Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 Upgrade Goes Live [Updated]

Samsung has begun pushing out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the best-selling Galaxy S II smartphone, with Korea and select European countries kicking off a staged roll-out. Poland, Hungary and Sweden are the first to get ICS in Europe, while both older and newer models from Samsung's line-up are also in line for newer versions of Android, though not all will see 4.0.

The Android 4.0 ICS update for Samsung's Galaxy Note, Galaxy SII LTE, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9, 8.9 LTE and 10.1 will follow on "soon" the company says, with no more precise timescales available. From the end of March, meanwhile, the Galaxy S, original Galaxy Tab 7", Galaxy S Plus, Galaxy S SCL (Super Clear LCD), and Galaxy W will all get Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Update: Samsung UK tells Pocket-lint that the UK roll-out will kick off in the week commencing March 19, though availability "will be dependent upon each network's own software approvals process."

Among the Gingerbread advantages, Samsung has also apparently tweaked the ROM for its older devices. The upgrade for the Galaxy S, it says, includes Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and other apps.

Meanwhile, most eyes are on the Galaxy S III, rumored to have a vast 4.8-inch HD display, a ceramic casing and mark a big push for NFC, with talk of Samsung working with the London Olympics 2012 on wireless payments. The handset is also expected to use a quadcore chipset of Samsung's own making, and spawn multiple international variants.