HTC will upgrade 16 smartphones to Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Handset maker HTC will update 16 smartphones to run Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android 4.0 mobile operating system, first introduced in November 2011 via rival Samsung's Galaxy Nexus.

The HTC blog said the company is in the early stages of rolling out Android 4.0 (a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich") for the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE, with upgrades becoming more widely available in the next few weeks. The HTC Sensation 4G and XL will follow. HTC will later deliver Android 4.0 to the Droid Incredible 2, Amaze 4G, Desire S and HD, Evo 3D and Evo Design 4G, Raider, Rezound, Rhyme, Thunderbolt and Vivid. HTC warns it will take time for all operators in each country to get the update, adding it is working closely with carrier partners to solidify schedules.

Last week, Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) said it will update HTC's Thunderbolt, Droid Incredible 2, Rhyme and Rezound to Android 4.0, along with Motorola's Xoom, Droid Bionic, Droid Razr and Razr Maxx, Droid 4, Droid Xyboard 8.2 and 10.1; Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 and 10.1; and LG's Spectrum. Verizon indicated that additional upgrades are in the pipeline.

Android 4.0 delivers the tablet-optimized innovations introduced in Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb update to all devices to reduce platform fragmentation. Google first confirmed Ice Cream Sandwich's launch during its annual I/O developer conference in May 2011, promising 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.

For more:
- read this HTC Blog entry

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