In something of a surprise move, Sony Ericsson today announced that the next generation Android software, Ice Cream Sandwich, will be available as an update to every Xperia smartphone they have released this year.
Sony Ericsson have released some great smartphones this year under the Xperia name – the Xperia Play, Xperia Arc and Xperia Mini to name but a few. They also have the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Active and Xperia Ray coming along later in the year, all of which will also get the software update.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) is expected to launch in October or November according to Google CEO Eric Schmidt. It will usher in a new generation of Android, combining both tablet and smartphone functionality into one piece of software.
With the software launching in October or November, Sony Ericsson Xperia smartphone owners should expect to see updates available early on in 2012.
Ice Cream Sandwich will contain a bundle of new features such as Virtual Camera Operator – a motion-controllable camera app similar to Kinect – USB Hub support and more.
The current range of Xperia smartphones runs on Android Gingerbread, version 2.3, with a Sony Ericsson-designed interface on top. Sony Ericsson also recently announced that all 2011 Xperia smartphones will be receiving a software update to 2.3.4, bringing more features such as 3D sweep panorama mode for the camera app and a Swype-style keyboard.
We know that Sony Ericsson haven’t been great with software updates for Android smartphones in the past, often delaying updates several times, but it looks as though all that is set to change.
Good times are ahead for Sony Ericsson Xperia smartphone owners.