Samsung has started the
process of updating its Galaxy S2 smartphones with the latest version of
Android. Korean S2 owners as well as those in Poland, Hungary and Sweden will
start to get the update from 13 March. The update will gradually be rolled out
to other markets and is expected to hit the UK on 19 March. Changes in Android
4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, include refinements to the touchscreen and
letting owners unlock a phone with their face. The electronics firm announced
that the update to Android 4.0 was imminent via its corporate Twitter account.
Big seller
Samsung was a launch
partner for Android 4.0 and its Nexus handsets were among the first to use it.
However, owners of the Galaxy S2 have had to wait for their update. The S2 has
been a hugely popular device for Samsung and the firm claims to have sold more
than 22 million handsets since its launch in February 2011. It helped Samsung
become the world's biggest seller of smartphones in late 2011, according to
figures from industry analysts Gartner. Android-based smartphones are by far
the most popular category. Gartner estimates that more than 52% of smartphones
are Android based. By comparison Apple has a 15% share of the market. Stuart
Miles, founder and chief executive of gadget site Pocket-lint, said the update
was likely to be welcomed by S2 owners. "It comes five months after the
first Ice Cream Sandwich device from Samsung but the update is better than
nothing," he said.
How quickly owners can
update their device depends on their network operator and whether they have
unlocked their phone. Some operators may take a long time to push the software
out to customers' devices. "There are lots of handsets out there that
still haven't got the update or won't ever get the update," said Mr Miles.
Samsung said it was planning to update its Note and Tab products with Ice Cream
Sandwich soon but has not yet given a date.
No comments:
Post a Comment