Requesting anonmimity, Toshiba engineers confirmed to PhoneNews.com that both the seven-inch and ten-inch versions of the Toshiba Thrive would be upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (or ICS for short).
This contradicts unconfirmed reports from Toshiba technical support that the Thrive line would not be upgraded to Android 4.0.
Toshiba has not yet offered an official statement regarding if the Thrive family of devices would be upgraded to ICS. The tablet line has faced an embattled launch, with Toshiba struggling alongside other Android tablet manufacturers to provide competitive advantage over Apple’s iPad.
The key differentiator for Thrive, at launch, was its built-in USB host ports. This enabled Thrive to be the first mass-production Android tablet to allow users to connect USB keyboards, game pads, and mass storage devices with ease. Toshiba accomplished this using newer Honeycomb features that were made official in Android 3.2.
However, shortly after launch Motorola embraced the same functionality via an adapter cable. In addition, hackers had already unlocked the functionality in Xoom prior to the release of Thrive. This subdued hackers to Thrive’s otherwise-attractive innovation.
More recently, Toshiba announced the seven-inch Thrive, which is more in-line with other current-generation seven-inch Tablets.
The lack of official commitment to Android 4.0 isn’t helping Thrive sales, either. Motorola recently committed to upgrading all of its Android tablets to Android 4.0, including the failed Motorola XOOM. Samsung has also committed to Android 4.0 for its lineup of second-generation Galaxy Tab devices.
Toshiba representatives at CES declined to provide an official comment to PhoneNews.com related to the Thrive and Android 4.0. We received no clarification or corrections regarding the comments from our discussions with Toshiba engineers..
Other than it’s size, it’s a great tablet. Who wouldn’t want to be able to replace their own battery instead of sending their device in to the factory?
ICS would make this tablet even better.
I have been looking for a tablet and smart phone for about 6 months now. I am not one who is interested in having to tweak and “root” a device to get it to do what I want, or to accept the latest OS; I just want an intuitive interface and a seamless, transparent, process for OS upgrades. What I have been reading about all the fragmentation of Android OS versions, and the constant uncertainty about which Android OS devices would make the leap to ICS, and which would be left behind as unsupported, has made me extremely reluctant to commit to an Android device (phone or tablet). I really like the Toshiba Thrive, but won’t buy one unless it will be supported with an ICS upgrade; same with the Samsung phones that I’ve been looking at. What all the unceratinty with Android OS does is make me look more favorably on iOS devices (iPhone/iPad). When Appple supports their iPhone 3GS (a device that is 2 generations old) with the latest OS and does the same with their tablets, and that OS upgrade is as simple as hooking up to my PC and downloading, well that is much more attractive to the casual user like me. I’m still waiting for ICS to become the standard Android OS, but if it doesn’t happen soon, and Android devices continue to fall by the wayside as new OS versions are released, I will more than likely go with Apple iOS devices.
Hey rickyk…. you look like an anxious guy … anxious people need solid structure… easy path… I’m thinking a close environment …. I think you better go with iOs
But I let u know this: having a thrive feels more like having a “tablet-laptop” then having a “tablet-giga-ipod”