The Samsung Galaxy S will not be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, with the South Korean tech giant killing any hopes of the Super AMOLED smart phone receiving the latest version of Android, or a rumoured 'value pack' that delivers new features.
Samsung has said hardware specifications of older Galaxy devices meant they wouldn't be updated. We've spoken to Samsung, with the company clarifying that there are no plans to put Ice Cream Sandwich or the talked-of value pack on the Galaxy S.
Samsung originally left the Galaxy S out of its list of phones that would be getting the Android 4.0 update, leading us to believe that the S -- at the cutting edge of Android only 18 months ago -- would be left out in the cold.
But then a few days after Christmas we heard Samsung was looking for ways to squeeze the update on to the Galaxy S after all. We also heard talk of a 'value pack' update that would bring enhancements to the phone, but not the full Ice Cream Sandwich experience.
But it doesn't look as though the Galaxy S will benefit from any kind of update to its functionality, leaving it to languish with its Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system for all eternity.
That's bound to irk Galaxy S owners, and while Samsung has vowed to update more recent mobiles such as the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy Note, the S is only a year and a half old, meaning there will be loads of people out there who have the phone on a two-year contract, annoyed that their mobile is already being left behind.
We've also received confirmation from Samsung that the Galaxy Ace and Samsung Galaxy Tab would definitely not be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich update.
What do you think? Are you an aggrieved Galaxy S owner? Or does Gingerbread suit you fine? Drop us a comment down below, or over on our Facebook page.
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Comments 20
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anonymous 4 January, 2012 15:25
"meaning there will be loads of people out there who have the phone on a two-year contract, annoyed that their mobile is already being left behind".
And i'd be one of those people, now i've read it is all to do with the supposed 512MB RAM limitation i say supposed as SE(nee SONY) have phones with this same RAM and those are being blessed with ICS.
No for me it's all about getting you to upgrade to a shiny new phone faster and although i'm disapointed that the GS will not be getting ICS it does not surprise me one iota.
anonymous 4 January, 2012 16:02
LOL.. read this and there are adds for the galaxy s on a 2 year contract. think i might go by a galaxy nexus next week or a nokia n9
anonymous 4 January, 2012 17:01
shame i got one of the early 16g verions and can upgrade in June but if thi is the type of support i can expect from samsung so early in the phones life then im off, was thinking about the new nexus but not now. your loss in the long run samsung not mine.
maybe give the new windows phone a try ?
anonymous 4 January, 2012 17:52
My galaxy s was only a year old when I heard this, sold it a fortnight ago and got a two year old iPhone 3gs. . . that Does still recieve updates to its o.s.
ace9988 4 January, 2012 20:54
so the nexus S gets an update....but the galaxy S doesn't ? i know touchwiz makes a difference but still.... some retarded marketing strategy from samsung, no doubt alot of customers will be hacked off. And now i'm put off buying samsung
anonymous 5 January, 2012 01:54
Vibrant has true 4.0.3 on xda forums ready to flash as well. Search passion v10 beta, it is so smooth and fast, its BS that they claim it can't support it. Its kernel is oc'd to 1.4GHz. Download voltage control and set parameters to 100-1400mhz and smartassv2 profile. Typos is the best ROM i've ever seen. I use my backup vibrant more than my Tmobile galaxy s2 now.
anonymous 5 January, 2012 08:06
Samsung have a long history of producing abandonware hardware. They have alienated a large number of former customers in the past by failing to update their phones but they promised to do better with the Galaxy S to restore customer confidence in the brand. Obviously their accountants have made the business decision yet again that a few million ****** off customers are a worthwhile sacrifice to the alternative of spending a bit of money to support the product. This is a decision which will decimate Samsung's reputation and prove that their promises are actually just lies, imo.
anonymous 5 January, 2012 16:06
Wont be an official update ...just root it and install a ICS rom...ICS works just great on the S1 it makes no difference that samsung have decided not to support it for commercial reasons, just do it yourself, its easy and works great.
nadz156 5 January, 2012 16:25
Why not give stock ICS, you Korean idiots? No one cares if it got TouchWiz or not...
anonymous 5 January, 2012 18:07
I have a Galaxy S and I'm rather ****** off. Going to root the day my warranty expires (Jan 23rd luckily), Suddenly I see why getting an iPhone isn't a bad idea after all...
anonymous 6 January, 2012 07:58
just a comment on your galaxy nexus s not getting ice cream sandwich..... I have ice cream sandwich on my galaxy nexus s and it runs very smoothly. I got to download a day or 2 before christmas and have been taking panoramic shots ever since, and enjoying other features of ice cream sandwich also. And I have A friend who has ice cream sandwich on his galaxy nexus s. So ice cream Sandwich operating SyStem iS out there on the old flagShip galaxy nexus S. Just an f y I
anonymous 6 January, 2012 13:32
As a purchaser of the very first Samsung Galaxy phone, I vowed never to buy Samsung phones again after they abandoned the phone minutes after releasing it. I'm glad I stuck to my guns over this one.
anonymous 6 January, 2012 15:19
"just a comment on your galaxy nexus s not getting ice cream sandwich..... I have ice cream sandwich on my galaxy nexus s and it runs very smoothly. I got to download a day or 2 before christmas and have been taking panoramic shots ever since, and enjoying other features of ice cream sandwich also. And I have A friend who has ice cream sandwich on his galaxy nexus s. So ice cream Sandwich operating SyStem iS out there on the old flagShip galaxy nexus S. Just an f y I"
Do you mean Google nexus S? or samsung galaxy S?
anonymous 6 January, 2012 15:38
,Samsung!Why don't you upgrade s1?Then why did you release new phones,and abandon old phones with old old software?
I dash in tour dash
anonymous 6 January, 2012 15:58
Ive just got a live walkman for £99 on 3! It IS getting ics so bad choice not updatin galaxy ace samsung! Youve lost my custom!
anonymous 6 January, 2012 18:10
to be honest anyone getting an 2 years contract and excepect that their mobile stay with times 18months later is an dumass!
i dont get anything longer than 18 months and allway online as you get the best deals there. like paying the same monthly people usually get on 24 months but on 18!!!
mobile tech changes quickly this days and 2 years is a long time!!!
so next time think before signing a 2 year contract to sneaky mobile sellers who try to push you the mobiles with the best commition for them! trust me as i have a friend working in one and he tells me that they allways are told to sell the mobiles with the best commtion to them even if there are better mobiles that are cheaper around. and allways the best one for the to sell are on 24 months, like i-phone which gives them the best selling point as the amount they get out of selling one!!:) he personally told me he likes the s2 better but he allway have to say on job he thinks i-phone 4s is best just to sell more!
anonymous 8 January, 2012 21:37
Well i shouldn't be surprised really as manufacturers just want the money for the latest handsets, then forget the ones sold 6 months earlier, i have had my galaxy s 6 months on a 2 year deal, i don't expect to have updates for 2 years but not to be left behind after just 6 months, this really does make you wonder what they really think of customers that buy their products. I suppose i should of known as the uk customer support don't even bother responding to customer requests on faults. well once bitten as they say
anonymous 9 January, 2012 16:49
I was thinking to buy not galaxy S, but Galaxy W. After a long search , I choose Xperia Neo. There is a big difference between Sony and Samsung. In spite Sony seems to be late in their updates , they at least will upgrade the entire xperia family to android 4.0. I think for those who loves android , the best choose now is Xperia phones. In other way you can find some place at Apple's phone, althought I think the IOs too claustrophobic. Sony and Apple at least show some respect to your customers and your pockets.
anonymous 11 January, 2012 18:13
The live walkman is part of the xperia family albeit the cheapest! The screen could be better but you tell me another phone that you can get for £100 thats got 1ghz processor, almost the loudest music player and gonna get ics update!
nadz156 12 January, 2012 18:27
@anomynous 11 Jan: You can buy the Nokia 500 for £100 which also has a 1GHz Processor (WARNING: NEVER BUY A SYMBIAN PHONE)