DailyTech - Verizon Leak: Rezound, RAZR, and Xoom Likely to Get ICS Upgrades

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Gadgets Verizon Leak: Rezound, RAZR, and Xoom Likely to Get ICS Upgrades
Jason Mick (Blog) - April 27, 2012 4:35 PM

29 comment(s) - last by geddarkstorm.. on May 2 at 2:46 PM

Bionic, Thunderbolt, Revolution, Galaxy Tab 10.1 unlikely to get ICS, but will get mild upgrade

Top Android-centric blog Droid Life has picked up an interesting tidbit from "Redditor" "DroidTosser", who posted screenshots purportedly from Verizon Wireless -- a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc. (LON:VOD).

America's top carrier appears to be preparing Ice Cream Sandwich updates to three phones -- the Motorola RAZR, RAZR MAXX, and Rezound by HTC Corp. (TPE:2498)-- as well as a tablet, the Motorola Xoom 3G/4G.

One might suspect that Google Inc. (GOOG) who has almost acquired Motorola, might be playing a bit of favorites, upgrading its soon-to-be-subsidiary to Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" first. That may be the case, but at least one major Motorola handset -- the Bionic -- appears not to be getting the ICS bump.

_{Some VZW devices -- mostly from Motorola will get a May ICS bump. [Source: DroidTosser]}

VZW reportedly has milder Gingerbread updates in testing for the Bionic and for other handsets. Those handsets also include the Revolution from LG Electronics, Inc. (KSC:066570) (aka, the LG Esteem), HTC Thunderbolt, and Xperia Play from Sony Corp. (TYO:6758).

In a move that's sure to raise some eyebrows, VZW is not giving the Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- which was long reported as the best-selling Android tablet -- an Ice Cream Sandwich update yet, despite giving one to Xoom -- a notorious sales flop.

Are Google and Verizon Wireless giving Motorola "favored nation" status? You decide.

But for the lucky recipients, the testing should be complete by 5/17, with the Rezound's testing being finished early (5/7). Thus users can expect within three weeks or so to be sporting the hot new ICS OS, which features a slew of improvements in terms of user interface and core apps over Android 2.3 "Gingerbread", the prior phone release.

Source: Reddit via Droid Life