Yes, you did read that right: Sony’s ongoing efforts to make good on its claims that most (if definitely not all) of its recent handsets will get updated to Android 4.0 have been furthered today, with news that SIM-free Sony Xperia S’ are ready to make the jump. But when do the network updates roll out?
Sony’s version of Android 4.0 looks like a winner. The Xperia S is Sony’s flagship handset, but it’s been let down thus far by the awful decision to launch on Android 2.3. All of the new phones in the Xperia range have come with Gingerbread out of the box, so the onus has been on Sony to turn around the Ice Cream Sandwich update as quickly as possible.
But thankfully, this isn’t a rush job – Sony’s bundled in a host of Android 4.0 features, alongside some of its own, and managed to keep the Xperia skin still looking fairly swish.
Among the new features are the improved notification bar (now with access to settings), face unlock, resizable widgets and easier app switching from the home screen. There are also several improvements to the camera, including pinch to zoom, and an enhanced browser with ‘Save for offline’ button.
The full list of additions and tweaks is shown off in this video:
The update is available now for anyone with a SIM-free Xperia S, and should appear when you connect your to your computer via PC Companion, or Bridge for Macs.
We’ve asked the major networks when we can expect to see the Ice Cream Sandwich update appear for the Sony Xperia S, and are waiting to hear back from most. At the time of writing, Three is the only carrier to put forward a response, saying that the update is “imminent.” We’ll keep you updated.
Link: Sony Mobile
