Sony Mobile releases Android ICS BETA Rom for 2011 Xperia range

by XB on 23/02/2012

in Android, Firmware, Videos, Xperia arc, Xperia Neo, Xperia ray


ICS Beta XperiaSony Mobile has today launched the Beta ROM of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the 2011 range of Xperia handsets. This follows Sony Ericsson releasing the Alpha ROM in the middle of December. The Sony Xperia developer team says that this new beta ROM has passed some certifications mainly surrounding the modem, FM radio and GSM. There are more certifications required before it can be released to the public as an official upgrade. This is stll scheduled to commence from late March onwards.

The main changes versus the previous alpha include an updated UI (mainly features from the official ICS software), quick dial, an updated email client, lockscreen (with direct camera accessibility and music player control). The GSM and FM radio have also been switched on in this beta release, which means you’ll actually be able to make calls without resorting to a mod.

The main features NOT included are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Google apps such as Gmail and Google Maps. Sony Mobile also confirmed that the final ICS upgrade software will include the face unlock app for all Xperia handsets that have a front facing camera. This is also not included in the current beta.

As before, this beta update from Sony Mobile is only released for three handsets (the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray). You need to be running at least software version number 4.0.2.A.0.42 before upgrading. You will also need to have your bootloader unlocked. Click here for all of the download links.

Users of other 2011 handsets, including Xperia arc, neo and PLAY owners, will need to wait for the whizzkids over at xda-developer to port over this latest release to your handset. However, given previous experience, we’d expect some developments in the next few days.

Tagged as: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Bootloader, Firmware, Videos, Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V, Xperia ray

  • http://twitter.com/vincyuee vincyuee

    this shows ICS is just near the corner!!!!! :D  

  • Add1hunter

    I have been getting a little worried about the XPERIA S being out of date as soon as it launches, but if this is really just around the corner, that does make me feel happy. (assuming that that is working on the same schedule at the 2011 phones)

  • Dan

    can we download this from somewhere :|

  • sufy

    Oh yeah baby. ICS is nearly here !

  • Lancereid

    Lol , didnt realise it was near march already . . . Too bad i hardly have time to flash my arc s and play around with it):.

  • http://www.facebook.com/puelocesar Paulo Cesar

    Very nice, but it would be *MUCH* nicer if they gave us stock ICS..

  • XperiaX10lover

     You will also need to have your bootloader unlocked.Is it only for the beat version or sony fuc***** of the  warranty    

  • Ry2528

    I want d same interface of d media player as i hav seen in d xperia s !!! I dont see any changes to d media player here!!!!! Sony r u listening ?????

  • Meee

    Something I wish they’d bring back: Holding down the sound rocker lets you go to the next/previous song. :) Had that on my SE TM506.
    I like how they implemented back the option to search through the phone book not only by name but by number too.

    Keep up the good work, SE/Sony! ^_^ Can’t wait for the official version to release!

  • Manjinyoshimitsu

    If you are listening to music using the Sony ear buds you can quickly double click the button on the cable and it’ll skip track…and if you triple click it it’ll go back one track…a single click will pause and unpause!

    Found all the by accident…

    Hope that helps! I didn’t miss the volume rocker after I found out! :D

  • Robert Caldecott

    If someone at XDA gets Wi-Fi working then I’ll be installing this beta on my Arc S without delay.  Nice work Sony.

  • Pingback: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S: prima beta di Ice Cream Sandwich [VIDEO] | Nexus Lab - We're really INTO android - News, prove, tutorial, programmazione, hacks

  • https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawn7IgiYwJck8gDOri91HaSBYSxbgb2zyYY Jeffrey Vandenborne

    For many people it is going to be out of date. While most high end smartphone fanatics go on about cores all day long and aren’t satisfied when a menu “clearly” shows 20ms of lag. However they will always be in denial and bring up the fact that the Tegra 3 has a power saving core causing a tremendous difference in battery life. Now, if you play angry birds all day or if your boss restricts you to doing all of your work on either a smartphone or a tablet, I suggest you to wait and skip this phone and wait for one with a Tegra 3 so you can play games all day long. The Xperia S is a very bad choice if you intend to do this

    I’m however chose to preorder this phone because it does everything and more than what some people plan to do when buying a high end blackberry phone (reading some rss, sending emails, syncing some files, last minute editing documents or revising power points presentations, syncing contacts, calling texting, etc etc). This phone does it in HD with bravia engine with a higher DPI than the IPhone 4S. Also it includes an HDMI port and a stunning 12MP camera.

    I honestly don’t see a reason for myself to wait

  • Tiborh

    u can flash to lt15i too, with no problems.  wifi is not working….

  • Mario

    well the only thing missing really is new music player.. plus i like more the lockscreen from the xperia s..  by the way have you seen it says Sony on boot?

  • Max

    The number on the messages icon should disappear once remove the new message notification.

  • Manuj

    Need to put some shortcuts in da Status Bar…:/ Damn Missin dat…..

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  • Anonymous

    Can anyone tell me if their is a way to disable apps from starting on my phone, it’s really pissing me off since switching from iOS to Android. I love the OS and the UI on my Xperia Ray but the fact Google Maps, Market place, Facebook and many more apps are constantly starting and running even without me using them is infuriating.
    The build i’m on is currently not rootable and tbh I don’t want to but I hate having apps running constantly when I have no intention of ever using them, Facebook is 1 prime example. i’ve never even started the app on the phone yet it’s always running and coming from iOS this annoys me immensly.

  • Anonymous

    I have an Xperia Ray and i’d like Sony to implement being able to use the volume rocker to take pictures seeing as it has no physical camera key, never been a fan of touching the screen to snap especially as the rocker is in an ideal place to use in this way.

  • Bashar Enjarini

    they can not implement using volume keys to capture a photo since they are already used for zooming in and out.

  • Anonymous

    They should let you assign a feature to them because I never zoom anyways as the flash or light in the Ray’s case lol, are pretty poor so combine that with the digital zoom and it becomes a no no .. I miss this feature from my iPhone 4 as it just feel right using the volume rocker as that’s where I hold it … Ahe well, it’s not the end of the world I guess.

  • Pvtmaniac

    Will they change user inter face look?On this beta version no changes about UI…What will be main improvements on xperia arc S ?

  • Cssf09

    but sony says to start: (

  • Ns

    Why dont u upgrade SE X10i to Android 4.0?

  • Pingback: Sony Ericsson releases Android 4.0 Beta ROM for Xperia Ray

  • Jesse Mitchell

    why sony didn’t change the music player like xperia s?

  • http://twitter.com/Shuibullah Shuibullah Amran

    People at XDA got wifi and bluetooth fix! Everything is perfectly working now!! Extremely nice, lag-free :D DDDDD

  • Pingback: Sony Ericsson releases Android 4.0 Beta ROM for Xperia Ray - LATEST MOBILE PHONES PRICES – LATEST MOBILE PHONES PRICES

  • wyvern

    If you root your phone and install link2sd you can use it to freeze applications by holding them diwn and selecting them this stops the apps from ever starting up again tthere are several lists on xda of needless apps that can be frozen. Hope that helps mate

  • Guest

    You can disable apps for the ICS update. :)
    Google Maps is really a battery hog, plus it eats more battery if you enable location history of Google Latitude.
    Its okay for the apps to run in the background, RAM usage in Android is very different from Windows, I presume you are not experiencing an annoying lag even though your free ram is about 80~100 MB.

  • Add1hunter

    Well I don’t really use a smartphone for very much gaming, I have a Vita for that now!

    What I use my phone for is playing music, internet browsing and a few other bits and bobs. I am not so concerned about the power beyond just generally speed of the interface. The camera is also quite nice…

    I am not really a power user or anything, but the large and high quality screen is what is really drawing me in, and I don’t want anything about 4.3, so it does actually seem the perfect phone for me, I just want ICS before too long

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the replies guys, I guess I might have to look at rooting it then when thie version i’m on is rootable .. i didn’t want to do it really as the main things I wanted to customise is possible just from a new launcher but if it’s the only way to stop these barsteward apps from running then it will have to be done lol .. thanks.

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  • JeagleP

    What?? this is almost the same as the gingerbread version but we get the swipe thing….

    WE WANT THE UNLOCK BUTTON !!!!!!!

  • Macyberzone

    is beta version i hope when stable released xperia lineup device look like xperia S UI All features incloud 

  • Elroy_felecian

    What!!!? Why musicl player doesnt changes…so disapointed…please upgrade music player like xperia s

  • Vikramaditya

    I would’ve been much happier had they given the original ICS lockscreen. That would really add to the beauty of 4.0.

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  • shuvo

    Im planning to boy ray/neo v….plz share with me, which one is better? Im from Banglaldesh and price of them is almost same here

  • Ultrakill93

    how about sk17i?? it also 2011 release device..sony should improve thear services

  • ZXC

    Uhhh why the batt icon stayed the same????omg….i want ICS batt icon

  • Aakash911turbo

    its d end of march..where’s ics sony  ???

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  • http://digiupdates.com chapcoolboy

    any updates for the official ICS launch.. I heard it will get launched this may.. waiting to upgrade on my xperia mini pro

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