Will my Android get Ice Cream Sandwich?

It's really difficult to say for certain which phones will get Android's Ice Cream Sandwichsoftware and which will not. So far the only phone announced that will have the software at launch is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that's expected to be sold on Verizon Wireless in the U.S.

But other phones will eventually get the update, just as Android manufacturers have been updating devices to the Gingerbread software.

I asked a Google representative if he could offer any ideas regarding which devices might be supported or if there were any hard and fast hardware requirements that would exclude certain devices. He said there are not specific hardware requirements for Ice Cream Sandwich, but he said it's unlikely that Android devices that are a couple of years old would get the update. For example, if there's anyone who still has a T-Mobile G1, the first Android device on the market back in 2008, don't expect to be get the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

If the hardware isn't a limitation per se, how will consumers know if their Android phone will get the update? My rule of thumb would be that the most recent and most heavily marketed devices by the main manufacturers are likely to be first in line when it comes to the new software update.

So what does this mean for you and your LG Revolution? I asked an LG representative for some insight, but she wasn't able to get back to me in time for this story. But considering that the LG Revolution still hasn't gotten the Gingerbread update, I don't expect LG to push the Ice Cream Sandwich to the LG Revolution.

Unfortunately, LG hasn't had the best track record for updating its Android phones in a timely fashion. To be honest, neither have Motorola, Samsung, or HTC. But in general the Android manufacturers are getting better at rolling out updates more frequently and the hope is that Ice Cream Sandwich updates will come out more quickly than previous updates.

Part of the problem is that some of the manufactures layer on their own software "skins" to customize the devices. For instance, Motorola has MotoBlur and HTC has Sense. As a result, when new updates are introduced from Google, the manufacturers have to figure out how to make those updates work with their software.

"Generally speaking, the more handset maker influence a company puts into the interface, the longer it takes for development and update cycles," Scott Webster, a blogger for CNET's Android Atlas and an expert in all things Android wrote in a recent post.

Here's a quick synopsis of how I think the major Android manufacturers will handle the Ice Cream Sandwich update:

Samsung

Given that the first phone to be released with Ice Cream Sandwich is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, my guess is that several of the more recently launched Samsung phones will also get the Ice Cream Sandwich update, including the entire line of Nexus S phones on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA. I also think the Samsung Galaxy S II phones that were just released this fall will also get the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

Motorola
At the launch of the Motorola Droid Razr last week, which happened hours before the Galaxy Nexus was released, Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of portfolio and product management for Motorola, told me that the Droid Razr would likely get the Ice Cream Sandwich update in the first half of 2012. He said that the Droid Bionic was also in line for the Ice Cream sandwich update. I also expect other newer Motorola devices, such as the Droid 3 or Atrix 2, to get the update. After all, the specifications and processing capability in the Droid 3 is comparable to the Droid Bionic and Droid Razr.

HTC
HTC issued a statement last week after Ice Cream Sandwich was introduced saying that it's currently looking at which phones it will update with the latest version of the Google software.

"We are excited about the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are currently reviewing its features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans," the statement said. "Our goal for Android updates is to give every customer an improved user experience, which means balancing each phone's unique hardware, HTC Sense experience and the Android kernel. While our goal is to upgrade as many of our recent devices as possible, we are committed to maintaining every phone's performance and usability first."

Scott Webster of Android Atlas thinks that HTC will likely upgrade its latest devices first with the Ice Cream Sandwich update. These newer devices include, the Sensation 4G, Evo 3D, and Amaze 4G. He said that slightly older but popular devices, such as the Evo 4G and G2, could see Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. But he said it's unlikely that HTC will support older devices like the Droid Incredible or Aria. "Those models may just be a little too old," he said.

Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson has also said that it plans all of its most recent phones released in 2011 will get the Ice Cream Sandwich software. This means that the Xperia line of devices will likely be Ice Cream Sandwich-compatible sometime next year.

LG
As I mentioned above, LG doesn't have a great track record when it comes to updates. So while I don't expect your LG Revolution to get Ice Cream Sandwich, I think it's more likely that the LG Optimus 3D, which was released this summer, might get it. But even that is not guaranteed.

If you happen to have a phone that doesn't get the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich or it's taking too long for the manufacturer to make that upgrade, you can always root your phone and use what's called a custom ROM. When you "root" the phone, you basically strip it of all the extra software. This can be done because the Android platform is open source. Then you can reinstall a modified version of Android called a ROM.

But rooting your phone and installing a new modified version of the operating system is not for everyone. Average wireless subscribes may not want to be bothered.

So to answer the second part of your question about whether you need Ice Cream Sandwich, I don't think that you do. For you, it would be great if you can get Gingerbread. And that upgrade I do think is coming. If you're happy with your phone, I wouldn't worry too much about all these updates. While the new Ice Cream Sandwich software will make Android phones more user-friendly, it doesn't mean that previous versions of the phone don't work at all.

So my advice is wait to see what happens with the update. If it doesn't come to your phone, and you really want the update, you can always root and install a ROM that will support the latest software available. If you're happy with whatever software you're using, sit tight. By the time your contract ends, Google will probably have moved on to the next yummy-sounding version of its Android software called Jellybean Android 5.0 or some such.

I'm already salivating just thinking of it.