The highly anticipated Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich gets a clearer upgrade path for current Android smartphones. Korea’s second largest cellphone maker LG recently revealed a few more details on such an upgrade path scheduled for several LG smartphones running on the older Android versions.
The news appeared on today’s LG’s Facebook, confirming what the mobile gadgets community online has known for quite some time. The Optimus line of Android Gingerbread smartphones such as the Optimus Black rebadged as Sprint’s LG Marquee released in October, and AT&T’s Nitro HD released just this December, and the Optimus LTE released in October will be among the first LG smartphones to savor the Ice Cream Sandwich. Several recently released LG handsets will also receive the latest Android v 4.0 throughout the coming new year on a quarterly schedule.
The global Android v4.0 updates will have its first wave during the 2012 second quarter for LG phones currently running the v2.3 Gingerbread. This includes the LG Prada 3 yet to be released this coming February. Other LG smartphones slated for upgrade during the second quarter include the myTouch Q, Optimus 2X, Optimus Sol, and the LG Eclipse (Enlighten under Verizon).
The Ice Cream Sandwich will then land on the LG Optimus 3D, the first Optimus Black released in October and running the Froyo, Optimus Big, Optimus Q2, and the Optimus EX in the third quarter.
This comes as a diametric opposite to earlier announcements that LG’s archrival Samsung will not be releasing the Ice Cream update for its highly popular Galaxy S and Tab products. It is clear that where Samsung fears to thread, LG pushes through its OS updates despite the considerable challenge it and its carriers face as they are pressured to release stable upgrades that must run smoothly on day one with none of the usual hiccups that require subsequent patches.
In the meantime, it is not unexpected that the second wave of updates is giving owners of LG’s Androids something to chafe at for having to wait months to upgrade their Gingerbreads to Ice Cream Sandwiches. But at least the upgrade path is clear to keep whatever angst at bay. If only they knew what Samsung Galaxy owners are feeling at the moment, they should be counting their blessings.
