It may have taken quite a while for Samsung to begin rolling out Android 2.2 for its Galaxy S devices here in the U.S., but thankfully it doesn't sound like the devices' Gingerbread updates will take nearly as long. Samsung announced this morning that both the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab will be updated to Android 2.3, with products in the U.K. and Nordic countries getting the first crack at 2.3 in the middle of this month. There's no exact date given for when we can expect phones like the Epic and Fascinate to be moved to Gingerbread, but Samsung does say that 2.3 will "gradually" make its way to North America "according to the regional plan."

We recently saw a build of Android 2.3 for the Gingerbread for the Epic 4G leak out, and the sources claimed that the update could begin rolling out as soon as June 5th. While that date is still very much a rumor at this point, it's good to know that at least one Galaxy S phone's 2.3 update is in testing right now. We'll be sure to keep a close eye on the situation and let you know more when we do, so stay tuned.

Samsung Offers Android 2.3 'Gingerbread' Upgrade for GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) May 16, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in Android™ mobile devices, today announced the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) upgrade to the Samsung GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab, and GALAXY Ace/Gio/Fit/mini, giving users enhanced performance and an improved user interface.

The GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab are Samsung's intelligently designed smart devices with 1 GHz application processors, giving users an intuitive, immersive and integrated mobile experience.

The upgrade from Froyo 2.2 to Gingerbread 2.3 offers an even greater user experience, with features including:

· Faster Performance – Multimedia content now has a lower CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience.
· Upgraded Usability – The user interface has been improved, enabling faster access and control and a more intuitive user experience. Users will also benefit from improved copy-and-paste functionality.

The Android 2.3 upgrade will start with GALAXY S in the UK and Nordic countries from mid-May, and gradually rolled out to other European markets, North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, Africa and rest of the world according to the regional plan.

The upgrade will be available via Kies, Samsung's device management software. Kies can be downloaded from Samsung's corporate website (http://www.samsung.com).