Sony Ericsson has confirmed that it will upgrade its entire Sony Experia line of devices to the newest version of Android, the Ice Cream Sandwich.

"We can today confirm that we plan to upgrade the entire 2011 XperiaTM portfolio to the next version of Android known as Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. We are working on merging our current XperiaTM experience with the new features in Android 4.0. More detailed information regarding this upgrade, timing and global availability will be communicated in due course here on the blog," wrote Martina Johansson on the Sony Ericsson blog.

The phones that will get the update include the Xperia arc and arc S, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo and neo V, Xperia mini and mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active, Xperia ray and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.

The Ice Cream Sandwich update will only be available to Xperia handsets released in 2011. Xperia X10 users will have to live with their current operating systems. As for Sony tablet owners there has been no word if the company is even bringing the Ice Cream Sandwich to its tablets.

The Ice Cream Sandwich will debut with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus with other Android phones getting the new OS later in the year or early in 2012. Some new features in the ICS are the face-unlock feature that lets users use a picture to unlock their phones, a new typeface and a better user experience. The Ice Cream Sandwich also promises to end the fragmentation in Android devices. ICS will now work on all smartphones, tablets, TVs, e-readers or just about any device that runs Android.

The question is if Sony's restructuring will delay the updates for the Xperia line. Sony had recently bought Ericsson for 1.05 billion Euros to make Sony Ericsson just plain Sony. Now that the smartphone maker is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony will the updates come on time? Sony Ericsson didn't have the best track record when it comes to getting software upgrades for its smartphones. The Xperia X10 was released in March 2010 with Android 1.6, got the Android 2.1 upgrade in October 2010 and then took another 9 months for Sony to get Android 2.3 to the device. Let's hope that Sony will get the ICS to their devices like they promised.