Sony has just informed us by way of the Sony UK Website that both of their tablets they issued a few months ago will be getting the Ice Cream Sandwich treatment. The Sony Tablet P and Tablet S remain one of the few devices out there that are being billed as full gaming devices. They both have connectivity for the official PS3 controllers via a new firmware update that came out last week. This is tremendous news for people who want to take their Android experience to the next level.
One of the more interesting aspects of this story is that even with the unique interface it will get Ice Cream Sandwich. Many venders who have custom GUI’s such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab with its Touchwiz interface has not got the ICS upgrade yet. Companies find it challenging to release new upgrades to the firmware if they have a ton of customization to the overall tablet experience. The more you personalize and add custom content, it creates barriers that need to be addressed during an OS upgrade.
One of the praises of ICS is giving all tablets with the OS to have standardized user experience so its easier to develop applications and games. It also prompts more companies to not use half-baked GUI systems that prevent the company from ever even issuing an upgrade. I can’t tell you how many low-end tablets we have reviewed that never get past Android 2.1 or 2.3.
In the end, Sony has not dropped an official release date for the Ice Cream Sandwich update. They said during the next few weeks we will see it and I have a feeling it will be demoed first at CES early next year.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
