Motorola has detailed when its phones and tablets will be getting Google's current Android operating system, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, don't get your hopes up, you'll probably be in for a long wait.

The good news, if any, is that Motorola will be bringing Android 4.0 to several its phones already on the market. The bad news is that even the first batch of handsets won't get the update until after March at the earliest, and many are still in a "holding pattern" which Motorola likes to call a "evaluation and planning" stage.

"During this phase, we evaluate the benefits, technical issues and user experience of an upgrade. Generally, we are not able to provide release dates in this stage," Motorola says.

"There are also some cases in which we can state that an upgrade will happen but are not able to provide a release date. Please note that some products that enter the evaluation and planning phase may not complete the upgrade cycle," it adds on a forum page detailing the updates and when they are expected.

The news will comes as a blow to most Motorola owners, who probably thought they would be getting preferential treatment after the announcement last year that Google, which makes the Android OS, was buying the mobile phone maker.  

For UK readers, the first Motorola devices to get Ice Cream Sandwich will be the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi-only, the Xoom Family Edition and the Motorola RAZR. Rollouts will begin sometime between March and May.

Then the wait begins.

For Motorola Xoom 2 customers, you'll have to wait until the summer to get your update. Motorola is saying the update is in development and that it's working to get it out for some time in Q3. That's June to August for those who care.

After that it's anyone's guess of when or if you'll get the update. Devices in that pile for UK readers include the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi and 3G model, The Motorola Atrix and even the newly announced MotoLuxe and Motorola Pro+.

Motorola has also confirmed that if you own a Defy Mini, a Defy+, Milestone 2, Milestone, Defy MB525, Charm, Flipout, Milestone XT720, Backflip or Dext you won't be getting any updates. The version of Android you currently have is the version you are stuck with.

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