AT&T’s entire line of 2011 smartphones will start receiving Gingerbread updates starting with the Motorola Atrix 4G and Samsung Captivate and every AT&T mobile phone introduced in 2011 will be receiving an upgrade from Android 2.2 to Android 2.3. Although Google released Android 2.3 in December, handset makers and carriers alike have been slow to push the software and only recently have new smartphones included Gingerbread out of the box and few have seen an upgrade to the new software. The delivery methods will vary from device to device depending on the file size, but most will be receiving over-the-air (OTA) updates when possible and there’s no hard details on the timing for everyone else……………
AT&T confirmed that upgrades to the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform are planned for all post-paid Android smartphones already introduced this year. Motorola ATRIX 4G users will receive an update to Android 2.3 beginning today and HTC Inspire 4G users will receive the update in the coming weeks. Motorola ATRIX 4G update will also provide the ability to download applications from third-party stores. HTC Status arrived in stores July 17, the first AT&T smartphone running Android 2.3. Customers who purchased an Android smartphone from AT&T introduced in 2011 can expect to receive an update to Android 2.3. All of these devices are planned to be upgraded from Android 2.2 to Android 2.3, also referred to as Gingerbread. In addition, Samsung Captivate owners will be able to upgrade to Gingerbread. Delivery methods will vary by device. Whenever possible, upgrades are delivered over-the-air (OTA), however in some cases the size of the file needed to install the update will require the user to connect via Wi-Fi or connect the phone to a PC to install the update. Factors such as manufacturer-defined software and other device performance improvements result in each device requiring a separate update which will vary in timing.
Beginning today and continuing over the next few weeks, Motorola ATRIX 4G users will be prompted to install the update. To download the update, users must be connected via Wi-Fi. In August, HTC Inspire 4G users will be notified that the update is available and can be downloaded when connected to a Wi-Fi network. AT&T smartphone users can access at any one of the company’s more than 26,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at no cost. Gingerbread delivers a number of improvements, such as user interface refinements, refined copy/paste functionality and speed enhancements. The upgrade offers improved power management that offers a more active role in managing applications in addition to an improved on-screen keyboard with multi-touch support that makes typing faster and more accurate. The AT&T smartphones planned for a Gingerbread update are:
- HTC Inspire 4G
- LG Phoenix
- Motorola ATRIX 4G
- Pantech Crossover
- Samsung Captivate 4G
- Samsung Infuse 4G
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