Mobile phone manufacturer LG will be offering the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS upgrade for a range of LG smart-phones which were introduced this year, with the global upgrade schedule begining in the second and third quarters of 2012, which will be followed by a global roll out, according to a post on the company’s Facebook page.
LG announced during the second quarter of 2012 upgrades will begin for the following smartphone models, the LG Optimus LTE, Prada phone by LG 3.0, the LG Optimus 2X, the LG Optimus Sol, the LG my Touch Q and the LG Eclipse. These upgrades will be followed by upgrades for the following smartphone models during the third quarter of 2012: the LG Optimus 3D, the LG Optimus Black, the LG Optimus Big, the LG Optimus Q2 and the LG Optimus EX.
The company said will be taking all possible measure to offer a smooth OS upgrade in a timely manner. The exact start dates can vary by market, as each country can have different requirements, depending on the carrier and the smartphone model. Sony also recently used Facebook to announce platform upgrades in the coming year.
Some analysts say what these reports highlight is that the race to upgrade phones to ICS is well underway. Major Android upgrades have long been a source of contention for consumers who feel they wait too long for phone makers and carriers to support new platform versions. For example, Samsung’s first Galaxy line took a notoriously long time to get the Android 2.2 "Froyo" bump in 2011. HTC has been among the quicker OEMs to ensure its Android phones received timely upgrades.
In July, LG Electronics officials, who earlier this year boasted of an aggressive expansion of their smartphone portfolio, are now reportedly cutting their smartphone sales projections by 20 percent after losing business to such competitors as Apple and Samsung. Park Jong Seok, head of LG’s mobile business, told reporters at a media briefing July 7 that the company now expects to sell 24 million smartphones, down from the 30 million it had forecast earlier this year, according to a Bloomberg News report.
To read the original eWeek article, click here: LG Offers Details on Android Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade