Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich First Look!! (and my sayings on it)

Most major devices got their Android 2.3 update already ait? (yeah, it does take time for them to update officially meh) and we are now on the turn for the new Android 2.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Android 2.4 is the OS which most anticipate and being in comparison directly to iOS5 which will be released this fall. Below is the “1st” unofficial changelog from the leaker itself which is RootzWiki

“Some features of ICS that we know (from our source and speculation):

• Blue Themed
• Camera has built in panorama mode
• Will launch with Google Shopper and NFC Enabled devices will be able to utilize those features
• Gmail is all rethemed
• Will be available for the Nexus S
• Nexus Prime gets it first (expected) then other devices will follow after
• Not too many changes, just UI things, don’t think requirements are set too high for year old devices to run it
• The little icon in the bottom right, looks like a tray with multiple apps in it
• Google search bar embedded on very top like Honeycomb
• Apps/Widgets launcher a lot like Honeycomb
• This release is still very early, notice the theming of the power tray”

And here is what i have to say :

- colour scheme is moving towards honeycomb of course.. maybe we wont be seeing it on a skinned UI OEM version

- Where is the GPU accelerated UI? its not mentioned anywhere.. or at least the browser?

- I was expecting a huge leap over Gingerbread by seeing the timeframe they are preparing this. From the leak build, sad to say that its one step behind a few other OS which is chart topping now. Maybe OEM will do it better? Sense UI please..

- Im quite dissapointed but like @awg_ilyas said, its a very early build indeed. Maybe Google has more goodies behind their sleeve but im not expecting much. Im guessing google will focus more on the App base just like they said which they will focus on revamping crucial google apps to make the app-centric experience is more valueable. Performance now is more to hardware based but where is the harware acceleration again?

Looks like many are dissapointed in it too, i thought only a few would rant and bash it. My guess that most likely they are those which used Android since before froyo and all those features which they dreamed of remains as a dream. Android has been too revolutionary but its losing its mojo i guess.

and btw, this looks like a new notification bar! Quite sleek indeed but im hoping more than cosmetics to it.

News courtesy of RootzWiki