The update process for Android as a whole has been less than stellar from the start. It has been tarnished with all sorts of negative feedback from users, manufacturers, and tech blogs alike over the ongoing fragmentation problem. With fragmentation waning and several manufacturers vowing to provide more rapid updates, things are at least looking up for the little green robot.
That said, some companies aren't quite through the storm yet. The big story in the close of 2010 was the Froyo debacle with Samsung's flagship Galaxy S series. As of right now, the issue still isn't completely resolved.
Samsung originally promised the update would be available to all Galaxy S users by the end of October. When November arrived, Sammy promised Froyo by the end of the year. Needless to say, that promise was just as hollow as the first. Finally, hope was restored when the Vibrant got its dose of 2.2 at the end of January. Close behind was the Captivate in February and the Epic 4G in March. Unfortunately, Fascinate users on Big Red still have no clue when they will see 2.2, if they ever do.
Though the issue has somewhat been blown out of proportion, customers did and still do have the right to be upset. HTC and Motorola were two of the powerhouses in Androidland in 2010, and each did a decent job of keeping their flagship devices up to date. Galaxy S devices were some of the last of the high-end Android phones to receive the Froyo update. To say the least, having a Galaxy S phone and being stuck on Eclair was frustrating. If Samsung hasn't learned from their hiccup in 2010, we may be preparing for round two with Gingerbread.
Earlier this morning, a rumor was spread that the 2.3 update for the i9000 is just around the corner. This was later confirmed when users in Holland and Germany were able to successfully update their i9000s to Android version 2.3 via Samsung's Kies software. The i9000 was the first Galaxy phone to get Froyo, so getting Gingerbread first should come as no surprise. But considering it got its dose of Froyo a whopping three to four months before its brethren, it could be several months before we see any sign of Gingerbread for Galaxy S phones stateside.
The Gingerbread update was released four months ago and only a select few have gotten their updates. For those daring enough to try their hand at custom ROMs, getting a taste of Gingerbread is no problem. But for those who prefer to wait on official updates and salvage what they can of their manufacturer's warranty, it can be very aggravating.
Seeing that many Galaxy S users have just received their Froyo updates, I figure they will be subdued...for now. But as more and more flagship devices like the EVO 4G, Droid 2, and ThunderBolt get official Gingerbread updates, we will be hearing from those Galaxy users.
Do you think Samsung will be catching the blunt end of Gingerbread update woes? If you don't get an official Gingerbread update from Sammy soon, will you consider jumping ship to another manufacturer or trying custom ROMs?
