Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Google confirms Android 4.0.4 rolling out to multiple devices, Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus not included

Update: Google just announced that Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, is rolling out to mutiple devices. The latest update includes "stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more." Some devices are seeing Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others are receiving updates from previous versions of Android 4.x. More devices will be supported soon, but the first wave of devices that are receiving it now include:

  • UMTS/GSM Nexus S
  • Xoom WiFi
  • HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus

Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, or JBQ as he's so lovingly called, has announced today that Android 4.0.4 is finally being pushed into the Android Open Source Project.

According to JBQ, Android 4.0.4 features "a few hundred changes over 4.0.3," and it "matches the update that has been sent to a few devices since yesterday" (more on that below). As previously mentioned by Google, "files related to CDMA devices have not been tested in the context of AOSP." There's no solid timeframe for when 4.0.4 will reach all of the various Google Experience Devices out there, but some devices are already seeing the update.

The WiFi version of the Motorola Xoom has already been pushed the update, and an update file for the Nexus S has made available online.

That's right, after months of waiting for Google to finally get their act together, an Android 4.0.4 update file for the Samsung Nexus S has finally been uploaded to Google's servers, ready to be manually flashed over the botched update to Android 4.0.3.

Coming in at just 18MB, today's update for the Nexus S is meant strictly for flashing over Android 4.0.3. It has been confirmed to work on both the i9023, and i9020-T (the T-Mobile Nexus S variant). There's good reason to believe 4.0.4 should hit be available as an over the air update sooner than later, but if you don't want to wait to receive it on your stock Nexus S, you can download it directly from Google now.

According to those who have successfully flashed the update to 4.0.4, it runs much smoother than 4.0.3, and features quite a few big fixes to well documented problems.

To check and see if your Xoom is ready for the update, simply head to Settings > About tablet. For GSM Nexus S users, check XDA for more info.

I've been running CM9 nightly builds on my Nexus S for quite some time now, but I may revert back to stock to see if the update fixes any major problems. Let us know if you've given the update a shot.

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