An Update on Syncing With Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich

CompanionLink fully supports two-way sync with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) devices.

The latest version of Android, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, officially launched a few months back with the Galaxy Nexus. Beyond that, however, sightings of Ice Cream Sandwich on new or existing devices have been few and far between. That’s starting to change.

Just last week, HTC officially released the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the Vivid on AT&T. The updates don’t stop there, though. AT&T announced plans to update 10 more Android smartphones and tablets in the near future. And that’s just from one carrier. The others are following suit as well.

At CompanionLink, we’ve had our hands on Ice Cream Sandwich for a while via our Galaxy Nexus. And we’ve been taking advantage of that. Not only have we ensured that DejaOffice runs properly on Android 4.0, but we’ve been busy adding features and improvements designed with this update in mind. For example, some Android 4.0 devices, like the Galaxy Nexus, don’t play nicely with out existing USB sync. To that end, we’ve developed an entirely new USB sync system. It’s even better than before, and it’s in beta right now. We’ll have more on that later.

We’re also taking the time to improve the interface and bring it more in line with the look and feel that Ice Cream Sandwich features. Expect to see those updates soon as well.

If you couldn’t already tell, we’re excited to see Ice Cream Sandwich come to more and more devices. We think it’s the best version of Android yet! But what about you? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Looking to Sync the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?

If you haven’t heard already, Samsung has announced the long-awaited Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus will be the first phone to feature the newest edition of Android – Ice Cream Sandwich. For many users, this will be the biggest reason to get the phone. That said, the Galaxy Nexus packs enough power to compete with the DROID RAZR on specs alone.

Of course, if you’re looking to sync the Galaxy Nexus with Outlook, ACT!, Salesforce, or any other CRM we support, you may be wondering if CompanionLink will be compatible with the new phone, and more importantly, Ice Cream Sandwich. The good news is that we’re already on the job. We intend to fully support the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich at launch.

Update: We just got our Galaxy Nexus in the office and have begun testing it. It is working as expected, with the exception of USB sync. The Galaxy Nexus varies from other Android phones in that it has no SD card. As such, our standard USB sync method does not work. We are exploring our options, but in the meantime we recommend using WiFi, Secure Hosted Sync, or Sync via Google when syncing the Galaxy Nexus.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on our status here on the blog. In the meantime, take a look at the Galaxy Nexus’s specs below and spend some time deciding which one you want more: the Galaxy Nexus, or the recently announced DROID RAZR!

Tech Specs:

  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • 4.65 HD Super AMOLED screen
  • 1GB RAM
  • 5-megapixel, 1080p camera; 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 4G LTE data speeds on Verizon (US)
  • NFC (Near Field Communication)
  • Android 4.0
Look for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon sometime next month!