Sony Ericsson has a clear stance on the Android dev community: one love. In what is, apparently, a first for the company, an alpha ROM of its in-development Ice Cream Sandwich port is available for install across a trio of unlocked Xperia devices -- the Arc S, Neo V and Ray.
Since it's an alpha ROM, it's not made for day-to-day use, as it is limited to just a few functions at the moment. As far as things that aren't working are concerned, here is the list, as provided by SE in the official blog post:
- Google Mobile Services (GMS) apps are not included (for example, Gmail, Google Maps, etc.).
- Modem is turned off and SIM card will therefore not be recognized (this also means you can’t make any phone calls).
- Bluetooth™ is turned off.
- Wi-Fi® is turned off.
- ANT+ is turned off.
- FM-radio is turned off.
As you can see, the main uses of the phone are disabled at this point. Still, you can get a feel for what SE's version of ICS will be all about. Here is a look of what you'll get to check out in this build:
- New "Roboto" font.
- New "Holo" theme is supported (you are able to test apps written to make use of the Holo theme).
- Music player control from lock screen.
- Updated UI in the Settings menu.
- Updated UI in the web browser.
- Updated UI and interaction with the new messaging action bar.
- Updated UI for improved multitasking.
- Swipe to dismiss notifications, tasks and browser tabs in the Notification menu.
In order to flash this build, you must have an unlocked device from the aforementioned list; for full instruction, head over to the SE Developer's Blog.
Have fun!
Via | Android Police
