Samsung Galaxy S2 Ice Cream Sandwich update confirmed

Great news for Samsung Galaxy S2 owners -- the 4.3-inch smart phone will be getting Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

Confirmation came via Samsung UK, which tweeted, "Good news - the Galaxy S2 will be receiving ICS."

Samsung Galaxy S2 owners will be relieved to hear their relatively recent smart phones won't be left behind, and will be blessed with the newest version of Android, which introduces features such as the ability to unlock your phone using your face and a multi-tasking tool that was previously only on Honeycomb tablets.

The sobering news is there's no word on when that update will actually arrive. In the same tweet Samsung UK said there are "no dates confirmed as yet. We will keep you posted."

We have a grim feeling Galaxy S2 owners could be waiting a little while before the Editor's Choice-winning smart phone bags an update to Android 4.0.

That's because the Galaxy S2 isn't running 'vanilla' Android, but a Samsung-tweaked version. That means we'll have to wait while Samsung applies its own look and feel (plus a host of unwanted apps) to Ice Cream Sandwich.

That's a process that can take a frustratingly long time. HTC, another manufacturer that lathers its own customisation on top of Android, has vowed that some of its phones will be updated to version 4.0 early next year, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy S2 received its scoop of Ice Cream Sandwich in the first few months of 2012.

The Ice Cream Sandwich source code is already in the wild, so it's possible that a custom ROM will surface online for anyone who doesn't want to wait for Samsung to get its act together, and is brave/crazy enough to try rooting their phone.

Are you eagerly anticipating Ice Cream Sandwich? Do you hate waiting for updates? Tell us in the comments below, on our Facebook wall or over on our Google+ page.