SAMSUNG GALAXY USERS> Must Read!

[Koshedl]

---

Today Samsung announced that its line of Galaxy S phones, one of the most popular Android phone models of 2010, will not get Google's latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.That means ~10 million people who bought the phone are going to be stuck on the outdated version 2.3 Gingerbread (or 2.2 Froyo in many cases) until they decide to drop more cash on a new phone.
It also means Samsung is basically throwing its pledge to the Android "Alliance" that it will keep devices released within 18 months updated with the latest version of the OS out the window.
Why?
Samsung says its hardware isn't powerful enough to support Ice Cream Sandwich and its TouchWiz skin for Android. (TouchWiz is the extra layer of design Samsung adds to its Android phones. It looks a lot like iOS.)
This is awful news. Samsung just made Google look really stupid for ever claiming that Android devices will start getting on a somewhat unified update cycle, similar to what iPhone and Windows Phone users enjoy now.
It also demonstrates the inherent problem in Android phone manufacturers customizing the OS to the point where you can barely recognize Google's original intentions for design and functionality. Those skins are such a tax on a phone's hardware that it cripples functionality and makes it so all but the newest phones miss out on updates. So far, Samsung only guarantees Ice Cream Sandwich for its Galaxy S II phones. The Nexus S, which is also made by Samsung and shares similar hardware specs as many Galaxy S phones, will get the Ice Cream Sandwich update, but only because it uses a pure version of Android without the TouchWiz skin.Motorola only guarantees it for its latest Droid Razr. And HTC will issue Ice Cream Sandwich for the Rezound some time next year.
What a horrible time to buy any Android phone that isn't a Nexus-branded device. Buying a Galaxy Nexus right now seems to be the only way to guarantee you're going to get future Android updates. Otherwise you could be waiting months, a year, or (most likely) never before Samsung or whoever made your phone decides it's time for an update.
Therein lies one of the biggest problems with an open source OS like Android. Just because Android is splintered across devices from several manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, and Motorola is no excuse for Google not to make sure they'll be ready for future updates.
Look at Microsoft. Every single Windows Phone is eligible for the latest version of Windows Phone 7, even if the phone was released more than a year ago. That's because Microsoft has been smart about how it licenses Windows Phone 7, giving manufacturers a list of hardware requirements the devices must follow before they can start using the platform.
As Google continues to stick with its kumbaya message that Android should remain free and open for anyone to use anyway they please, its users are getting shafted. They have no guarantee that they'll get updates as Google issues them unless they buy a Google-approved Nexus device.
Meanwhile, Apple and Microsoft will continue to eat Google's lunch when it comes to delivering the best software to all their devices.



Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Steve Kovach on Twitter.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S Phones Ice Cream Sandwich Update

[j_tan168]

If Samsung says that Galaxy S hardware cannot cannot handle Ice Cream Sandwich with Touchwiz Skin, why not remove touchwiz skin instead? Just pure stock Ice Cream Sandwich, Like the Nexus S...

[Envy 64Ht]

I doubt Samsung's gonna roll out an AOSP ICS for GS1, Touchwiz is how they differentiate themselves from other vendors, otherwise they'll just be another vanilla google phone.

XXJVU (Open Euro) was the latest update for the GS1 which added face unlock, g-note lockscreen, gs2 photo editor features.

There have been recent posts about samsung reviewing an ICS for the GS1 but i doubt i will come out soon, as they need to spend money on every update they roll out.

[mickopono]

Wala jud nay chance... the Nexus S and Galaxy S are the same, Hardware wise... ang touchwiz rajud problema...

Most android users use custom launchers anyway diba?

Huwat lang jud tag CM9 ani

[aridoasis]

Although it's disappointing, you also have to consider the rate that Google is dishing out updates. On average, version updates for Android are about 6 months apart. In addition to that, there are several build updates in between. Also, the rate of new product releases is significantly faster than Apple or Microsoft, so it's understandable that OEM's have a difficult time in adapting older products to newer versions of Android when they have to focus on their most current product. Keep in mind too that ICS is like a complete overhaul for Android. It doesn't just drop in some new apps and functions -it redefines the OS's feel and functionality.

Besides, most Androids users won't have issues switching to MIUI or Cyanogen to get that taste of ICS.

[Envy 64Ht]

We'll just have to wait till a kind dev will port an official ICS from Nexus S to i9000 as it uses the same hardware, same drivers.

[metzine]

Useless ra man gihapon ng official rom kay mostly sa mga users sa Android ang gi pang gamit kay custom roms naman.