Sony finally released an official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich beta ROM for Xperia Play devices such as Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray. It incorporates several improvements on basic functionality and UI features found in Xperia S.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Beta ROM Now Out!

Sony Xperia Play devices, Xperia Arc S, Neo V and Ray are now receiving an official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM. Due to demands of updates, Sony released a beta version of the ROM and is really interested in getting owner feedbacks.

The update also concerns gaming experience on the three smartphones and the company is hoping positive feedbacks.

"We got a lot of requests from Xperia Play users that wanted to try out ICS. When it comes to Xperia Play, we do know that some games will need to be optimised to work fine with ICS. Of course, big parts of the work with games are already initiated, and we work close with several game partners on this. However, we would still like to get additional input from you, to get your opinion on how the content and games work on your Xperia Play," according to Sony Mobile Developers.

ICS Beta Release Features

Sony kept elements that are greatly valued by users and on top of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich elements; they provided additional features to give a new and unique experience.

  • Updated UI: A number of additional UI elements from ICS and some found in Xperia S.
  • Lock Screen and Face Unlock: Shortcuts on the lock screen has been added to the camera and music player control. Face unlock app from Google also included to devices with front-facing camera.
  • Connectivity Turned on: GSM modem and FM radio have passed the certification and type approval which are included in the ICS beta ROM.
  • Updated Email Client: Simplified and updated UI to the email management have been added.
  • Quick Dial: Improvement to make phone calls quickly and easily.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are not included in the beta release due to the certification and type approval finalisation.

If you own any of these devices, check out the Android 4.0 ICS Beta ROM from Sony Mobile Developers site and read the details on how to download the software.