No Ice Cream Sandwich for You? Clone It!

If you've waiting with the patience biblical figure Job for your handset maker release a hardware-specific version of Android's incarnation, the 4.0 operating system "Ice Cream Sandwich," or ICS, and it hasn't , you can try cloning it.

You can achieve this without rooting, by taking advantage of a launcher replacement app provides the elegant look and feel of Android 4.0 retaining your base Gingerbread or earlier OS engine.


The Back Story

Hardware makers have been slow adopt ICS even it was released back in ancient phone OS history -- the fall of 2011. This is partly because the software developers working significantly faster the hardware makers. Indeed, developers are now gearing up Android 5.0's Jellybean.

If you can't have ICS yet, or possibly , you can at least make your phone look like it has ICS -- while you wait Jellybean, that is.


Installing the Launcher

Open Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Play app on your device and perform a search "ICS Launcher." Select the Team Syndicate ICS Launcher app and allow to install your device.

Tip: Be that there are alternative ICS clone apps available from other publishers, including themes for launcher apps that you may installed and device- specific versions.

the center hardware "Home" button on your device and check the "Use by Default for This Action" check box. Then press "Complete Action Using ICS 4.0 Launcher."

Ignore any other launcher option that may appear -- example, the Samsung stock launcher like "Samsung Home" or "Launcher," which Toshiba uses.


Choose Your Wallpaper

Long-click on any home screen choose "Select Wallpaper" to see ICS Launcher- specific wallpapers.

Look for "Select Wallpaper" with the ICS Launcher logo, which is represented a house icon with a chocolate-coated ice cream bar icon within it. Choose a wallpaper by tapping it.


Adapted and abridged from: TechNewWorld, June 7, 2012; Available at