as the phone is likely to come in the middle of the year, closer to the summer, according to a report obtained by News Sizzle.

Since the Galaxy S2 won the Best Phone award at the MWC 2012, more buzz has arisen about the S3. New information obtained by Boy Genius suggests the new generation of Galaxy S will be running a 1.5GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor. Boy Genius' site also claims the phone will come with 4G LTE and have a 4.8- inch screen with full HD 1080p resolution.

The Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Nexus were heralded as two of the most popular smartphones of 2011, with several features packed into a slim, sleek case. The Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade will bring refinements and a touchscreen that allows users to unlock the phone with their face, according to the BBC.

Here are the latest rumors surrounding the S3.

Processor: The S3 is expected to boast an Exynos 4412 chipset with a quad-core unit, which will apparently be clocked at 1.5GHz. The phone is guaranteed to arrive with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

Display: The S3 is expected to come with a larger screen than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, nearer to the 5-inch scale. It is rumored to have an AMOLED plus screen with 1280x720 resolutions. If the phone comes with a S5K2P1 chip, it will be able to capture 60fps HD video and 8.3 megapixel images.

Other rumored specs: