Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II owners can finally have a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, the carrier has confirmed, with the 4.0 update dropping just ahead of Google I/O. The long-anticipated update will not be released as an OTA upgrade, however, and will instead require users to download Samsung’s Kies app for Windows and OS X.

Once they’ve done that – and synchronized their Galaxy S II with the app – they’ll be able to download the new firmware package and flash the phone. In the process some of the user-settings will have been changed or lost; email accounts added as a Social Hub, for instance, will be removed, as will any Bluetooth pairings, music playlists, equalizer settings, and contacts within Contact Groups.

Still, we imagine most people will be willing to put up with that for the benefits ICS brings. The platform is faster and smoother than Gingerbread, with resizable homescreen widgets, a new multitasking system, improved notifications and – handy for those with limited AT&T data bundles – a tracking system to show how much data you’ve crunched through.

“ICS updates are coming this summer for more AT&T Android devices” the carrier promises, though fails to specify which models. Given Google is expected to officially unveil Jelly Bean, the new version of Android, at Google I/O later this week, AT&T made it to the Galaxy S II in the nick of time. u

AT&T Galaxy S II Android 4.0 update squeezes out just before Google I/O is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

RIM is considering splitting up its ailing BlackBerry business and selling off the handset manufacturing side, sources have claimed, with both Amazon and Facebook tipped as potential suitors. Details of the possible cleavage are scant, with UK newspaper The Sunday Times citing no sources in its report; RIM is supposedly weighing whether its messaging division would perform better as a standalone business.

That would leave the handset division either operating on its own, independent of the software and services teams, or – if RIM could find a buyer – spinning it off altogether. As for the messaging half, that too could be sold off if it made good business sense, with the paper mentioning Apple and Google as third-parties which might be interested.

Finally, another possibility is avoiding splits altogether and selling off the business entirely to a larger company, with Microsoft cited as a possibility. The Windows maker has made headlines recently with its push into tablet hardware in the shape of Microsoft Surface, though it’s generally believed that Nokia would make a more reasonable acquisition target given it has already adopted Windows Phone.

RIM confirmed last month that it had engaged JP Morgan and RBC Capital to examine possible options for the future, with significant job losses already on the cards. Whether it could muster sufficient interest among rivals to persuade them to open their wallets remains to be seen.

[via Reuters; Image credit: miggslives]

RIM weighing smartphone split-off: Amazon and Facebook suggested suitors is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.