ICS Update

[onthehunt]

This article just came out about which phones are going to receive ICS. Looks like the US version of the Samsung Galaxy S II might be questionable.

Android 4.0 upgrade list: Is your device getting Ice Cream Sandwich? - Computerworld Blogs

 

[Drummerboy1975]

Well heck.

 

[wynand32]

This is only a collection of devices that have firm (or mostly firm) info from the manufacturer. It says absolutely nothing about whether or not any other device will be upgraded.

Seriously, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 isn't on this list (as the writer notes) because Samsung hasn't said anything about it. Does anyone seriously think Samsung won't be upgrading the GT 10.1 to ICS?

Samsung has WAY too much invested in the Galaxy S II line to not upgrade it to ICS.

 

[DirkBelig]

Considering the only real differences between the GS2 and Galaxy Nexus are the screen and ICS, there is absolutely zero reason why we shouldn't get ICS. None. That's not to say we're guaranteed to get it; just that there is no technical reason (e.g. weak hardware) to not update.

 

[Tripsyk]

I don't buy it. We will probably be getting ICS shortly after it is released.

 

[kjgear]

Samsung has WAY too much invested in the Galaxy S II line to not upgrade it to ICS.

Yeah, it would be suicide for them not to update the S II to ICS.

 

[v_sprad#AC]

Yeah, it would be suicide for them not to update the S II to ICS.

Yes, because Samsung and Sprint upgrade their software so quickly.... I mean just 3 short weeks ago my sons Epic 4g got that new fangled Gingerbread update everyone has been talking about.

 

[wynand32]

Yes, because Samsung and Sprint upgrade their software so quickly.... I mean just 3 short weeks ago my sons Epic 4g got that new fangled Gingerbread update everyone has been talking about.

Well, the original question was whether the E4GT would get ICS, not when. And, again, HTC has pretty much thrown down the gauntlet recently. Unless Samsung is completely blind, they have to recognize that 2012 is going to be a tremendously competitive year in mobile. If they don't deliver updates in a timely fashion, that WILL impact their sales, and I'm sure they know it.

 

[JayWill]

Well, the original question was whether the E4GT would get ICS, not when. And, again, HTC has pretty much thrown down the gauntlet recently. Unless Samsung is completely blind, they have to recognize that 2012 is going to be a tremendously competitive year in mobile. If they don't deliver updates in a timely fashion, that WILL impact their sales, and I'm sure they know it.

This is spot on. When thinking about device support, always remember that manufacturers and mobile carriers only do what they do to make money for themselves and shareholders. If they decide that NOT updating a certain menu of devices to a new OS may materially impact future sales of their devices, then you can bet your ass that they'll be pushing an update at some point.

With that said, I think history has shown that CDMA is the red headed step child in Samsung's eyes. So when ICS does officially get pushed to the E4GT, it will likely be very late to the party. I predict that the E4GT will be the LAST of the U.S. SGSII variants to get it.

 

[dragonol2]

Yes, because Samsung and Sprint upgrade their software so quickly.... I mean just 3 short weeks ago my sons Epic 4g got that new fangled Gingerbread update everyone has been talking about.

Well said (sarcasm detected )

I'm afraid for our phone and being the last line to get the update after Samsung & Sprint's track record

Please do something S & S to make me change my mind and clear my dreary outlook!!!

 

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

Well said (sarcasm detected )

I'm afraid for our phone and being the last line to get the update after Samsung & Sprint's track record

Please do something S & S to make me change my mind and clear my dreary outlook!!!

I dint really think that it is a Sprint issue. Sprint was one of the first carriers to put Gingerbread on a device. I think the problem was with Samsung. Personally, I think the Etouch is going to get the ICS update. It may not be soon, but it is coming.

Sent from my HTC Rezound

 

[DataHawg]

I'm really not concerned about it. Cyanogen has already confirmed they are working on CM9 for this device and there's not much doubt in my mind that a stable release will come from them before Sprint pushes it out.

 

[bjones521]

I dont think the E4GT will get ICS at all! If I'm Samsung I wouldn't release it. Its a reason why it never came out for the Epic 4g. It will come for the original GS2 because that version sold over 5mil copies and its one copy! but there are too many variations of the GS2 for the states. ATT has two copies with two different processors. Tmobile has a copy and Sprint has a copy as well. All 4 copies are ALL different and lets not forget about the copies that went to Canada as well with the SG2 X & SG2 LTE.

So to answer your question there wont be an ICS update just like it wasn't for the Epic but the Amazing Galaxy s3 will make us forget all about the lack of updates and we will buy that phone as well!

 

[MannyZ28]

I dont think the E4GT will get ICS at all! If I'm Samsung I wouldn't release it. Its a reason why it never came out for the Epic 4g. It will come for the original GS2 because that version sold over 5mil copies and its one copy! but there are too many variations of the GS2 for the states. ATT has two copies with two different processors. Tmobile has a copy and Sprint has a copy as well. All 4 copies are ALL different and lets not forget about the copies that went to Canada as well with the SG2 X & SG2 LTE.

So to answer your question there wont be an ICS update just like it wasn't for the Epic but the Amazing Galaxy s3 will make us forget all about the lack of updates and we will buy that phone as well!

To comment on something someone else said further up the line, there is a significat difference between our phone and the Galaxy Nexus. Starting with the processor, Exynos vs Ti Omap, completely different. One is packing the Mali 400 GPU from ARM (Exynos) the other has a PowerVr in it. Then there is the screen, totally different resolution. I am sure there are a lot more differences, but those two are pretty major.

To comment on what I quoted, who really cares if we get ICS on this phone. You won't get the full benefit of ICS until we get a dedicated ICS phone. The whole buttonless design of ICS will only lead to less room on our screens if they really do a direct port. By this I mean that maybe they will let us use our standard Android capacitive buttons instead of us losing screen real estate to the new software buttons. What else does ICS bring to the party? Different UI? It's pretty and all, but will we actually get the pure Google UI or will they put Touchwhiz over it? Will ICS just be under the hood with a few different menus? It's all about how they will execute the update for the current phones. Most of what's new to ICS is already built into Touchwhiz, or HTC Sense for that matter. What else do we get, facial recognition unlock for the screen...that's a gimmick. None of us will use that as the primary way of unlocking the phone, I mean, all I have to say is "dark environment". Full hardware acceleration... uhm, my phone runs smooth as silk no matter how fancy my live wallpaper is. All games run great, I mean really, on this particular phone, I personally don't think that ICS has much to offer for us.

I am a smartphone junkie, so I buy my phones at Best Buy with the Buy Back program so I can upgrade pretty much any time I want to. I understand that other people keep their phone 2 years, but even for them, will ICS really bring that much to the party? Personally, I don't think so.

 

[Colin Vermont]

As we speak, Samsung's Android Specialists are hard at work sitting in a wading pool, wearing pirate hats, and playing with their own poop.

And of course we can count on Sprint to add their own special brand of awesome sauce to whatever pile of duct tape, chewing gum, and old sneaker soles Samsung finally releases on some far off, mythical date.

Really, when I buy Samsung, I buy hardware. End of story.

I at least hope this phone gets the Cyanogen support the last one didn't.

 

[fivegear]

As we speak, Samsung's Android Specialists are hard at work sitting in a wading pool, wearing pirate hats, and playing with their own poop.

And of course we can count on Sprint to add their own special brand of awesome sauce to whatever pile of duct tape, chewing gum, and old sneaker soles Samsung finally releases on some far off, mythical date.

Really, when I buy Samsung, I buy hardware. End of story.

I at least hope this phone gets the Cyanogen support the last one didn't.

I truly laughed out loud! I do agree though that when I buy a Samsung device it is for the hardware, NOT the software. I don't expect much from Samsung on the software front, I have owned 6 Samsung devices over the recent years and each and every one of them disappointed me in their own special grand fashion when it came to software. This does not mean I don't like Samsung, I just don't expect much from them when it comes to software. They usually have fantastic hardware though