When Samsung first came out with its plans in getting the handsets in its stable get upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Korean smartphone and tablet manufacturer confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S II along with the Samsung Galaxy Note will get first dibs on the latest iteration of the Google mobile operating system. Samsung was able to follow through on its promised Q1 ICS rollout for the Galaxy S II when it finally unleashed the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the handset back in February.
Of course, it is very different in the case of the carrier-branded versions of the Samsung Galaxy S II. Basically, the carriers have as much input as the manufacturer on what gets put in on the ICS update for the version of the device they are offering and this alone could lead to serious delays in getting the update rolled out in the first place.
This is the case with the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy S II. In fact, when the Korean smartphone and tablet manufacturer released its ICS list for the carrier-branded versions of its devices released in US shores, the handsets released by the Magenta carrier were nowhere to be found on the said list. It was only after a couple of weeks that Samsung finally came out with ICS plans for T-Mobile devices.
And if you happen to have the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy S II and have actually gnawed your nails in anticipation of our handset getting its tasty treat of Ice Cream Sandwich, then the waiting has mercifully come to a screeching end. As it stands, the Magenta carrier has finally started rolling out the ICS update for the Samsung Galaxy S II. Sad to say, the update is not being pushed out via the usual OTA means but rather through the Samsung Kies software instead so don’t expect a notification to come up your device or don’t be surprised if manually checking for the update doesn’t turn up anything.
The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Samsung Galaxy S II will bring a lot of goodies and treats to the handset and these include voicemail improvements, Wi-Fi calling enhancements, improvements in CMAS, data usage tracker, shortcut for recent apps, new gestures, and of course, Face Unlock.
As for the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy S II, the handset’s operation is powered by a QualComm APQ8060 SnapDragon chipset which brings to the table a dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor and a full gigabyte of RAM. The handset has 16Gb of onboard storage but its retail package comes with an 8GB microSD card for memory expansion purposes. Of course, the best feature of the handset is its 4.52-inch SuperAMOLED Plus display with its 800 x 4800 resolution while its camera department is just as impressive with a main 8MP shooter found at its back panel and a 2MP video call camera residing in its front bezel.
June 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
ICS took away the brightness slider at top of screen. It keeps turning off my capacitive button lights. It ruined the native email app. It added 3 instances of Social Hub as running services. It disabled NoLock app. It added every person I’ve ever emailed to my contacts. It uses more RAM. It changes the way you take screen shots, but doesn’t tell you how. Don’t do it, people.
June 14, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I just switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and purchased a Samsung Galaxy S2. In my opinion, the preinstalled Android 2.3.6 version is excellent on my phone and I could care less for the “newest, latest, greatest” update like Ice Cream Sandwich. If I cared for ICS on a Samsung device then I would have just waited for the Samsung Galaxy S3.
June 16, 2012 at 2:34 am
Yas
June 18, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Can someone post directions on how to update?
June 19, 2012 at 2:30 am
Finally, the ICS update…
IS IT A REQUIRED UPDATE??
Problem is, do I want it? Do I trust it? T-Mobile is already spamming my phone via unwanted sms messages, and their add-on tolls/apps/features are worthless (and create more diamond if I use them)…
Well, why is the update popping up on my phone a dozen times a day, without being able to say ‘no’.
I’m disappointed in T-Mobile becoming a spam company. And it’s “tools” added on to the core android operating system also take all thus space/memory, and I don’t use even one of them!
Is there something way to opt out of the software update for ICS? How can I permanently disabled all of t-mobile-schedule add-on apps. How do I ock all the drama sms messages?
Answer: Drop T-Mobile? Sell the phone (now worth.20, on sale), buy an iPhone (because Android and Macs cannot synch contacts or calendars anywsy), then hate the iPhone, cease all electronics use, find an abacus, forget the technology bullshit that I deal with everyday, be happy and social again…
June 19, 2012 at 3:15 pm
@ EdB – Totally agree! I wish there would be a way to go back to the previous gingerbread thingy!
June 20, 2012 at 11:33 am
@Steve, you should be able to adjust those settings for the “spam” T-Mo is sending you. Try logging in to the T-Mo web site, go to Profile > Communications Preferences. You’ll see an opt-in / opt-out place where you can update your preferences. Good luck. T-Mo has never left a bad taste in my mouth. They are by far the best choice for me.
June 21, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I am so happy with my Samsung Galaxy S2 with Android 2.3.6 that I have no intention of putting ICS on it, at least not at this time. I’ve had my S2 for 7 months and it’s the best phone I’ve ever had. Never a dropped call, perfect size for me, handles very well my 150+ daily work emails, it’s blazing fast, apps work perfectly, and it does everything I need for work and play. I don’t understand the problem some have mentioned with TMobile spams and add-on apps. I unchecked the auto-update box and I have not been bothered with junk at all. The S2 is perfect for my needs, so for me it’s a no-brainer: “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”