Sprint has announced via press note that it has begun rolling out the first wave of Android 4.0 updates to owners of the Samsung Nexus S 4G.
While the update was long expected, the extended development for the update was due in part to Google’s official suspension of support for CDMA development owing to the closed nature of CDMA radio hardware and the longer than expected development cycle for carrier supported versions of Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
Enhancements/Fixes:
– Upgrades device operating system to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
– Customizable favorites tray visible on all 5 home screens just above the hard keys
– Contacts application replaced with a People application that provides improved integration with Gmail, Email, Google+ and other apps
– Multitasking allows users easy access to switch between recently used applications by tapping and holding the Home key
– Create folders on the home screen by dragging and dropping one app onto another to create a folder
– New lock screen actions allow users to jump into the camera or pull down notifications to check messages, without unlocking the device
– Swiping from left to right can dismiss individual notifications, close apps from the recent apps list, and close browser tabs
– Data usage provide controls for monitoring and managing network data usage
– Camera enhancements include capturing panoramic photos, continuous focus, zero shutter lag exposure, stabilized image zoom and decreased shot-to-shot speed
– Android Beam allows two NFC-enabled devices to exchange favorite apps, contacts, music, videos and more
The update pushes the software version to IMM76D.
With Sprint ramping up to launch its own version of the Galaxy Nexus with LTE ahead of its network launch in mid-June, the update for the Nexus S 4G is expected to be the last major update for the phone before the release of the newest model.
