Android 4.0 comes to Kindle Fire via hack

If you’ve been disappointed with the limited Android access on Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet, here’s some good news.

There is a hack in the works that could potentially bring a full working version of Android 4.0 to the $199 tablet.

Although the Kindle Fire was without a doubt one of the hottest items this holiday season, it has garnered a lot of criticism, mostly for the fact that it isn’t really a full Android tablet.

That is to say, it runs a specialized Amazon skin instead of the traditional Android software, and it is only able to run apps that have been approved by Amazon.

But a developer who goes by the online handle JackpotClavin managed to hack its way into the proprietary Amazon firmware and install a working build of the latest version of Android, free and clear of the online retailer’s restrictions.

Right now the hack is still buggy and not meant for the general public to download, but enhancements are continually being made and the developer hopes to make a more solid option available soon.

Of course, Ice Cream Sandwich remains a largely unknown quantity, even among devices that are running it with official Google approval. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how quickly this Kindle Fire hack was made available.