AT&T is rolling out the Gingerbread like it’s Christmas time.
The carrier has promised to ensure all of its compatible Android phones will be upgraded to version 2.3, known more popularly as Gingerbread, beginning this week.
The first phone to get the update will be the Motorola Atrix 4G, AT&T’s ambitious phone that can also function as a makeshift computer hard drive when plugged into a special laptop display dock.
Atrix 4G owners are already beginning to receive the update, while the Inspire 4G is next on the docket.
Also slated for good Gingerbread times are the LG Phoenix, Pantech Crossover, Samsung Captivage, and Samsung Infuse 4G.
Gingerbread isn’t a huge update over its predecessor, Froyo, but it does have a souped-up user interface, an enhanced on-screen keyboard for touch-only devices, and an easier way to copy-and-paste text using the touch screen.
Where possible, AT&T will issue the updates over-the-air so users can simply get the new OS while their phone is idling. Others, however, will require users to download the file on a computer and then transfer the new file through a USB connection. This will be the case for phones that are a bit trickier to update and require a larger file size.
As for the specific rollout schedule, AT&T wouldn’t specify, saying only, “Factors such as manufacturer-defined software and other device-performance improvements result in each device requiring a separate update which will vary in timing.”
This is part of a bigger push from AT&T to increase its presence in the Android community. Prior to losing its iPhone exclusivity, AT&T kind of snubbed the Google OS, but this year it has changed course and has given us some of the biggest Android-related news of 2011.
System updates are important to Android users, so a pledge like this – to bring all phones to the most updated software – is quite a big deal.
