Since Google launched the new operating system with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus late last year we have only seen a handful of devices receiving the upgrade. Now though it is being reported by the Android Police that owners of the HTC Sensation should start checking their device for updates as the over the air rollout of the software has begun.

Currently it is not known if the upgrade is being pushed out officially or if someone has pressed the start button by mistake, as HTC has so far been unusually quiet about the availability of the update. As usual you can keep informed about the new software via the XDA forums, where many users have reported getting the new operating system.

Meanwhile it is being reported by GSM Arena that owners of the HTC Sensation XE in Germany and the Nordic countries are also receiving the new Android operating system. This should mean the rest of Europe will also get the update shortly with the rest of the world following after. The size of the download is reported to be almost 300MB in size, so it is advised you do it via a Wi-Fi connection.

Have you received the ICS update yet on your HTC Sensation?

Verizon were the first in the US to offer the operating system with the Galaxy Nexus, and have now listed fourteen different devices set to receive the new software. As an article on the Verge is reporting the list includes the likes of the Motorola RAZR and RAZR MAXX, Droid Bionic, Droid 4, Xyboard 8.1 and 10.1.

Also in the mix are the HTC Incredible 2, HTC Rhyme, HTC Rezound, HTC Thunderbolt, LG Spectrum and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 and 10.1. Unfortunately the company failed to give a timescale of when the updated software will be arriving to the devices, and the companies that actually make the hardware have also been slow in coming forward with any timescales regarding the software.

Motorola has recently released a list of devices getting the new operating system, but again no dates were given. HTC has also been listing devices that will eventually be upgraded but again no exact dates have been given. It is thought that both the Samsung Galaxy Tabs will be updated sometime during the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile Verizon has put up a tease on its website that says ‘Something is coming’ and allows interested customers to enter their email address to be kept informed. As iMore is reporting, coming a day before the big reveal of the next iPad many will wonder if it has something to do with LTE connectivity, which is a rumor that continues to circulate.

Do you own one of the handsets listed by Verizon?

Last month we heard rumors the Android update would be arriving sometime this month for both the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S2. Now it seems this may be the case as a report on Android Central is suggesting users could be less than two weeks away from receiving the update.

The Israel arm of Samsung Mobile has taken to its official Facebook page to reveal the new Android operating system will begin rolling out to both carrier branded and unlocked handsets from March 15th. There have been a number of unofficial versions of the software available for users for a while now, but many users would have been waiting for the official update to begin rolling out.

Translating the post basically said that the update will start to arrive for thousands of Galaxy S2 handsets that were purchased directly from Samsung, and from the various networks. It is not known when other regions will begin receiving the new software, but the rest of the Euro region should be around the same time.

US owners in particular may have to wait a little longer as there are numerous variations of the device from carrier to carrier. This continues the trend of smartphone manufacturers taking to social networking sites to reveal details about their product range.

Are you looking forward to receive Android 4.0 on your Galaxy S II?

Owners of the device have been pretty patient for the long promised software update after a few delays. Owners of the Eee Pad Transformer Prime were treated to the new operating system a while back even though there were a few teething problems. Owners reported that the update wouldn’t recognize their devices serial number and wouldn’t download.

The problems didn’t end there as after updating to Android Ice Cream Sandwich some users experienced a strange issue that saw the device suddenly rebooting without warning. Luckily this was quickly fixed by Asus with a firmware update, and the company has now taken to its Facebook page to reveal the start of the Android ICS rollout.

It has started arriving to owners of the device in Taiwan ahead of the software rolling out to other regions in due time. The company stated that it “prides itself on delivering the best products to end-users”. It added that this means it will continue to improve the experience of its products with regular firmware upgrades.

They announced the availability of the update for TF01 firmware v.9.2.1.11 for users in Taiwan, and although didn’t give an exact date for other regions, did say it would be soon. Asus also revealed they will be revealing “several” new products at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Spain, but promised continued support for current products throughout their life cycle.

This comes shortly after the company released the unlocked bootloader for the Transformer Prime, which is now available from its support website. It has to be remembered though installing this will invalidate your warranty. Below is a video of the Transformer Prime running Android 4.0.Update: It seems US owners of the device can expect the update today.

Are you happy with your Eee Pad Transformer?

We reported back in December that the company was looking to make a fresh attempt on the smartphone market, and instead of waiting until next week for the MWC 2012 event have shown off their new mobile device today. The company has used their European conference in Hamburg, Germany to show the world its plans.

Spec wise the device will come packing a 1GHz dual-core processor with a 4.3-inch 540 x 960 qHD display. It will also come with an eight megapixel camera and 8GB of on-board storage as well as NFC compatibility. Other features include Bluetooth 2.1, 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, and 3G HSPA.

The device certainly looks the part even though it is not the most powerful Android smartphone available, and the team over at TechRadar has managed to get some hands on time with the upcoming device. It will certainly be one of the lightest and slimmest designs available as it weighs only 103g, which compares to the Samsung Galaxy S II that weighs in at 113g.

Sometimes a new smartphone can look the part but fails to deliver on performance, but using the device it was found to be pretty responsive switching between apps and the camera mode. Hardly any lag was noticed while using the Eluga, but obviously this wasn’t in real world tests.

One surprising feature of the handset was the fact it was running Android Gingerbread instead of the latest operating system. This could put the device at a disadvantage considering a number of ICS smartphones could well be revealed at next week’s MWC event. Panasonic will need to get it updated quickly if they are serious about making an impact on the platform.

The screen was found to be big enough but not one of the brightest that is available, and will not match up to the displays found on some rival Android handsets. Both the look and feel of the device was liked and the fact there is no physical buttons on the front further hints at Ice Cream Sandwich in the future.

Physical buttons that are present have been positioned on the far side of the handset on the very edge of the rounded back. This will mean users will have less chance of knocking them accidently when it is in use. Camera wise it has an eight megapixel unit that was found to provide reasonable images with quick shutter response.

One great feature of the Panasonic Eluga is that it is waterproof. The feature was demonstrated by the device being lowered into a bowl of water without any adverse affects. This is reminiscent of the HZO technology we reported about last month. The company is also claiming the device is dustproof as well.

The Eluga has yet to be priced but is expected to be released throughout Europe during the spring, but it is not known if it will be reaching US shores. Panasonic will be entering an already crowded Android market let alone going up against other platforms such as the iPhone and Microsoft’s Windows Phone.

Already established manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and LG have already got a major foothold in the Android stable. But for us consumer’s competition is always a good thing as it gives more choice, and often cheaper prices.

Until more news on pricing for the Eluga is known and how it performs out in the wild, we won’t know if Panasonics move will pay off. Getting the handset updated to Android ICS will help matters though.

HTC may not be the quickest in getting the update out to their devices but they seem to be ahead of the likes of Motorola, and are at least keeping everyone informed. This latest news brings the new operating system closer to many of the company’s US carrier specific smartphones. HTC have confirmed a number of Verizon handsets will eventually be getting the upgrade, which according to SlashGear includes the HTC Rezound.

Other handsets listed by HTC include the HTC Thunderbolt, HTC Droid Incredible 2, and the HTC Rhyme. The company also announced that the HTC Raider that is found on Rogers and Bell in Canada will receive ICS. HTC promised that more handsets will be listed in the coming weeks so will hopefully reach the likes of T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T devices.

This will be good news for owners of the handsets that may have wondered if their device would be left out of the upgrade plans. We recently told you that some owners of the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE will soon be treated to early access to ICS for testing. It looks like that many HTC handsets that are around a year or more old should eventually be upgraded to Android 4.0.

The company has yet to give a timescale when this latest list of smartphones will actually be receiving the update, but hopefully it won’t be too far away. Do you have any of the handsets now listed by HTC?

As the Android Community is reporting the new operating system will be available as an “early access preview” within the next 48 hours, and basically means that this is a limited public beta test ahead of the official over the air update coming out at the end of next month.

Rival company Motorola runs what it calls Soak Tests that provides access to the software to a select number of users. This means actual users get to try out and test the software and can report any bugs before it is released to the general public.

This new move by HTC will begin in Europe for a few hundred lucky users, and could quite possibly shortly follow for the US version of the Sensation.

The company has also revealed the same process will be used for other devices in the future, and that they will to continue to work on the overall performance of the operating system. Users will also get the chance to use Android 4.0 with HTC’s Sense overlay.

There is a chance that some of these updates may get worked on by developers so ICS builds may find themselves on the likes of the T-Mobile Sensation among others. HTC along with Samsung seem to be getting their acts together and keep their customers updated about Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

Earlier today we heard that Motorola had updated their roadmap for the ICS update, with many handsets seemingly left waiting for ages before it will arrive. Do you have the HTC Sensation or Sensation XE?

Owners of the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi version in the US have already been receiving the updated software, but according to the new schedule the company has revealed the ICS update won’t be reaching other tablets and smartphones in the country until sometime during Q3.

As The Verge are reporting only the Atrix 2, Atrix 4G, Photon 4G, and the Xoom Family Edition along with the Verizon Xyboard 8.2 and 10.1 have estimated release dates.

The Xoom Family Edition has a slightly earlier release estimate with a Q2 timeframe. Devices that have been confirmed to be getting the update but unfortunately without a set release date include the Droid RAZR, Droid RAZR MAXX, Droid Bionic, Droid 4, Motorola Electrify, and the two Xyboards from Verizon.

There are a number of devices currently going under the first stages of development, evaluation and planning. Many of these are Verizon devices so it makes you wonder if the carrier has something to do with the delay. The vague schedules for some of the Motorola schedule have “further details to follow” listed next to them, which suggests the updates may not arrive until the summer or even later.

Previously the company has blamed Google for the delay in getting Android 4.0 out to its devices and having to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to be shipped, but surely this can’t be the reason for a delay lasting several months. By the time many of these handsets get ICS Google would have already announced its replacement by then.

Owners of the Droid Bionic 4G with have to just make do with the unofficial update we have already told you about. For the full roadmap click here. Are you disappointed in the time it is taking to get the update rolled out to Motorola devices?

Samsung latest tablet offering again comes with a 7-inch display sporting a 1 GHz dual-core processor, and according to Gotta Be Mobile it will also have Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. One stand out feature is the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system that currently is only found on a handful of tablets.

There were no details provided what US carriers the device will be on, but it is thought that both AT&T and Verizon will offer it. Also the company didn’t reveal any pricing but the device will be available in both the UK and US next month.

Currently though the Galaxy Tab Plus is available for $350 so the Wi-Fi version could be around the same price, but Samsung may look to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire with a lower price bracket. The company is set to offer some built-in software to offer more for the user with the likes of the Music Hub, Readers Hub, and Video Hub.

The Video Hub offers users easy access to a number of movies and TV shows for renting or buying. The new device will also offer a new service called AllShare, which will let user’s stream music and other multimedia from a PC or smartphone to the Galaxy Tab 2.

With the new Android operating system users are given a better user interface with quicker access to features. While many tablets are set to be upgraded to ICS consumers will like the fact that the Galaxy Tab 2 has it straight out of the box. Below is a video of the device making its debut.

Do you prefer a 7-inch screen size for a tablet PC?

Earlier this month we had the news that a French cell phone carrier may have leaked the dates for a number of devices that included the Galaxy S2, which was pegged for March. Now according to an article over at Unwired View, a tweet by Eldar Murtazin is claiming that Samsung has almost completed work on its own Android 4.0 version and TouchWiz interface.

He continues by saying that Samsung will begin pushing out the update for both the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note on the first day of March. The smartphones will be updated via the Samsung Kies software or an over the air update.

Many users will probably not see the new operating system quite so early though, as it will depend on the various operators being ready to release it as well. For some users it may take up until May to receive it, and could be even longer for users of the US versions. Owners of SIM free versions of the handsets may be in for some better luck though.

Samsung are likely getting its updates out to its devices quicker than its rivals because of the Galaxy Nexus device. Once Google chooses a company to provide a Nexus handset with the latest version of Android, they then get access to the software code under development. The company can then begin making changes to it for its own branded devices.

In the meantime rival companies have to wait until Google has finished its work and release the software to everyone. This early access to the software normally allows the Nexus handset maker to release operating system updates and next generation handsets a few weeks before its rivals. This is what happened in 2010 with HTC, who were able to release the Desire, EVO, and Droid Incredible before Samsung released its first Galaxy S.

Are you hoping to get ICS on March 1st?