GalaxySpica
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Rogers gets real with Android 2.1 updates for HTC Magic+, Samsung Galaxy Spica
As promised, Rogers is now delivering an over-the-air update to Android 2.1 for customers of its HTC Magic+ alongside the Samsung Galaxy Spica, though we wouldn't exactly throw 'em a party for the occasion: internationally, of course, the Spica got its 2.1 update way back in March. Furthermore, though the Magic+'s update is OTA as we'd mentioned, the Spica's update process is a little more complex: you need to have access to a Windows machine and be willing to download a binary and cable up to get the job done. All in the name of keeping your beloved handset within earshot of Froyo, right?
Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica hacked for multitouch support
Historically, Samsung has worked up a pretty spotty record for properly supporting its Android devices with updates to newer versions of the platform -- just look at the Behold 2 debacle for evidence of that -- but that doesn't mean some enterprising folks out in the field can't make up for that, now, does it? The Galaxy Spica (also known as the i5700) has been blessed with multitouch support in some homebrew drivers that are making their way into homebrew kernels for homebrew ROMs, despite the official line that said phone doesn't support more than one finger at a time. Really drives home the point that "support" can refer both to the hardware's capability and the manufacturer's willingness to maximize it, doesn't it? Follow the break for the hack on video. [Thanks, OKK77]
Samsung Galaxy Spica grows up to Android 2.1
Also known as the Galaxy Portal in the UK, Samsung's i5700 is today officially entering the Eclair portion of its Android existence. We got a nice leak of the 2.1 ROM in February, whose small glitches will no doubt have been ironed out in this official release. You'll need to either hook up to the Samsung neural network using their proprietary PC Studio 7 software to leech the upgrade or just buy a new handset -- it all depends on the ratio between your disposable time and income. Guess this will make the Spica that little bit more seductive to Rogers customers, who only just got the option to own the handset last week. Full PR after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Spica comes to Rogers
Granted, they got off to a slow start -- but every since the Dream and Magic originally launched, Rogers has done a pretty commendable job of leading the Android charge north of the border. Latest in the line is Samsung's venerable i5700 Galaxy Spica, a phone that won't win any awards for running up-to-date firmware (it still rocks Cupcake) nor any medals for being high-end (the camera's just 3.2 megapixels with no flash), but at the very least, it makes an interesting, cheap Magic alternative with a high likelihood of an Android 2.x upgrade down the road. If you're willing to commit three years upfront, you can score this bad boy for CAD $79.99 (about $78) right this very second -- or a more daunting CAD $399.99 ($390) commitment-free if you're into that sort of thing.
New Samsung Galaxy Spica ROM leaks, tastes like Eclair
Remember those rumors of an Eclair-flavored update for Samsung's Galaxy Spica earlier this year? Well, boom: it's not official just yet, but a gentleman by the name of Sameer Prabhakar appears to have scored a leak of an official customized ROM for Sammy's most diminutive Android set based on 2.1, which is even better than the 2.0 we'd heard we'd be getting before. Prabhakar says that the cut of Google Maps 4.0 included in the new firmware is a bit finicky, so our guess is that we're not looking at a final release here -- in other words, you might want to wait for Samsung to give the green light if you value stability beyond bleeding-edge awesomeness -- but this seems to be a good sign that we're getting close.
Samsung's Galaxy Spica turns into Galaxy Portal for T-Mobile UK exclusive
A few weeks ago, Britons may not have cared about the rumors that Samsung's cute little Android-powered i5700 Galaxy Spica would be graced with Eclair next month. Then again, a few weeks ago, we didn't know that it'd be coming to the British Isles attached to any carrier in particular, either. Turns out T-Mobile has gone and scored itself a one-month exclusive on the i5700, renaming it the "Galaxy Portal" in the process -- and it'll have the blacked-out version all to itself for a full three months. With a 3.2 megapixel cam, 3.2-inch HVGA display and HSPA, it could make for a decent midrange way to get into the wide world of Android -- especially when (or if) Samsung pushes the 2.0 upgrade -- and it's available now for free to anyone willing to sign away £23 (about $37) a month on an 18-month contract.
Samsung Galaxy Spica getting Android 2.0 upgrade next month?
Among the production Android devices presently languishing on pre-Donut are the Galaxy and Galaxy Spica from Samsung -- both of which use essentially stock implementations of the platform, robbing Sammy of the code-porting excuse that HTC has been using with Sense. That might be close to changing, though, now that Samsung Firmware's saying that the Spica (alias Galaxy Lite) is signed up for a 2.0 update in February and that they "think its [sic] also for the Galaxy." Now, Samsung Firmware is far from an official Samsung source -- but seeing how the site maintains a vice-like grip on every conceivable Samsung ROM the second it's released, they've got some basis to be trusted on these matters. Of course, there's also the circumstantial evidence that the company simply has no excuse whatsoever to sit on the update any longer than it already has -- not to say that's ever stopped a company before, sadly.
Samsung unveils Android-equipped Galaxy Spica i5700
The long-rumored little brother to the Galaxy, the i5700, has finally been made official by Samsung -- and sure enough, it'll go by the trade name "Galaxy Spica." Sammy's latest Android-powered set clocks in at 13.2mm thick and comes equipped with a 3.5mm jack (which, frankly, every smartphone in the world should be including at this point), an 800MHz core (presumably the same as the Moment's), and an Android first: built-in DivX support. This one appears to be a no-frills Google Experience device considering the number of times that "Google" is mentioned in Samsung's press release, but for some Android connoisseurs, the purest, unskinned look and feel is preferred. Sammy says it's already out in Europe and the CIS and will be coming to the Middle East and Asia shortly.
