The Samsung Galaxy S was an awesome Android based phone and the most fierce opponent of the iPhone 4. In 2010 it was the top phone for the entire summer. Until now all versions of Android beginning with 2.2 (Froyo) and ending with 2.3.6 aka Gingerbread have been working beautifully on the phone, but unfortunately Samsung had to distribute some ugly news regarding the upgrade to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Apparently there isn’t any possibility to upgrade from Android 2.3.6 to 4.0 or higher. The company claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S does not meet the necessary requirements in order to keep the OS running smoothly and cope with the TouchWiz User Interface, while running other “experience enhancing” apps.
How Do I Update My Samsung Galaxy S (Source: techdigest.tv)
This came as devastating news to more than 10 million S G S users. The weirdest thing is that Samsung Galaxy S comes with the same 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and similar specs to the Google Nexus S which is already upgradeable to 4.0.
Well fellow Samsung Galaxy owners, do not despair. Where there is a will, there is a way, and considering that Android is all about freedom we are going to use that right to get the new ICS into our smartphones.
Just like any kind of update, a word of caution: if you are a beginner in the arts of upgrading and updating mobile phones, seek the help of a pro in the matter. Not following the steps can lead to serious problems with your phone so be careful.
Now that you understand the risks, let’s get to work. First get the latest Samsung KIES upgrade. Then backup all your data (preferably through other methods than KIES).
Then you need to get your phone to the firmware version XXJVU. To make sure you have it, head to Settings, tap on About Phone and then on Firmware version. In case you don’t have it, download it from the web.
How Do I Update My Samsung Galaxy S (Source: news.telecomseva.com)
You will also have to root the phone. This can be done by the use of multiple programs found online. Then, when the phone is rooted you need to enable the USB Debugging on the device. This can be done from Settings -> Apps -> Develop -> USB Debugging.
You’re almost done, now you need to get the ICS 4.0.3 version and copy the zip file to your SD card. Disconnect the phone from the PC, close it and enter in Recovery mode by holding the Volume up, OK and Power buttons simultaneously. When the phone starts tap on Wipe Cache Partition and then tap on “install zip from microSD card”. And you’re done. The install will complete and you have ICS.


