Samsung Galaxy Note 4.0 (ICS) Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Reports suggest today that the official Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) firmware started rolling out in select countries bringing along the promised Premium Suite exclusive to the device. We have been expecting this since March as it was during that time Samsung revealed its plan on what to give to GN when the ICS firmware is ready. So, it doesn’t come as a shock to us but it sure brings a lot of excitement knowing there were be tons of features on top of the stock Android 4.0 firmware.

Samsung Galaxy Note owners who have already updated their device confirmed the reports that the package is 318 MB in size, evident that it is really a major bump as far as firmware is concerned. Unfortunately, the update has been made available only to select European countries including Netherlands and Germany and only unlocked units can be able to pull it down from Samsung’s servers. But there have already been confirmation from owners who have successfully bumped their devices. Some of them posted updates on XDA Developers forum with screenshots and other information needed.
Among the most notable features in this update is the fact that Galaxy Note owners will enjoy the beauty of Samsung’s own interface known as TouchWiz which comes on top of Android 4.0 ICS interface. All high-end Android devices from Samsung gets TouchWiz adding more features to the already feature-packed ICS. This UI has already received tons of good feedback knowing it is stable with cool designs and unique features. Virtual buttons have been added to ensure the device becomes more interactive than normal.
The New S Note app has also made its way into the Galaxy Note. The Korean company believes that this app is a great tool in taking notes and it also functions a productivity booster tool. But I believe writers and artists are the ones that could take advantage of this app to its optimum level. Of course, you can use this effectively with the use of S Pen which is also going to receive a serious bump. Basically, everything that comes with Galaxy Note will be getting an upgrade.
Another feature that Galaxy Note owners have been waiting for is the New S Memo Widget. There is already an app that functions like this in the Google Play Store, but Samsung’s own memo widget is designed to function well with S Pen. In short, it is customized to pull off functions native to Galaxy Note. With the use of S Pen, a user would be able to do hand-writing on the screen bearing and displaying the same trace made by the pen. This functionality could also be done on S Memo Widget.
The Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite will be packed with other cool apps like Shape Match, Formula Match, My Story, and personalized Angry Birds Space with special level made for GN owners only. But contrary to what we’ve reported here that Samsung would be going for Android 4.0.5, this update actually bears Android 4.0.3 and I think there wouldn’t be another update for Galaxy Note this year. Nonetheless, this is a necessary update and we can’t complain about it as it is better than what we expected.