AT&T confirms Gingerbread coming to entire 2011 Android lineup (and Samsung Captivate)
The HTC Status was the only device with Gingerbread on AT&T's lineup for a small slice of time, but that's quickly coming to an end. The carrier has confirmed that Android 2.3 will be pushed to its entire 2011 postpaid lineup, beginning with an OTA rollout of the Motorola Atrix 4G today (though and the HTC Inspire 4G "in the coming weeks." In addition to the phones released this year, Samsung Captivate users will be able to enjoy the upgrade as well. There's no hard details on the timing for everyone else, but at least anyone with a 2011 model can breath a sigh of relief. Full press release can be found after the break.
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Android 2.3 Debuted in the AT&T Portfolio with HTC Status, All Post-paid Android Smartphones Released in 2011 Planned to Receive 2.3 Upgrade
DALLAS, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Key Facts
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.
Upgrade Details
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.
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
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
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
