By 
According to a new report coming out of BGR, a source has claimed that Google will bump up the ship date of Android’s next flavor and its accompanying devices in an effort to better combat the release of the iPhone 5. We could see Ice Cream Sandwich handsets as early as October, creating an appealing option for owners of the first Motorola Droid with two-year contracts conveniently up for renewal around the same time. One of the first devices to run the next iteration of Android could be a next-gen Nexus model, though all is merely rumors and speculation at this point.
[via BGR]
better hurry. My upgrade discount is burning a hole in my pocket and the bionic and sgs2 look like they will be arriving next month.
I would like it, but all depends on the carrier.
I really hope Ice Cream Sandwich fixes the WiFi issues. I hate the fact that every android device I have has WiFi randomly drop out and then requires me to cycle it off and on again to work.
never had that issue
Change your WiFi Sleep Policy?
This issue was driving me insane, I tried every possible solution I could find, to no avail. I eventually broke down and got a new router. Dunno what you’ve got but I’d bet its D-link, it seems to be a common problem with those (i had a DIR-665). I’m not sure if this is an android problem or a router problem. Anywho I ended up getting an Asus n56u and it’s been absolutely perfect. Hope that’s helpful, good luck.
Original Nexus One contracts will be up in January, but I will eat the ice cream sandwich… err ETF…. if this turns out to be true. (Crossing fingers for either HTC or LG to be the manufacturer)
I’m right there with you bro. Though I may just buy a tablet if one gets the upgrade around the same time and just stick with my MT4G
yup same here, although I called T-Mobile and even though i bought my N1 Jan 30th 2010 they told me i could renew as early as Oct 15th. Worth a call if this story pans out
I’m an old-timer with T-mo and they’ve offered full discounting now, but I think my N1 will serve me until October (or even December, if need be). What a great phone! The only problem I have is managing space for apps since so many BIG, GOOGLE apps won’t move to the SD card…
Hoping this isn’t too rushed. I wouldn’t want the early issues that happened with Honeycomb to plague ICS as well.
I hope they dont rush this… Id rather they take their time to create yet another iphone killer.
I’m no iPhone fan but so far as I can tell there still has been no “iPhone killer”. iPhone is still the #1 handset/smartphone manufacturer in the world. Only reason Android has taken over as an O.S. is manufactures have been putting android on phones that are equivalent to rocks spec wise and selling them to unsuspecting consumers.
That’s why the top selling phones are the OG Droid, Galaxy S (and S2), and the HTC Desire series. rocks.
like Ian above, I am not an iPhone fan (I am a VERY happy android user) – but I hate to admit – the top selling phone happens to be the iPhone – ugh. Overall, Android sells more devices than iOS, but sadly, apple is the largest single manufacturer of mobile smart phones
As opposed to…what? Non-mobile smart phones?
Which ones were the “rocks”? I’m curious since the VAST majority of Android phones at a very minimum match the specs of the current-gen iPhone available at the time. I mean, the iPhone 5 is unlikely to even match the specs of the current generation Android devices, and everyone knows it. Apple is known for their baby steps.
Oh, and I love that Apple as the leading smartphone manufacturer is all you have left to fall back on. It would be relevant if first-time smartphone buyers were going to store debating whether to buy Apple, HTC, or Samsung. However, we all know they go to the store already knowing if they’re going to buy an iPhone or Android phone.
ONLY if it comes to Verizon!!
Google needs to stop, take a step back, and develop a plan where there is one OS out there on all phones. Any time Google makes an update, all Android phones require to update.
I can understand frustration on the developers side. I worked in an area that did this with the projects. No 2 systems were alike and all code was cobbled together. When something happened, it was near impossible to diagnosis the problem and fix it.
Open source by definition can NEVER require ANYTHING of the companies that use Android. They can do whatever they want with it however they want and don’t have to answer to Google or anyone else for it. That is this MAJOR flaw in the concept of open source development.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what ICS is trying to do? Unify the platform?
That’s the entire point of Ice Cream Sandwich bud.
I just bought an HTC Sensation 4G and if the GOOG were to come out with an ICS phone with spectacular specs then I would buy it. I could have bought the Nexus S but went with the S4G for its better specs but I did have to do the tradeoff of a stock phone.
I can’t wait for a dev to put it on the OG Droid.
/sarcasm
I remember back when ICS first was being talked about there was mention that it would end the problem with fragmentation because it would limit the manufacturer customizations. But there doesn’t seem to be much talk of this anymore. I wish Google would stop manufacturers from strapping on their own hideous UIs. Those UIs are the real reason for the state of Android fragmentation. Sure, not every phone would be sporting the latest build of Gingerbread due to hardware issues. But a lot more phones would and we wouldn’t have to wait so damn long.
They can’t do that. The entire point of Android before Google bought it was to be an open source OS that anyone could use as a base software on their phones. The manufacturers will customize the crap out of it because that’s how they can differentiate it and further monetize their devices with respect to their competitors. If every phone was the same minus the branding, it would not only be boring but also impossible for people to sell their products.
Long story short, don’t expect an HTC ICS device until spring earliest. Motorola and Samsung on the other hand will have them out by December.
I wish GOOGLE would find some loop hole or some way to close the open source on Android. If they could pull this off they may be able to salvage an O.S. that’s so fragmented it’s literally gonna start falling apart when changes like Ice Cream sandwich come along.
Are you late to android? Since the beginning we have always had different iterations of android from eclair to froyo, gingerbread, sense, motoblur, vanilla etc… and yet android still out paces everyone else. Yes there is fragmentation, but the majority of the public does not care. We here at phandroid and those on xda are really the only people who care…which i hate to tell you is a small population. On top of that in many cases these fragmentation’s in software are what actually give people choices, which is why many people are still with android. SO no, android is not going to fall apart my friend. Stop overreacting…
I don’t care about this “fragmentation”.
If you buy a good device in the first place it will be supported.
Angry Wildfire owners are pissed because it doesn’t have gingerbread, I wonder why it doesn’t have it…
to be fair, neither does the Droid 2
Who cares?
It’s not high end, and it was never high end either.
who cares? i’d guess, besides me, all other D2 and D2G owners.
i also don’t get the whole argument that a D2 isn’t “high end.” this isn’t the first time i’ve read someone saying that. if you compare the specs of the D2 with the DX and the Incredible, they’re all essentially the same (and i believe they all launched at essentially the same price point), so what makes the D2 somehow a “mid range” phone? in any event, one certainly cannot remotely find the D2 comparable to the Wildfire.
no, i’m not at all overprotective of my phone! ;)
If they did that they’d probably end up like WP7 with rehashed technology from 12 months ago, and always be behind Apple in technology. This way, they can even be 6 months ahead of Apple.
An HTC Vigor running Ice Cream Sandwich on Sense 3.5+ would be amazing. What a day for Android dreamphones!
you just ruined everything you said by adding “on Sense 3.5+” We don’t even know what ICS will look like and already you want to ruin it with “Sense”? Why?
Not that ICS won’t look great but why don’t you like Sense?
Most HTC users like Sense. They don’t root, they don’t customize, at most they put on a few apps they like. Sense is perfect them.
In fact, as a designer, I personally find it very attractive. I have a D2G and used LP to make it look as much like sense as I could.
i still need to wait until december…
Hmmm As much as I want the new Nexus phone …..I still think this is early….I’d rather that they’d release it in december…then it would be a christmas gift to myself,
Altough I do have my bachelors graduation in october…so maybe I can get it for myself for graduating :P
I need to have an excuse to buy a new phone, seeing as I did 2 years with the LG viewty and 1.3 so far with my nexus one……..Ahh screw this, I’ll get it anyway ICS ftw!
October? Damn. My upgrade isn’t until january, i figured they would release in late december again and it’d all be perfect. I’m just hoping for *anyone* but LG or Samsung.
Not like it matters, this phone won’t be available with north american 3G (for canada) until the summer anyway :(
You’re better off waiting anyway.
If you got the original moto droid at launch then your renewal date has already past, it was on July 7th of this year. I am still holding off on upgrading until a worthy phone has launched (bionic, gsII, nexus prime etc.)
I’m waiting for the NEXUS PRIME and I hope HTC makes it and the processor is Samsung along with the Super AMOLED screen, there are article’s on “arenaPhone.com” , very interesting..check it out people. The Ice Cream will be running on that device, once that come out…that’s it, that’s my last Phone?
That’s perfect timing for me if it’s on Sprint.
Hopefully more “rumors” or confirmations come out before GS2 release date. Will make deciding between Prime & GS2 easier… rather than jumping straight to GS2