Samsung Electronics and other Android-based handset makers plan to roll out Google's Ice Cream Sandwich update on their mobile devices early next year. Samsung said Tuesday that the platform update, otherwise known as Android 4.0, will be ready for launch on the company's Galaxy S II smartphone and Galaxy Note device during the first quarter of 2012.
Updates for other Samsung mobile devices -- including the Galaxy R smartphone as well as the company's entire lineup of Galaxy Tab media tablets -- are expected to follow soon thereafter.
"For upgradeable models, Samsung will make separate announcements on details of OS updates scheduled for each market according to market situation and carriers' requirements," the company said in a blog.
However, Verizon's long delay in the introduction of the new Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.0 demonstrates that wireless carriers need time to fully evaluate the repercussions of major software upgrades running on their networks. Among other things, Ice Cream Sandwich sports a redesigned user interface with improved multitasking functionality and offers support for Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity as well as near-field communications.
Meanwhile, Google's Android juggernaut continues to gather steam.
"There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day," said Andy Rubin, Google's senior vice president of mobile, this week. "And for those wondering, we count each device only once, and 'activations' means you go into a store, buy a device, and put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
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