Grab a napkin, Android fans: Google's Android 4.0 operating system -- aka Android Ice Cream Sandwich -- is ready to be served to phones and tablets around the world.
Android 4.0 introduces the biggest changes Google's mobile platform has seen since the days of Froyo. The new OS delivers a sleek new design with layers of polish and loads of tasty fresh features.
But how do you know if your phone or tablet will get the upgrade -- and if so, when you can expect to unwrap Ice Cream Sandwich for yourself? I've made it easy. This list has everything there is to know about the Android 4.0 upgrade, broken down by device. It'll be updated regularly as new info becomes available, so you can always check in to get the latest info on your phone or tablet's status.
Want a more detailed look at Android 4.0 and what it'll do for your device? Click over to my Android Ice Cream Sandwich FAQ or check out my in-depth review. And if you still need more reasons to salivate, glance over my10 reasons to be excited about Ice Cream Sandwich. They're guaranteed to get your tummy rumbling.
(Note: For information about upgrades to Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread, see my Android 2.3 upgrade list; it's still kept up-to-date with the latest info available on that release.)
[Page last updated: December 13, 2011]
Android 4.0 Upgrade List: Devices Expected to Get Ice Cream Sandwich
• Archos 80 G9 [UPDATED 12/6/11]: The Archos 80 G9 tablet will receive the Android 4.0 upgrade, Archos has confirmed to me. The rollout is expected to occur sometime in the first quarter of 2012.
• Archos 101 G9 [UPDATED 12/6/11]: Like the 80 G9 model, the Archos 101 G9 tablet is slated to receive Ice Cream Sandwich, according to Archos. The company says the upgrade should arrive within the first quarter of 2012.
• Asus Eee Pad Slider: In a posting on its official Facebook page, Asus confirmed it would provide Android 4.0 upgrades to the full Eee Pad series, which includes the Eee Pad Slider tablet. Asus has not yet given any specific timeframe for when the upgrade could occur.
• Asus Eee Pad Transformer: Like the Eee Pad Slider, the original Asus Eee Pad Transformer is part of Asus's Eee Pad series and is thus slated to receive the Android 4.0 upgrade, according to a posting on the company's official Facebook page. No date has been announced as of yet.
• Asus Transformer Prime [UPDATED 12/12/11]: Asus says its newTransformer Prime, set to launch in December, will ship with Android 3.2 and then get Android 4.0 shortly thereafter. According to a company spokesperson (corresponding with me via email), a date for the upgrade will be provided "as soon as the code has been optimized, tested, and approved." Rumors have suggested the upgrade could occur in January; as of now, however, those rumors are not confirmed.
• Acer Iconia Tab A100, A101, A500, A501: A statement attributed to Acer's Poland office and published by a Polish tech blog says the company's various Iconia Tab models will all get Ice Cream Sandwich sometime "around January 2012." Acer's U.S. division has not yet weighed in on the matter.
• HTC Amaze 4G: Ice Cream Sandwich is definitely headed to HTC's Amaze 4G phone, according to a statement released by HTC. The Amaze 4G should get its Android 4.0 upgrade in "early 2012," according to HTC.
• HTC EVO 3D: HTC's EVO 3D is on the ICS shortlist, according to statements posted by both HTC and Sprint in early November. The phone is said to be in line for its Android 4.0 upgrade sometime toward the start of 2012.
• HTC EVO Design 4G: Sprint and HTC have both confirmed the EVO Design 4G will be getting the Android 4.0 upgrade. The two companies say the upgrade should arrive sometime early in 2012.
• HTC Rezound: The new HTC Rezound is slated to receive Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012, according to an HTC statement. More specific timing info is expected to be released soon.
• HTC Sensation: HTC's Sensation smartphone will be among the first HTC phones to get an Android 4.0 upgrade, according to the company. As of now, the Sensation is slated to get ICS in early 2012.
• HTC Sensation XE: Like the standard HTC Sensation model, the HTC Sensation XE is expected to get its Android 4.0 upgrade in early 2012,according to HTC.
• HTC Sensation XL: Like the standard HTC Sensation model, the HTC Sensation XL is expected to get its Android 4.0 upgrade in early 2012,according to HTC.
• HTC Vivid: The Vivid is on HTC's list of devices scheduled for an early 2012 Android 4.0 upgrade.
• Huawei Honor [UPDATED 12/12/11]: Huawei released an early version of Android 4.0 for its China-based Huawei Honor handset in December 2011. The software is said to be only a demo intended to give users an idea of what's ahead in ICS; thus far, the manufacturer has provided no details about when the full and finalized version could become available.
• Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet [UPDATED 12/13/11]: In early December 2011, a Lenovo manager posted a message indicating the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet would likely receive the Android 4.0 upgrade. "I believe that will still be a few months away," he said, going on to mention a possible March time frame. While his message is not an official commitment by Lenovo, it's certainly a promising sign for the tablet's upgrade future.
• LG Optimus 2X: LG has confirmed it will deliver the Android 4.0 upgrade to its Optimus 2X device. The company made the promise in a statementposted to its official Facebook page in late November 2011. LG says information about upgrade timing will be made public sometime in December. (LG has yet to mention anything specifically about its LG G2x, the U.S. version of the phone.)
• LG Optimus 3D: LG has confirmed it will deliver the Android 4.0 upgrade to its Optimus 3D device. The company made the promise in a statementposted to its official Facebook page in late November 2011. LG says information about upgrade timing will be made public sometime in December.
• LG Optimus Black: LG has confirmed it will deliver the Android 4.0 upgrade to its Optimus Black device. The company made the promise in a statement posted to its official Facebook page in late November 2011. LG says information about upgrade timing will be made public sometime in December.
• LG Optimus LTE: LG has confirmed it will deliver the Android 4.0 upgrade to its Optimus LTE device. The company made the promise in a statementposted to its official Facebook page in late November 2011. LG says information about upgrade timing will be made public sometime in December. Thus far, nothing has been said specifically about the newly announced American version of the phone, the LG Nitro HD on AT&T.
• Meizu M9: Meizu CEO Jack Wong says his company will upgrade its Meizu M9 device to Ice Cream Sandwich "soon." Wong's proclamation was made in a posting on a Meizu message board.
• Meizu MX: The Meizu MX will get its Android 4.0 upgrade "soon," according to a posting made by the manufacturer's CEO.
• Motorola Droid Bionic: Motorola's Droid Bionic will receive the ICS upgrade, according to a message posted by the company on its website. Moto says it'll release more specific timing information sometime after Google makes the software publicly available.
• Motorola Droid Razr: The Motorola Droid Razr will get the Android 4.0 upgrade in early 2012, the company has confirmed. The upgrade was discussed at the Razr's launch event; it has also since been reiterated on Motorola's software upgrade status page.
• Motorola Droid Xyboard [UPDATED 12/6/11]: Motorola has said its new Droid Xyboard tablets -- both the 10.1-inch and 8.2-inch models -- will receive the Android 4.0 upgrade. The promise was made in the press materials Moto sent out to the media prior to the devices' launch. Thus far, no specific timeline has been announced for the upgrades.
• Motorola Razr: Like the Verizon-based Droid Razr model mentioned above, Motorola's international Razr phone is expected to receive Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012, according to the company.
• Motorola Xoom: The original Android Honeycomb tablet will soon feast on Ice Cream Sandwich. Moto has confirmed its Motorola Xoom device will receive the Android 4.0 upgrade; while no specific timeline has been announced, the fact that the Xoom is a "pure" Google device and still the de facto reference model for Android development suggests it should be among the first devices to get upgraded.
• Motorola Xoom Family Edition: The original Xoom's "Family Edition" will also receive Ice Cream Sandwich, according to Motorola's official software update page.
• Motorola Xoom 2: The new Xoom 2 tablet will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, according to Motorola. As far as timing, the company has gone on the record as saying the upgrade will happen "in due course" (very informative, eh?).
• Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition: Moto's smaller Xoom 2 model will also get the Android 4.0 upgrade, according to the company. Again, the timing is still pretty vague at this point.
• Notion Ink Adam tablet: Notion has promised Ice Cream Sandwich for its Notion Ink Adam tablet. In a blog posted back in September, the company's founder said the Adam would get ICS in November -- though it now appears he may have jumped the gun with that ambitious estimate.
• Samsung Galaxy S II: In a response to a customer on Twitter, Samsung's U.K. division said the company's Galaxy S II phone would be getting the Android 4.0 upgrade. No time frame has been set for the upgrade yet, according to the tweet. It's worth noting that the U.S. editions of the phonediffer from the international model in terms of both hardware and software; thus far, Samsung has made no remarks about plans for upgrading those specific devices to Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket: AT&T has confirmed its LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will receive the Android 4.0 upgrade. No timing information has been released so far.
• Samsung Nexus S: Google has made it abundantly clear that the Samsung Nexus S -- the "pure" Android phone that served as the primary flagship device up until the release of the new Galaxy Nexus -- will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich. In an interview with The Telegraph, Google exec Hugo Barra is cited as saying the Nexus S's Android 4.0 upgrade should occur very soon after the release of the new Nexus device.
• Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Active: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Active. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Arc: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Arc. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Arc S: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Arc S. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Neo: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Neo. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Neo V: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Neo V. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Mini: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Mini. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Mini Pro: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Mini Pro. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Play: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Play. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Pro: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Pro. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
• Sony Xperia Ray: Sony has confirmed its entire 2011 line of Xperia Android devices will be receiving the Android 4.0 upgrade. That includes the Sony Xperia Ray. In a posting on its official blog in mid-November 2011, Sony said it's "working on merging [its] current Xperia experience with the new features" in Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus far, no specific time frame has been announced for the upgrade, though a posting on the Facebook page of Sony Ericsson's Italian division by someone who appears to be a company representative suggests it could arrive by March 2012.
Android 4.0 Upgrade List: Devices Where Ice Cream Sandwich Looks Iffy
• Acer Liquid E: This early Acer phone got Froyo and then seems to have been forgotten. Acer hasn't said a word about bringing even Gingerbread to its Liquid E phone, so the odds of a sudden Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade a full year later certainly don't seem good.
• Dell Streak: Dell's original Streak has seen no official signs of Android 2.3. Add that to the fact that the device has been discontinued, and an Android 4.0 upgrade does not appear likely.
• HTC Aria: One of AT&T's earliest Android efforts, the HTC Aria was left behind after its upgrade to Android 2.2. With no Gingerbread love, it'd be a shock if AT&T were to send any Ice Cream Sandwich the Aria's way.
• HTC Desire: HTC's Desire Gingerbread upgrade was a fiasco if I've ever seen one: The manufacturer went back and forth about 7.2 billion times as to whether it'd give the phone Android 2.3 or not, then eventually decided to provide an upgrade -- sort of. HTC said the phone couldn't support Gingerbread in its native state and offered the upgrade only "for expert users who want to experience Android 2.3 and understand the limitations which apply." It went as far as to state that the upgrade was "for development only and not for general public use" and that "certain functions may no longer be usable" after installation, "including but not limited to MMS and SMS." All considered, another upgrade looks incredibly iffy.
• HTC Legend: HTC has shown no signs of upgrading its HTC Legend phone to Gingerbread, so an upgrade to the next-gen Ice Cream Sandwich appears very improbable.
• HTC Magic: Like the Legend, the Magic has gotten no Gingerbread love, so an Android 4.0 upgrade is iffy at best.
• HTC MyTouch 3G: With no Gingerbread, the MyTouch 3G's chances of an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade are pretty bleak.
• HTC MyTouch 3G Slide: HTC and T-Mobile didn't even bring Froyo to the MyTouch 3G Slide until April of 2011. There's been no sign of Gingerbread since then -- so you probably shouldn't get your hopes up for ICS now.
• HTC Wildfire: The Wildfire is yet another older phone that was left behind at Froyo. There's been no official statement saying the device won't get Ice Cream Sandwich, but a jump from 2.2 to 4.0? Not the greatest odds in the world.
• Huawei Ascend: With Froyo still running on the original Huawei Ascend, an Android 4.0 upgrade is as iffy as it gets.
• LG Ally: This lower-end Verizon phone got Froyo and got forgotten. Big Red would deliver a big surprise if it suddenly offered ICS to this 18-month-old device.
• LG Apex: This U.S. Cellular phone is still stuck on Froyo. No Gingerbread? Probably no Ice Cream Sandwich, either.
• Motorola Backflip: The Backflip never even received Froyo, let alone Gingerbread -- so while there's no official denial of Ice Cream Sandwich for the device, a 4.0 upgrade certainly doesn't seem like a strong possibility.
• Motorola Bravo: Another one of AT&T's early Android devices, the Bravo's lack of Gingerbread support puts it squarely in the "iffy" column for any ICS love.
• Motorola Cliq: Motorola's first Cliq has remained stagnant at the 2.1 level -- a sign that isn't very encouraging, to say the least, when it comes to the 4.0 release.
• Motorola Defy: With no Gingerbread under its belt, it'd defy common logic if Motorola were to jump back and update its Defy to Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Motorola Droid (original): Sadly, the original Motorola Droid, now past its second birthday, has likely passed its window for major OS upgrades. The Droid -- which has quite limited hardware compared to today's baseline smartphone specs -- doesn't appear to even be getting Gingerbread. As such, its odds of an Android 4.0 upgrade sure don't look good.
• Motorola Flipside: A lack of Gingerbread doesn't bode well for the Flipside's chances of any type of Ice Cream Sandwich treat.
• Motorola Milestone: The original Milestone is the international version of the original Droid, and it's in the same exact boat as its U.S. sibling: Now past its second birthday and having already been likely passed over for Gingerbread, the Milestone's odds of an Android 4.0 upgrade don't look good.
• Orange San Francisco: This confusingly named handset (it's available only in Europe) has been promised Froyo for ages, yet many owners of the phone are still waiting for that upgrade. Take-home message? If you hold your breath for Ice Cream Sandwich, you'll probably pass out long before it arrives.
• Samsung Acclaim: Given that the Acclaim has not gotten Gingerbread, its Ice Cream Sandwich prospects don't look so good.
• Samsung Continuum: Despite rumors of a Froyo upgrade, this neglected Verizon/Samsung phone is still stuck on Android 2.1 (Eclair). Ice Cream Sandwich? Yeah...not bloody likely.
• Samsung Galaxy Apollo: Apollo users are still tasting Froyo these days, so you can probably forget about Gingerbread -- let alone Ice Cream Sandwich -- for this device.
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch (original version): Samsung never bumped its first Galaxy Tab up to Honeycomb, making its odds of an Android 4.0 upgrade seem pretty darn low.
• Samsung Intercept: The lack of a 2.3 upgrade for the Intercept doesn't bode well for the phone's Android 4.0 upgrade chances.
• Samsung Transform: Though nothing official has been said about the lower-end Samsung Transform, the fact that it's still stuck on an older version of Android makes its Android 4.0 upgrade odds appear quite low.
• Sanyo Zio: Like many of the other phones in this section of the list, the Zio's lack of continued upgrades over the months is a fairly strong indication it doesn't have a great shot at getting ICS.
Android 4.0 Upgrade List: Devices That Definitely Won't Get Ice Cream Sandwich
• HTC Droid Eris: Verizon has confirmed its HTC Droid Eris device will not be upgraded past its current level. The phone is no longer sold by the carrier.
• HTC G1: The T-Mobile G1 -- the first Android phone! -- was denied both Froyo and Gingerbread due to hardware limitations. Google has made it quite clear that this three-year-old phone is at the end of its life.
• HTC Hero: HTC announced it had no plans to upgrade the Hero even to Froyo, so it's safe to say Ice Cream Sandwich is out of the question.
• HTC Nexus One: Google has confirmed its original Nexus device, the HTC Nexus One, will not receive the Android 4.0 upgrade.
• Motorola Charm: The Charm will not receive upgrades beyond its current 2.1 level, according to Motorola.
• Motorola Cliq XT: Motorola said even Froyo "could not meet the basic performance standards required" while running on its Cliq XT device. As such, the phone is now set to remain at Android 1.5, the company has confirmed.
• Motorola Flipout: The Flipout will not receive upgrades beyond its current 2.1 level, according to Motorola.
• Motorola Milestone XT720: Motorola has said its XT720 tablet phone won't be upgraded beyond its current 2.1 level.
• Samsung Behold II: Samsung has confirmed its Behold II handset won't be upgraded beyond Android 1.6.
• Samsung Moment: Sprint has confirmed the Moment will not receive updates behind its current 2.1 level.
• Sony Xperia X10: Sony made a fool of itself with the Xperia X10's first set of upgrades. After finally pushing the X10 to Gingerbread, Sony announced the device would not receive any future upgrades.
Don't see your device listed? Don't panic. Manufacturers and carriers will be releasing Android 4.0 upgrade details for months to come. If a phone or tablet isn't on this page -- like the Samsung Galaxy S or Galaxy Tab 10.1, for example -- that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be upgraded. It just means there isn't much clear info available yet about its fate.
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