Ah, the poor LG Spectrum. Soon after it was released with mediocre Gingerbread-based software the Samsung Galaxy S III showed up to rain on LG's parade. Well, the Spectrum is getting a big update to Android 4.0.4 that should make owners much happier. Watch out, though. It clocks in at a whopping 384MB.

Many of the new features will be familiar to users of ICS on other devices, but some of it is part of LG's Android skin. Features include:

  • Customizable lock screen shortcuts
  • Customizable home screen launch bar
  • ICS system theme
  • ICS-style app drawer with widgets
  • ICS multitasking
  • ICS-style notifications
  • Quick settings in the notification panel
  • New power saving functionality
  • ICS data usage monitor
  • Verizon Remote Diagnostic Tool (if you're into that sort of thing)

Yes, Jelly Bean has been out for months, but this was not a terribly well-received phone. Usually only the top-tier devices get the best update love. Ice Cream Sandwich is at least modern software, and it's a huge leap ahead when compared to Gingerbread – really, the old LG UI was incredibly ugly. The update should hit devices in the coming week or so. Check the Verizon update docs for more details.

[Droid Life, Verizon]