Android Tablet Update

Android 4.0 for the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G has arrived! To initiate the download, press Menu > Settings > About Phone > HTC Software Updates > Check and follow the instructions to download and install the new build. The HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update can downloaded over T-Mobile’s 3G/HSPA+ network, but we’ll understand if you want to connect your phone over Wi-Fi to download the update just a little faster.

The HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update is nearly identical to the HTC Sensation 4G update which T-Mobile started pushing out last week – including improvements to multi-tasking, face unlock, new browser capabilities, and access to Android 4.0 applications like Google’s Chrome browser. Full details of the HTC Amaze 4G’s Android 4.0 update can be found on the T-Mobile’s support site.

New Android 4.0 features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Before you start downloading the Android 4.0 update, make sure your handset has at least a 50% battery charge.  Let us know how the update process goes and how you like all the new features included in the Amaze 4G’s Ice Cream Sandwich update. We’re curious to know if the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G will benefit from the same performance improvements we’ve seen on other HTC devices which have been updated to Android 4.0.

The U.S. Customs holdup of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE may soon come to an end. In a statement submitted to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, HTC claims some of their handset models have passed the U.S. Customs inspection and are on their way to various carriers. At the time the statement was released, HTC was not given any specifics as to which devices had passed inspection, but we have a feeling the ITCs exclusion order is holding up more devices than we originally thought.

According to T-Mobile, shipments of the HTC Amaze 4G have been delayed due to ”an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer.” There’s no direct evidence that the Amaze 4G delays are connected to the U.S. Customs inspections which are currently holding up the HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE, but the exclusion order issued by the ITC can be applied to all HTC devices which pass through U.S. Customs. We’re sure HTC is trying to keep things as quiet as possible, knowing that widespread delays to all U.S. service providers could result in significant losses for the quarter. There’s no indication as to how long the rest of HTC’s handsets will be kept out of the hands of customers, but we’re hoping for the best.

After months of delays and broken promises, T-Mobile has finally made it official! The Android 4.0.3 update for the HTC Sensation 4G will be available on May 16 – just two days from now. This new information comes from the HTC Sensation 4G’s support page on T-Mobile’s website, following news from the first week of May which claimed the Android 4.0 update would be available “very soon.”

Once Wednesday rolls around, you can manually check for the Android 4.0.3 update on the HTC Sensation 4G. From your home screen, press Menu > Settings > About Phone > Software Updates > Check. T-Mobile is recommending that you have at least a 50% charge on your device to make sure your battery does not deplete during the update process.

To add to the good news, T-Mobile has updated the HTC Amaze 4G support page, stating its Android 4.0 update will be available in the “coming weeks.” We’re not sure how much longer Amaze 4G owners will actually have to wait for their Ice Cream Sandwich update, but we’re hoping T-Mobile makes it available before the end of the month.

Are any of you excited for the official Android 4.0.3 update for the HTC Sensation 4G? Did any of you give up and buy a new phone or flash an unofficial Ice Cream Sandwich ROM to your Sensation?

HTC Sensation and Amaze 4G update features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life
• Note: HTC Sensation 4G will be required to add Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot feature in order to use the service after completing this update.

T-Mobile has officially confirmed that Android 4.0 will soon make its way to the HTC Amaze 4G and HTC Sensation 4G smartphones. An expected upgrade date was not provided in T-Mobile’s support system, though we expect T-Mobile wouldn’t make an announcement before a fairly imminent launch date.

The announcement comes by way of updated support documents on T-Mobile’s site, suggesting HTC is putting the finishing touches on the Android 4 updates for these two devices, and is nearly ready to submit the final upgrade files to T-Mobile. As you’re likely aware, the update will contain HTC’s Sense UI 3.6, which runs atop the core Android 4.0 platform. Sense has been updated to bring multiple performance and stylistic enhancements to the platform.

The wait will soon be over, T-Mobile HTC faithful, and you’ll soon be seeing the latest and greatest in Android versions hit your devices very soon. We will, of course, keep you appraised as we learn more from T-Mobile and HTC.

Since Google’s unveiling of Android 4.0 back in October 2011, the main question most of us want answered is: “When will my phone be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich?” We know HTC is working hard to update as many phones as they can, but there are hardware limitations to take into consideration, not to mention the dreaded fact that service providers must specifically “order” an update for each individual phone.

Jump to the bottom of this page to see if your phone is on the official HTC Android 4.0 update list.

Will my HTC phone be updated to Android 4.0?

Since we don’t work for HTC, we can’t give you an exact answer, but we can make educated assumptions based on the announcements HTC has made. HTC’s first wave of Android updates will bring Ice Cream Sandwich to its phones powered by dual-core Qualcomm S3 processors. The overwhelming majoroty of HTC’s phones running on this chip are already on the update list, and we expect the remaining stragglers to be added shortly.

For a while, we also assumed HTC would be delivering the Android 4.0 update to its phones powered by single-core Qualcomm S2 processors. This assumption was partially confirmed when HTC announced that the Incredible S, Desire S and Desire HD would also be receiving  the update. Since most of the other HTC phones powered by S2 chips feature most of the same components, we expect other US-specific devices to be added to the update list, as well.

While we would like to see Android 4.0 running on all HTC’s devices, those who own phones powered by Qualcomm S1 chips should not expect an Android 4.0 release. HTC has not given us any details about these phones yet, but the fact that Google has chosen to let the Nexus One live out its remain days on Gingerbread should be all the evidence we need. The HTC EVO 4G, Desire and DROID Incredible all share the same basic configuration and would most likely not have enough memory or processing power to run Android 4.0 as smoothly as HTC would like them to.

Latest Android 4.0 update news from HTC

• 02/09/12 - HTC says upgrades to Android 4.0 on track for next month
  HTC announces that the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XE and HTC Sensation 4G will all receive Android 4.0 updates before the end of March. The Ice Cream Sandwich update for the HTC Sensation XL will follow shortly after. HTC also adds the HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible S and HTC Desire S to the official update list.
• 01/22/12 - HTC customer service confirms Android 4.0 update for HTC Flyer coming in Q1
  The title pretty much tells the whole story. When a customer complained to customer service about the Honeycomb update for the Flyer, HTC rep said that he could send it in to be downgraded to Gingerbread or wait for the Android 4.0 update which would be available later in Q1 of 2012.
• 11/07/11 - HTC reveals first wave of devices to get Android 4.0 in early 2012
  HTC names the HTC Vivid, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL, HTC Sensation XE, HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G as the first phone within its lineup to receive the Androdi 4.0 update “in early 2012.”
• 10/19/11 - HTC excited about Android 4.0, looking into handset upgrade plan
  HTC comments on Android 4.0 and promises updates to as many phones as possible but stressed that their focus will be on “maintaining every phone’s performance and usability first.”

Official HTC Android 4.0 handset update list

• HTC Sensation – March
• HTC Sensation 4G – March
• HTC Sensation XE – March
• HTC Sensation XL
• HTC Rezound
• HTC Vivid
• HTC Amaze 4G
• HTC EVO 3D
• HTC EVO Design 4G
• HTC Flyer
• HTC Desire S
• HTC Incredible S
• HTC Desire HD

HTC handsets expected to receive the Android 4.0 update

• HTC Desire Z
• T-Mobile G2
• DROID Incredible 2
• HTC Rhyme
• HTC Inspire 4G
• myTouch 4G
• myTouch 4G Slide
• HTC Thunderbolt
• HTC Hero S
• HTC Merge
• HTC EVO Shift 4G

T-Mobile will likely never carry the iPhone, so they have returned to making fun of Apple’s best selling smartphone. Today T-Mobile uploaded a new video called The Battle of the Smartphones, which pits the camera of their HTC Amaze 4G against the iPhone 4S. In the video T-Mobile tells us that the iPhone 4S camera can’t hold up to “killer camera features” on the Amaze 4G like BurstShot, SmartShot panorama and SweepShot.

We think the iPhone 4S takes some amazing photos, but there’s no denying the Amaze 4G can also producing the goods as seen in our hands-on reports from Nick and Edgar. Check out T-Mobile’s video below and let us know if it’s silly to be comparing these two phones. Do you like when carriers and handset makers go after Apple?