All About Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0): Executive Q&A with Dave Rothschild

Dave Rothschild, senior vice president of Software and Services Product Management at Motorola Mobility, spends much of his time ensuring Motorola customers receive the optimal Android experience on their smartphones. These days, many of the questions being asked by consumers revolve around the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update that’s slated for the DROID RAZR by Motorola and the Motorola RAZR in the first half of 2012. Motorola’s software team is aggressively working to implement the ICS update as quickly as possible, so we thought we would share Dave’s perspective on some of the most common questions he receives.

What does it take to update an existing Android device to a new, innovative operating system like Ice Cream Sandwich?

When it comes to upgrading an existing smartphone or tablet to a new operating system, many factors come into play. It’s hard work with a pay-off of hefty rewards for those who use our devices. We are aggressively preparing DROID RAZR for the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, as we want our customers to experience this great operating system on our world class device as soon as possible. ICS’ new features will need to be integrated into the phone, while at the same time updating our software feature set to benefit from all ICS has to offer. In addition to preparing the phone itself, we need to work with Google and our carrier partners to make sure our phones provide an amazing mobile experience for our customers.

How many people at Motorola are currently working on preparing DROID RAZR for the Ice Cream Sandwich update?

Motorola has a full dedicated team that focuses primarily on the Android platform, making sure our devices are utilizing the Android OS features in addition to improving our software solutions through OS updates. We have a global software team who live and breathe the Android platform and that are currently working on the new ICS update for DROID RAZR.

What are the benefits of upgrading a device to Ice Cream Sandwich?

Ice Cream Sandwich brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. It has a redesigned user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full web browsing experience. With Ice Cream Sandwich, Android has been rethought and redesigned to be simple, beautiful and useful. Ice Cream Sandwich introduces innovations such as Face Unlock to unlock your phone, a Data Manager to control your network data usage, and advanced multimedia and imaging features. Ice Cream Sandwich also provides developers with new APIs, unified U.I for phones and Tablets, and improved performance by enabling developers to leverage hardware graphic acceleration.

What are the benefits of purchasing DROID RAZR now, rather than later?

If you buy the device now, you’ll get to enjoy all of the amazing features DROID RAZR has to offer! Not only will you benefit from the WOW factor of the device’s stunning hardware and display, you will experience Motorola exclusive software solutions like MotoCast and Smart Actions. And don’t forget all of the Business Ready features DROID RAZR has including a full suite of accessories like our Lapdock for use in the office, on the road or at home. The upgrade to ICS will be a simple, over-the-air process for the consumer and will only improve the already remarkable functionality of DROID RAZR.

Will the update affect DROID RAZR’s features like MotoCast and Smart Actions?

The update will only improve how MotoCast and Smart Actions perform, and they will continue to be an integral part of the device experience alongside the ICS upgrade. You will still have instant access to the content you need from any device, in any location, at any time with MotoCast. The ICS upgrade will also enable even smarter Smart Actions that allow you to take full advantage of your smartphone by creating settings to personalize and optimize your phone’s features.

When can I expect ICS to arrive on my DROID RAZR/Motorola RAZR?

We’re working to deliver the ICS upgrade for DROID RAZR and Motorola RAZR in the first half of 2012 (this may vary slightly by market). We are committed to keeping you updated on the process and will share more specific information on timing as our plans progress.