Samsung Canada has finished porting Ice Cream Sandwich to a whole bunch of devices, which in Samsung press release parlance means they are "eligible" for an upgrade. Does that mean you can hit that "update" button today and start downloading ICS? Well, that's complicated.

First though, the list of devices:

  • GALAXY S II
  • GALAXY S II LTE
  • GALAXY S II LTE HD
  • GALAXY S II X
  • GALAXY Note
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus
  • GALAXY Tab 8.9
  • GALAXY Tab 10.1

Now, for the caveats: Sammy says "The upgrade will be available today on select devices in Canada and will continue rolling out to devices and carriers throughout the quarter." and "The availability of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements. For carrier specific details, please visit your nearest carrier retailer." So basically Samsung is saying "We are done, it's up to your carrier." So after the carriers get done testing, poking, and installing bloatware, you'll get your upgrade.

This should be good news for the aforementioned Galaxy owners in other regions too. The software for different regions is about 90% compatible, so your Ice Cream Sandwich updates should be well on their way, too.

The press release isn't exactly clear on exactly who, in Canada, gets Ice Cream Sandwich today and who has to wait. So a question to all our Canadian commenters: What Galaxy device do you have, what carrier are you on, and happens when you mash that update button? Good luck!

Samsung Canada Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade

Now available in Canada for Select Samsung GALAXY devices

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 30, 2012 /CNW/ - Samsung Electronics Canada is pleased to announce the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for Samsung GALAXY devices. The upgrade will be available today on select devices in Canada and will continue rolling out to devices and carriers throughout the quarter.

Ice Cream Sandwich brings a fresh look and feel to Android. It has a new user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, a full Web browsing experience and innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses the front facing camera for facial recognition to unlock the smartphone.

"We are passionate about providing the best possible mobile experience to Canadians and the upgrade to Android 4.0 will offer an improved user experience for Samsung GALAXY devices," said Paul Brannen, Vice President, Mobile Communications at Samsung Canada. "We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade and we remain committed, alongside our carrier partners, to satisfy our customer needs".

Devices eligible for an ICS upgrade include:

  • GALAXY S II
  • GALAXY S II LTE
  • GALAXY S II LTE HD
  • GALAXY S II X
  • GALAXY Note
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0
  • GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus
  • GALAXY Tab 8.9
  • GALAXY Tab 10.1

Recently introduced to the Canadian marketplace, Samsung GALAXY S II X and Samsung GALAXY S II LTE HD are NFC enabled, which enables consumers to utilize Android Beam™. Android Beam allows users to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping two phones back-to-back. Users can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk™.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements. For carrier specific details, please visit your nearest carrier retailer. For more information on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, please visit www.samsung.com.

Android Beam, Google Talk and YouTube are trademarks of Google Inc.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Canada delivers unrivalled consumer experiences. Samsung enables Canadians to pursue their passions by offering a broad range of award-winning digital consumer electronics, IT, telecommunications and home appliance products. The Canadian arm upholds Samsung's global mission to provide consumers with innovative digital convergence products that possess exceptional technology, quality, features, performance and value. As a result of its commitment to innovation and unique design, Samsung has become one of the most decorated brands in the electronics industry. The company was ranked #17 in BusinessWeek/Interbrand "100 Best Global Brands" and was named as one of Fast Company's "50 Most Innovative Companies of 2011."

For more information, please visit www.samsung.ca.

You can also Like Samsung on facebook.com/SamsungCanada or follow Samsung on twitter @SamsungCanada. For customer service inquiries, please call 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864).

For further information:

Brenna Eller
North Strategic for Samsung Mobile Communications
brenna.eller@northstrategic.com | 416-836-9417