The Motorola Xoom got some early Ice Cream Sandwich love last week but Motorola has officially announced that the WiFi version of the tablet is getting Android 4.0.3 right now. It will be rolling out in waves over the next few weeks, so check your notification on the device.
The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update will bring multiple new features but the largest impact probably won’t be felt for a while. This version of the software should unify the phone and tablet versions of Android, so it will be easier for app developers to create high-quality apps that will work on most devices. The Xoom was supposed to be the first Android iPad competitor but the lack of tablet-specific apps really hurt it.
Motorola details the WiFi Xoom update on its home page and let’s hope the Verizon versions will get it soon. Other new features of Android Ice Cream Sandwich include:
- Updated browser with faster rendering
- Redesigned app launcher
- Richer resizable widgets
- More versatile imaging capabilities
- Data Manager to control your network data usage
- Type via voice capability
- People application – Throughout the system, social groups, profiles, contacts are all linked together to create easy access and more integration in your communications
- Gallery app redesign
It’s been a while since we had anything exciting to write about the Xoom, so I’ll drop in our initial unboxing video for a refresher. Any of you get the update yet?
[Via Motorola]