Archos Android update said to brick G9 slates
Ice Cream creates freeze
An Archos firmware update - supposed to take the company's budget G9 Android tablet up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - has been pulled after users complained that it bricks their hardware.
The Archos G9 - which can now be picked up for as low as £115 - actually comes equipped with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, but promises an upgrade path to Google's ICS platform.
Customers were prompted to download such an update this week. However, after connecting devices to PCs over USB for installation, the PMP generally freezes. Punters have struggled for a fix, posting their G9 frustrations in the Archos forums.
The link for the ICS update seems to have since been pulled.
We asked Archos for clarity on the matter and will let you know if and when it fills us in. ®
Hat tip to Fraser for bringing this to our attention.
COMMENTS
ICS firmware exists for Archos G9 since February 2012
I think you need to update this story, the tablets are NOT being bricked, they are easily recoverable (simply hold volume + and - at the same time. It's because there are different versions of Archos G9, some came with 1Ghz, some with 1.2Ghz, the newest with 1.5Ghz, some with 512MB RAM and some with 1GB RAM. This problem seems to be for the oldest 1Ghz 512MB RAM people updating directly to this firmware without first updating to the basic 4.0.3 firmware first (or Special Developer Edition firmware first). I can't confirm this as Idon't have my 1Ghz G9 to test on here. I think you should let Archos respond officially to this before spreading around also information about this.
This is about Archos being able to upgrade Generation 9 together with Generation 10, as both are based on the same core Texas Instruments OMAP4 platform. But, even though as OMAP4 is overall compatible, the older OMAP4430 are not fully exactly the same as OMAP4460 and the newest Generation 10 OMAP4470. I think Archos may have missed a little bug in the update for the older OMAP4430 devices. To be confirmed.
Archos Android update said to brick G9 slates - not mine!
Imaging my horror as I started reading my emails at 0540 in the morning Android Update bricking G9 slates I rushed to mine - no update being mentioned everything ok!
I have had my tablet series 9 80G for about a year about 6 month ago it updated to ice cream sandwhich and I have been using it daily without any problems .
Was only thinking the other day that there had been no updates for a while - was hoping to get to 4.1 Jellybean , and even 4.2.
So please note - It must be a special note sent out trying to get everybody who has not allready upgraded to do so - have you heard back from Archos!
