James Blog

Icecream Sandwich on my Samsung Galaxy S2

  A couple of weeks ago I loaded the new Android operating system on to my Samsung Galaxy S2.

   Named as Icecream Sandwich...Google insist on having these strange names for their Android versions... this version 4.03 is designed for the latest crop of handsets and tablets running Android.

    The main things I have noticed, as far as improvements are concerend are related to multi tasking. The phone generally runs smoother, and switches between applications swiftly and effectively.

It takes a little bit of time to recognise some of the changes as you delve deeper in to the day to day use of a smart phone. There has been upgrades to the Email client, using my work Exchange account, and it took me a  couple of days to figure out some of the improvements. It's now easier to attach a file to an email, and like a desk top PC, I can attach any file on my phone, or I can take a photo and share that easily. Speaking of photos, renaming, cropping, rotating and editing photos is much easier. The Galaxy S2 takes great 8MP photos by the way, and I love the panorama shooting mode. (See photo of the Hiroshima Peace Park below)

The menu system has been changed slightly, and I have found the settings are easier to find and adjust. Things like accessing the the data usage menu, and being able to set data limits and warnings are great, given that a Smart phone can easily use a lot of data if you are not mindful of this. Power saving features have improved, and I am getting about 30% more from my battery life, which is fantastic!

If you are considering a Smart phone, or looking to upgrade one, I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S2 as one of the most user friendly and highly specced phones on the market today, and now with the upgrade to ANDROID 4.0, it's even better. As a matter of fact, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that is being heavily promoted as the first ANDROID 4.0 phone on the Australian market is actually an older phone with lower features, so now that the Galaxy S2 has been given this upgrade... it's definitely my choice.