AT&T upgrading 11 devices to Android Ice Cream Sandwich

AT&T (NYSE:T) updated the HTC Vivid to run Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android 4.0, a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich," and said it will roll out the operating system upgrade to 10 additional devices in the coming months.

AT&T is targeting the LG Nitro, Motorola Atrix 2 and Atrix 4G, Pantech Burst and Element and Samsung Captivate Glide, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Skyrocket and Galaxy Tab 8.9 as recipients of Android 4.0. The operator did not announce a timetable for the software rollout.

Android 4.0 is available now for AT&T subscribers using the HTC Vivid. The update brings new features including Beats by Dr. Dre Audio, which supports richer, enhanced sound across music and video applications. The HTC Vivid also introduces Face Unlock, a new screen-lock option that leverages the device's front-facing camera to enable subscribers to secure their phone using facial recognition.

HTC Vivid owners can download Android 4.0 via Wi-Fi by visiting the website. If Wi-Fi is not an option, subscribers can download the software to their PC and install the update as a sideload. Beginning today, AT&T will send out an SMS alert notifying customers of upgrade availability.

Android 4.0 delivers the tablet-optimized innovations introduced in Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb update to all devices to reduce platform fragmentation. Highlights include more intuitive gestures, sophisticated animations and modernized typefaces. Google has promised that moving forward, the same version of Android will run across all devices, regardless of screen size.

Google's Android Developers dashboard reveals that only 1.6 percent of all Android devices are currently running a version of Ice Cream Sandwich. Android devices make up 48.6 percent of the U.S. smartphone market according to comScore data issued earlier this month.

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