Sony Ice Cream Sandwich updates delayed to mid-April

With the roll outs beginning to gain momentum, brands are seeding Google’s latest operating software Ice Cream Sandwich to their range of handsets. The brand that has been at the forefront in dishing out the operating software has been Samsung and other brands are having a difficult time keeping up. Ever since Ice Cream Sandwich was announced, Sony, formerly known as Sony Ericsson had been providing regular updates as to when the brand will release Android 4.0 to their existing range of handsets. In December, the brand hadannounced through a blog post that the first 2011 Xperia smartphones will be upgraded to Android 4.0, starting from end of March/ early April 2012 and will include the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray. However as per a recent report by Android Community, the website states that instead of the late March or early April release, the aforementioned handsets will receive Ice Cream Sandwich by mid-April.

Sony pushes back ICS update

As per the report, the website details, “In addition, Sony said that they won’t be sending out any updates over the air, as most Android manufacturers do in conjunction with mobile carriers. If you want an Ice Cream Sandwich update (when it becomes available), you’ll need to download it directly from Sony’s website and install it via their desktop clients, PC Companion and Bridge for OSX users. Sony says that they want to make sure customers make an informed decision before the major upgrade.”

In a related report by GSMArena, other handsets, which include Xperia Arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, Xperia Active, and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will have to wait a while more before they receive the official update of Android 4.0 from Sony. The owners of these handsets would have to wait until the end of May or the beginning of June to get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich. 

Those using an Xperia Play, Arc S, Neo V or Ray can be a little brave and install the beta ROM of Android 4.0 but face the risk of nullifying their warranty.