Galaxy Nexus does not have Adobe Flash, nor can it be downloaded

That’s right, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus does not have Adobe Flash installed. Of course, when an application isn’t included we tend to query a quick search in the Android Market. And as you can see below, it was nowhere to be found!

But what could this mean? Just earlier we speculated Adobe’s plans for future mobile Flash development, and clearly all evidence suggests HTML5 will eventually be king. There may very well be something included in Android 4.0 that we may have missed, or something big planned on the way. One of the big selling points for Android over iOS and other competitors is its ability to play Flash content, so the fact that Google’s latest “developer” phone doesn’t have it must be a sign of innovation soon to come.

The theory that Flash could be converted on the fly to HTML5 could change the game completely. Devices running Android 4.0 like the Galaxy Nexus could potentially never need a Flash update again. How this would affect the overall browser speed is a different story.
Update: We got word that Flash hasn’t been released for ICS yet so as far as we know, Adobe will support Flash for ICS. We’re reaching out to Adobe for release date.
Update 2: Flash confirmed for Ice Cream Sandwich.

[via Reddit]

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Galaxy Nexus benchmarks: good, not great

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve got a Galaxy Nexus in the house. We’ve been busting our collective humps to get you as much information as possible about the new hardware and Ice Cream Sandwich, and our latest effort is n that all-important and relative statistic, CPU and GPU benchmarks. If you want to get to the goods right away, you can hit the gallery at the bottom of this post.

So, how does the Galaxy Nexus fare? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that it’ll beat many of the current phones on the market… the bad news is, it won’t beat them all. The Galaxy Nexus scored between 1800 and 2140 on the Quadrant benchmark, which is respectable, but nowhere near what some other phones are getting these days. For example, the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S II scored a scorching 3915 when we reviewed it, and the Skyrocket on AT&T got almost 2500, both of them using dual-core processors. The quad-core Tegra 3 is putting up mind-blowing numbers on the Asus Transformer Prime.

So why is the Galaxy Nexus looking pokey in Quadrant and other benchmarks? The obvious answer is that Ice Cream Sandwich is using a lot more hardware power than the Gingerbread phones that came before it. ICS has more in common with the tablet-centric Honeycomb than previous versions, and the visual goodies and enhanced features are likely squeezing top-end hardware for all they’re worth. What does this mean for users? Well, from everything we’ve seen, the ICS interface and most apps do just fine. But a deceptive as hardware benchmarks can be, it’s hard not to think that the Galaxy Nexus will be noticeably slower running high-performance games and Flash video, at least until the first round of updates.

We’ll be sure to put all the relevant software through its paces for our final review. In the meantime you can check out the other benchmark results in the gallery.

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ICS ROMs start appearing, Galaxy S II and Optimus 3D get it first

We told you that it would only be a few days after the source code dropped that Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs would begin to come out. Lo and behold, some extremely sleepy custom ROM builders have already got Android 4.0 running on retail hardware. The first two devices to see early ports are the Samsung Galaxy S II and the LG Optimus 3D.

Now, SGSII and Optimus 3D owners, don’t rush to install these just yet. They’re both extremely early builds, and on the Galaxy S II version not even the WiFi is working yet. Moreover, the separate YouTube users haven’t posted links or instructions – not that you’d want to use something so unfinished as a reliable ROM anyway. Rest assured these and other Android modders are hard at work on just about every active and popular device, and even a few that aren’t. You can check out the two phones in action below:

So, when can you get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich? If you’re in Europe and you’ve got several hundred dollars worth of local currency, you can go and buy a Galaxy Nexus now. Here in the U.S. they’re still thin on the ground, with one very notable exception. Verizon still hasn’t given an official date for the Galaxy Nexus release date, because they hate you and don’t want your money they just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Here’s hoping that it sees the light of day in the next week or two. On the software side, more stable versions for existig phones will be coming out of the mod community soon, with super-ROMs like CyanogenMod likely coming in the spring.
[via Engadget]

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ICS tablet interface shows up in Android Market screenshots

By now you’ve probably been inundated with screenshots and hands-on photos of Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus. But one thing that’s currently missing is a good look at Ice Cream Sandwich’s tablet interface. Well, it looks like Google just couldn’t wait for an ICS update and started playing around on their own – screenshots of the tablet interface can be found on the Android Market listing for Google Music.

You can see that ICS on a tablet-sized screen looks a lot like Honeycomb – no real surprise there, as it’s sharing a lot of the same digital DNA. The only really obvious way to tell that the Music app is even running on Ice Cream Sandwich is the new navigation buttons (matching the Galaxy Nexus) and the color scheme around the notification area. For another look at ICS running in tablet mode, check out the official promotional image from Google.
One of the most important additions to the Android base in Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) is that the same software can run on phones and tablets while scaling to match the size of the applicable screen. So far ICS hasn’t shown up on any tablets in the wild, though the Asus Transformer Prime will most likely be the first to get an official update. You might be seeing homemade ICS ROMS spring up for popular Honeycomb tablets like the XOOM and Galaxy Tab 10.1 soon, as independent ROM developers dig deeper into the Ice Cream Sandwich open source code released last week.
[via Droid Life]

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Eager dev gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running on PandaBoard

We knew the minute that the Ice Cream Sandwich source code was released, thousands of Android devs were hard at work on ROMs, ports and other projects. It looks like YouTube user pfefferzlinaro gets to claim “first” on an ICS dev build: he’s released a video of Ice Cream Sandwich running from source on a PandaBoard, output to a monitor or small television. The build is extremely early and far from functional but it is, well, first.

A PandaBoard is an ARM system-on-a-chip computer that shares a lot of hardware components with common Android phones and tablets. It’s designed to be a developer test tool – essentially, it allows devs to test their Linux or Android apps (or in this case, operating systems) before moving on to more varied hardware. The developer in question has put together a quick and dirty version of Ice Cream Sandwich just to prove that is can be done. There’s still some interesting things to be seen here, mostly in that the horizontal resolution gives us the first good look at what ICS will be like on a tablet.
Check out the video for yourself below:




You can expect more useful versions of ICS to start appearing within the next few days and weeks. It’s a good bet that the Nexus S and Nexus One will see some very quick ports, with other popular devices to follow. That said, it’ll be a few weeks before any of these ports start approaching the level of daily drivers, so keep a Nandroid backup handy if you’re the tinkering type.

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CyanogenMod team begins work on CM9 Ice Cream Sandwich, skips

CyanogenMod is without a doubt the most popular and prolific of the myriad custom Android ROMs, and now that the Ice Cream Sandwich source code is available, the team is hard at work on an Android 4.0 version. Cyanogen and his teammates only work with AOSP code, so they haven’t bothered with the various SDK ports that have popped up recently. Steve “Cyanogen” Kondik confirmed that work has begun in his Twitter feed.

A word on nomenclature: CyanogenMod 9 will be the official name for the Ice Cream Sandwich version, skipping straight from the Gingerbread build in CyanogenMod 7. The name “CyanogenMod 8″ is reserved for a Honeycomb version. However, it’s unlikely that Honeycomb will ever see an official CyanogenMod release, even though the source code has finally been included with the ICS code. There’s just no reason not to continue to ICS, since it’s designed to work with both tablets and smartphones.
Development on the latest Gingerbread build, CyanogenMod 7.2, will continue concurrently while CyanogenMod 9 is being developed. The CyanogenMod team is famously against deadlines, but you can expect early builds within the next few weeks and alphas withing three months at the most. If that seems like a long time, remember that most manufacturer updates will take at least that long – if you’re lucky. In the meantime, quicker (and less stable) ICS builds should begin popping up for current phones any day now.

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Sony Ericsson commits to Ice Cream Sandwich for all current phones

Following the flurry of excitement after the release of the official Ice Cream Sandwich source code yesterday, Sony Ericsson is assuring its customers that every Xperia phone made in 2011 will receive an official update. That includes the Xperia arc and arc S, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo and neo V, Xperia mini and mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active, Xperia ray as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman. Of course, not all models are available in all markets.

Sony didn’t give any timeframe on when to expect the updates, but for those who bought their phones on contract, remember that they’re largely contingent upon carriers’ cooperation – a particularly belligerent carrier might choose not to update their phone at all. Other major manufacturers are quoting between six weeks and four months for the first ICS updates, but given the unfortunately spotty history of Android rollouts, it may be quite a while longer before some see any new software. Sony’s reputation on the matter isn’t the best in the Android business, but it’s far from the worst – we’ll see how Sony’s proposed acquisition of Ericsson affects software development.
Sony joins the major Android manufacturers in reiterating to its customers that they’ll be seeing Ice Cream Sandwich at some point. HTC and Samsung have promised updates for those devices that can handle the increased system requirements, and Motorola said that phones running ICS would begin appearing just six weeks after the source code was released. (For the record, that’s right around New Years’s, Moto. Just sayin’.) If you’re brave and at least reasonable technical, community-authored ICS ROMS and mods should begin appearing this week, with more stable and reliable versions to follow.
[via UnwiredView]

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Lenovo set to trot out 10.1-inch ICS tablet

With Android ICS on the horizon, you can bet that we are going to see everyone in the tablet market that has used Android or thinks they might want to hop on the Android 4.0 wagon. One of the tablet makers that will be offering up Android 4.0 tablets will be Lenovo according to a rumor. Engadget claims that a source has told it a new ICS tablet from Lenovo is inbound.

The tablet is said to packing Tegra 3 from NVIDIA and have 2GB of DDR3 RAM. The tablet is also said to have a USB host port with a little flap covering it. Other tidbits from the rumor source include the fact that the camera will have a rear camera and a fingerprint scanner. The camera resolution is unknown but the source says that the fingerprint scanner will also work as an optical joystick.
The is in indication on the weight and size of the tablet, but it appears to be very svelte indeed. There is no indication of when the tablet will land. Other makers are aiming for Q1 so perhaps we will see this Lenovo tablet then as well. We will be watching for more details.
[via SlashGear]

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Ice Cream Sandwich source release Nov 17 tips manufacturer

Most of us are a familiar with Notion Ink and its line of Android tablets called Adam. The company has been around for a while now and so far, the tablets haven’t proven to be super successful. Notion Ink is working on the next generation of its tablets and back in July, the tip surfaced that the Adam Two would be landing in December of this year.

We aren’t sure yet if that will happen, but Notion Ink has seemingly confirmed the launch of Ice Cream Sandwich. The company posted up a support note for its migration to a new support system. We weren’t interested in that at all, but the tidbit at the bottom of that support note really caught our attention. Notion Ink has tipped when ICS will be released.
According to the sentence November 17 is when Notion Ink is expecting ICS to be out in source form. The company also says that there will be a bunch of TabletROMs floating around at that point. We only have a few more days to wait to find out if this tip is accurate or not, stay tuned.

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Google talks Roboto design decisions for ICS

Along with the talks of the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS came chats about the devices that would get the update, such as the Galaxy Nexus, and chats about a new typeface of all things. Google opted for a new typeface with ICS that is dubbed Roboto. The name left geeks everywhere with Styx running through their heads, but Google had a reason for the new typeface. Google’s Matias Duarte talked a bit about the Roboto typeface recently.

Duarte says that the Droid font face that Android has traditionally used was designed for screens with a lower pixel density than the HD screens that are common in devices today. He says that the Droid typeface struggled to give the openness and information density needed in ICS. The Google typeface gang set out to create a new typeface that would be visually appealing and take advantage of high-density screens like the Galaxy Nexus offers, and then still be legible on lower density screens like the Galaxy S.
Roboto sprang from the straight-sided grotesk fonts, though circular fonts like future were considered. The lower case letters were softened up to make them easier to read with the “e” and “g” opened up and the “a”, “c”, and “s” characters remaining closed. It’s a bit surprising to me how much effort was put into the typeface alone. The team working on the typeface is still at work extending the font to work on computers. I hope the OS is as polished as the typeface.

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Black Ice Theme For MIUI Transforms Your Device Into Ice Cream Sandwich

Christmas may have come early this year for HTC Thunderbolt users with a developer over on XDA by the name of DroidVicious releasing a fully functional build of the MIUI for the Thunderbolt. MIUI has long been my ROM of choice when rocking a rooted device and to help celebrate this momentous occasion for Thunderbolt users, I thought I’d post an amazing ICS theme that I ran into. It’s called Black Ice and it transforms MIUI into a spitting image of Ice Cream Sandwich.


If you like what you see, don’t be shy and download Black Ice here. For updates and instructions, jump on over to the source link below. Cheers!
Thanks, Steven!
[Via XDA]

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HTC Ville leaks with ICS, super-slim profile and Super AMOLED display

HTC’s spring lineup is starting to come into focus. In addition to the jaw-dropping Edge, the HTC Ville has also been leaked to BGR. While its specs aren’t quite as world-conquering as the former, it’s an impressive handset in its own right that embraces Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC’s upcoming Sense 4.0.

The Ville uses a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED screen, which is smaller than the Edge’s in both size and resolution. Note the lack of Android navigation buttons in the leaked render, an clear indication of Ice Cream Sandwich. Power comes from a dual-core 1.5Ghz Snapdragon processor and a 1650mAh battery. HTC’s unibody design precludes NFC, unfortunately, but the Ville will be less than 8 millimeters thin and features Beats audio, as do all of HTC’s upcoming high-end phones.
The Ville is rumored for an April release along with the Edge, with an announcement at the Mobile World Congress in February. Currently the phone is set for HSPA+, which probably means a Europe-focused launch at the start. That doesn’t mean that is won’t come to the US, just that it probably won’t be released there initially – like the Desire and Sensation before it, the Ville seems likely to be a workhorse platform for several HTC models. We’ll add the disclaimer that all this information is wildly unofficial at the moment, so consider nothing set in stone.

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Samsung Galaxy S II Receives Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich MIUI ROM

Yes, you are reading that right. Apparently those crafty developers over on XDA have done it again, this time they’ve managed to combine fan-favorite ROM, MIUI with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This MIUI ROM in particular takes the merged ICS framework from GalnetMIUI 1.11.2 and a pinch of CM7 for the AT&T Galaxy S II and presto! An almost fully functional MIUI Android 4.0 ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S II on AT&T.



If you’re hoping to see some Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich UI elements keep in mind this is still very much MIUI. While this is technically a ROM with the Android 4.0 firmware, all the UI and core apps are still MIUI. This actually gives you a good idea of what to expect once other OEM’s get their hands on the ICS source and theme it up with their own special UI’s. But for now just bask in the ambience or if you have a rooted AT&T Galaxy S II… get to flashing!

Thanks, Dima!

[Via XDA]

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HTC confirms Ice Cream Sandwich updates for Sensation, more

HTC has revealed its initial upgrade plans for Ice Cream Sandwich, confirming that the new HTC Vivid along with most of the company’s other recent high-end devices will get Android 4.0. According to HTC, the Sensation, Sensation XL and Sensation XE will all get ICS upgrades, along with the HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G.

The actual upgrade process itself won’t kick off until early in 2012, giving HTC’s engineers time to get the platform up to speed with their hardware. It’s unclear at this stage what HTC will do with Sense, the company’s custom interface, but the assumption is that HTC will continue to reskin Android even on Ice Cream Sandwich.
HTC says it is “continue to assess” its range to see what other existing devices can handle an Android 4.0 upgrade, and will release more specific timescales soon. Samsung announced its own Ice Cream Sandwich update plans late last month.
More on Ice Cream Sandwich in our Google Q&A.

“HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we’re thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades: We can confirm the brand new HTC Vivid is upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich. In addition, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in early 2012 to a variety of devices including the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL and HTC Sensation XE, as well as the HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G through close integration with our carrier partners. We’re continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich.”

[via Engadget]

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AT&T says HTC Vivid and Samsung Skyrocket will get ICS updates

AT&T’s first two LTE smartphones both run Android Gingerbread, but they’ve got the unfortunate luck of being released just a few weeks before Ice Cream Sandwich lands on the Galaxy Nexus. AT&T has confirmed that both the HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket will be updated to Android 4.0  eventually. No specifics were mentioned, but a nebulous “early 2012″ should see the rollouts begin.

The news isn’t altogether surprising, since both phones offer high-end hardware and have a place of distinction in AT&T’s lineup. AT&T doesn’t want the prospect of handsets stuck on outdated software (for too long, anyway) to deter sales, set to begin this Sunday. Even so, the confirmation is appreciated – all too often Android enthusiasts are left to wonder about this sort of thing.
If the timeframe seems long, it’s probably because both Samsung and HTC need to integrate their custom user interfaces with Ice Cream Sandwich. HTC is quoting a Q1 timeframe for the ICS update to the Rezound on Verizon. Both TouchWiz and Sense are pretty extensive modifications of Android’s base code, so the wait could be a long one for almost all of each manufacturer’s phones.
For a better look at each of these new phone,s check out our hands-on coverage of the HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

Related articles

• AT&T Announces the 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Nov. 6 for $249.99 (goandroid.co.in)
• HTC Vivid Official for AT&T, Nov. 6th for $199.99 (goandroid.co.in)

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HTC Rezound set to get Ice Cream Sandwich early 2012

Today HTC and Verizon have joined forces and made the HTC Rezound official during the event in NYC. Along with showing off the new 4G LTE smartphone and detailing all its specs, they also mentioned a few important things regarding Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. HTC specifically called the Rezound “ICS ready” and mentioned they have a strick update plan set for early 2012.

While they didn’t announce anything specific regarding a date for this new 4.3″ dual-core smartphone packing an impressive 1280 x 720p resolution, it does give those potential buyers the added security of knowing the latest and greatest should be coming, and soon. For a breakdown of the event and what all was detailed you can see our official announcement here. With a 720p display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Beats Audio this looks to be an impressive handset.

The brand new HTC Rezound can be yours come November 14th for just $299 (with a new 2 year agreement of course). While we don’t have any specifics on an off contract price we expect it to be priced above $600 just like the equally impressive DROID RAZR. With 720p, 4G LTE, Beats Audio, and a promise of ICS what more could you ask for? Other than maybe the Galaxy Nexus. We will have the HTC Rezound in for review very very soon so stay tuned right here at Android Community for all the pictures you can handle.

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