The web site AndoidandMe is reporting that all US Android phones will be receiving the upgrade to 2.1 firmware in the next few months. The upgrade will give phones increased text-to-speech support and enhanced widgets, but at the expense of probably wiping the phones clean.
Google has shown its awareness that fragmentation is a serious issue for Android, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to make things a little more even across the board. The G1 and MyTouch are supposedly candidates for the first wave of updates, so keep an eye out for confirmation in coming weeks.
Select Android phones will also require a PC-based install for upgrading to Android 2.1. HTC currently does this overseas with some phones and Samsung did it for the last Sprint Moment update.
The carriers are still working with the handset makers to determine if their updates will be over the air or through a tethered PC client. However, most will be PC-based because this would allow the update application to make a proper backup, flash the SPL (if needed), and achieve a higher rate of successful installs (CLIQs to BRIQs anyone?).
Finally, most (if not all) Android 2.1 updates are still on schedule for Q2 2010. Sprint said their two phones were getting upgraded in early Q2, but the G1 and myTouch 3G will be the initial 1st gen devices to receive the update.
Source: AndroidandMe, Gizmodo.
