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Samsung has confirmed its Galaxy S smart phone will be late to receive the Android 2.2 update, but that it could be available for all network handsets to download in a couple of weeks.
At the start of August, Samsung tweeted that Froyo was in development and would be ready for a release by all networks by the end of September. That date’s obviously been and gone now, so we contacted Samsung about it. The company said it was still testing the Froyo upgrade to ensure as smooth an experience as possible.
In a forum post, T-Mobile announced that Android 2.2 for the Galaxy S would be late, but was expected in a couple of weeks. According to Samsung, all networks should receive Froyo at the same time. From that, we’ve gathered that Galaxy S owners on networks like Vodafone, Orange and O2 should also be able to download Android 2.2 along with those on T-Mobile. So far, none of the companies have confirmed this, but it seems there shouldn’t be any excuse for this not to be the case.
Releasing Android 2.2 to all networks at the same time is very different to how HTC rolled out Android 2.2 for its flagship HTC Desire. In the case of the Desire, an over-the-air update was released to unlocked handsets first, followed by network-locked handsets after the update was tested by the carriers. These tests usually take some time.
Samsung’s way seems to be much more sensible. Although the development process might take longer, it’s much fairer to those locked in network contracts. It’s also good for the networks, as it won’t leave their customers frustrated enough to forgo contracts in favour of unlocked SIM-free phones. It should also reduce the number of problems encountered by carriers, such as O2, with regard to handset compatability with the new upgrade.
Galaxy S owners: Are you annoyed Samsung delayed its Android 2.2 upgrade, or simply looking forward to getting it soon? We’d like to know what you think.
