Development

CNET News Reporter Marguerite Reardon does a column for them called Ask Maggie. She recently answered the question, "Will my Android get Ice Cream Sandwich?" In it, she answers your question:

"Here's a quick synopsis of how I think the major Android manufacturers will handle the Ice Cream Sandwich update:

Samsung

Given that the first phone to be released with Ice Cream Sandwich is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, my guess is that several of the more recently launched Samsung phones will also get the Ice Cream Sandwich update, including the entire line of Nexus S phones on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA. I also think the Samsung Galaxy S II phones that were just released this fall will also get the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

Motorola

At the launch of the Motorola Droid Razr last week, which happened hours before the Galaxy Nexus was released, Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of portfolio and product management for Motorola, told me that the Droid Razr would likely get the Ice Cream Sandwich update in the first half of 2012. He said that the Droid Bionic was also in line for the Ice Cream sandwich update. I also expect other newer Motorola devices, such as the Droid 3 or Atrix 2, to get the update. After all, the specifications and processing capability in the Droid 3 is comparable to the Droid Bionic and Droid Razr.

HTC

HTC issued a statement last week after Ice Cream Sandwich was introduced saying that it's currently looking at which phones it will update with the latest version of the Google software.
"We are excited about the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are currently reviewing its features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans," the statement said. "Our goal for Android updates is to give every customer an improved user experience, which means balancing each phone's unique hardware, HTC Sense experience and the Android kernel. While our goal is to upgrade as many of our recent devices as possible, we are committed to maintaining every phone's performance and usability first."
Scott Webster of Android Atlas thinks that HTC will likely upgrade its latest devices first with the Ice Cream Sandwich update. These newer devices include, the Sensation 4G, Evo 3D, and Amaze 4G. He said that slightly older but popular devices, such as the Evo 4G and G2, could see Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. But he said it's unlikely that HTC will support older devices like the Droid Incredible or Aria. "Those models may just be a little too old," he said.

Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson has also said that it plans all of its most recent phones released in 2011 will get the Ice Cream Sandwich software. This means that the Xperia line of devices will likely be Ice Cream Sandwich-compatible sometime next year.

LG

As I mentioned above, LG doesn't have a great track record when it comes to updates. So while I don't expect your LG Revolution to get Ice Cream Sandwich, I think it's more likely that the LG Optimus 3D, which was released this summer, might get it. But even that is not guaranteed."

But the article does more than just report which phones will likely get the update; in it, she also provides a rather good explanation as to why:

"Part of the problem is that some of the manufactures layer on their own software "skins" to customize the devices. For instance, Motorola has MotoBlur and HTC has Sense. As a result, when new updates are introduced from Google, the manufacturers have to figure out how to make those updates work with their software.
"Generally speaking, the more handset maker influence a company puts into the interface, the longer it takes for development and update cycles," Scott Webster, a blogger for CNET's Android Atlas and an expert in all things Android wrote in a recent post."

BTW, in the article, the text "wrote in a recent post." was a link:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20122788-251/ht ... »

That article was also a helpful read for me, because I have an Evo 4G.

I think we are all anxious for Ice Cream Sandwich. I can hardly wait!