Aside from launching the Galaxy Nexus, Google also finally took off the wraps of  Android Ice Cream Sandwich the other day.
Here’s a quick rundown of what Android 4.0 has to offer as posted over on Engadget:
- Option to use virtual buttons in the UI, instead of taking up capacitive touch buttons
- Widgets are in a new tab, listed in a similar list to apps
- Folders are much easier to create, with a drag-and-drop style similar to iOS
- A customizable launcher
- New phone app with visual voicemail functionality that lets you speed up or slow down voicemail messages
- Pinch-to-zoom functionality in the calendar
- Gmail has offline search, a two-line preview, and new action bar at the bottom
- Swipe left or right to switch between Gmail conversations
- Integrated screenshot capture by holding power and volume down buttons
- Improved error correction on the keyboard
- Ability to access apps directly from lock screen (similar to HTC Sense 3.x)
- Improved copy and paste
- Better voice integration
- Face Unlock, a facial recognition service
- New tabbed web browser, allowing up to 16 tabs
- Browser now automatically syncs your Chrome bookmarks
- Modern “Roboto” font
- Data Usage section in settings lets you set warnings when you reach a certain amount of use and disabling data when you go over your limit
- Ability to kill off apps that are using data in the background
- Camera app: zero shutter lag, time lapse settings, zoom while recording
- Built-in photo editor
- New gallery layout, organized by location and person
- Refreshed people app with social network integration, status updates and hi-res images
- Android Beam, a NFC feature that lets you exchange websites, contact info, directions, YouTube, etc.
If you’ll notice, some of these are actually already available on select Android Gingerbread smartphones. But it’s good to know that all of these will now be standard on all Ice Cream Sandwich devices. Well, at least most of it. Android Beam, of course, requires your handset to come with NFC support.
Now, as to the question on whether or not Ice Cream Sandwich will be released as an upgraded to current Android devices, Engadget got this answer from Google’s Gabe Cohen and Matias Duarte:
“Currently in the process for releasing Ice Cream Sandwich for Nexus S. Theoretically should work for any 2.3 device.”
So it’s a yes for the Nexus S, and theoretically for other Gingerbread devices. Not exactly the reassurance I wanted to hear being an HTC Sensation owner, but hey, I guess that’s still better than a flat out no.
As to when the ICS update will roll out, that’s a question we hope will be answered very soon.
But if you can’t for it, then by all means, put the Galaxy Nexus on your radar as this will be the first handset out the door that’ll come packed with Google’s spanking brand new Android OS release.
For more screenshots of Android ICS, you can head on over here.
