Android 2.2 to 2.3

[drdave319]

OK guys...I've never had a smartphone and thus, never had an Android phone.
So...my question is, since I keep reading/hearing that the Revolution will be coming with 2.2 and "upgradeable" to 2.3, I was wondering how easy that is done?

Is it a notification on your screen saying that the upgrade is available (kinda like Firefox does) or is it something you have to go to the Verizon store for....or....????

(did I mention how excited I am about the possibility that it's coming out on the 25th?!?!?!)


Thanks in advance for your help!

DAVE

 

[Balthazar B]

Too early to say when an upgrade to Gingerbread will happen. I don't know that LG has enough of a track record on VzW to make predictions. I'd be a little cautious since the phone has been Binged-up; the last time that happened (the VzW Fascinate), the OS upgrade was several months after all the other carriers had done so with their variants of the same phone.

*IF* its bootloader is not locked/encrypted, *IF* LG releases the source code for the device, and *IF* the phone garners some decent developer support, there'll be custom ROMs that will let you bypass official channels, but that's a lot of ifs...

Also hard to say how limited release software like Netflix will affect the upgrade process.

Let me amend what I said before...I'd be *very* cautious...

 

[drdave319]

@Balthazar...
Please explain what you mean about being very cautious.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the phone as well as what you are "cautious" about.
As I'm not all that worried about rooting it (and using ROMs), I just want an easy to use phone that I can enjoy all of the features without any problems.
The Netflix option is HUGE for me but I have to admit to being a bit "giddy" when it comes to software upgrades!!!!

 

[Droid800]

What he means is that Verizon is very thorough at approving updates, and LG has no record to speak of when it comes to updates. So even though they say it will be, you should be cautious about buying it based on that.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Suntan]

Keep things in perspective.

We?re talking about going from one working version of the OS to the next one. Yes, it?s nice to get the update as soon as possible, but it isn?t the same magnitude as having a serious bug crash the phone and then having to wait months for an update before the phone is functional again.

Personally, I?d look at it from both sides. 2.2 for a 3 to 6 more months with a working Netflix app vs. other phones that may get 2.3 sooner but may not get Netflix.

-Suntan

 

[speedtrap63]

Agreed. I'll take the Netflix app over 2.3 anyday. 2.2 works perfectly fine.

 

[Raptor007]

While 2.2 may work fine, I prefer the updates and upgrades 2.3 brings. Its been out long enough that these phones should not be running 2.2, and at the worst the mfg's should have been working on the OS upgrades at least 1-2 months ago. Netflix is great, but at what cost.

 

[Fatasaurus]

That's not true LG actually has a very good track record when it comes to updates. They were great with their feature phones and the Ally has received several updates.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Raptor007]

When you say "updates" are you talking about firmware and bug fixes or Android OS upgrades from 2.1 to 2.2 etc. especially as it pertains to Verizon.

I'm open to all mfg's so long as the phone can be rooted easily, bloatware removed and (except Moto) be able to get custom ROM/Kernels. I care more about getting a better ROM but I still want to know how LG stands behind their phones. 512MB of RAM is lacking. The 5mp camera doesn't bother me until I see what the pictures look like, if they are good then the censor is good.

 

[speedtrap63]

I don't disagree with getting updates, since I like them as much as you I think. What I meant was that given a choice of waiting 3-6 months for 2.3 and getting the Netflix app now or the reverse I would take Netflix now.

When I bought my Dinc in Apr 2010, there was a promise of Froyo, but we still waited until the end of August before it arrived. I guess the difference is that Froyo included Flash support which provided a significant feature upgrade over 2.1. Maybe I don't know what all is expected in 2.3, but I don't recall seeing many new features on that same level, so for me the 2.2-2.3 upgrade does not have the same level of importance as 2.1-2.2.

What am I missing?

 

[Raptor007]

I am on the same page as you. I would be very happy with Netflix, but I will admit I don't know how much I would use it (just being honest) but hey any cool that another phone can't have is a gotta have.

I did a quick google search and found this Difference Between Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) | Difference Between | Android 2.2 (Froyo) vs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) which goes into the difference between Froyo and Gingerbread.

Honestly, I would be happy with Cyanogenmod version of GB and move on. Its a weird time for Android phones on Verizon especially with the way VZW is jerking customers around, secrecy, delays, secret codes and what not. DX is getting GB next week

I know a phone will get an upgrade, I just hate waiting 6 months for it to arrive and that dirty fragmentation word is real and Google needs to rein it in.

 

[speedtrap63]

Thanks for the link, it definitely clears things up. I haven't seen an Android phone yet that couldn't benefit from better power management. My Dinc is a clear example.

It is kind of weird with VZW right now. I mean holding up the TBolt update and pushing off the Charge release both without any explanation, wtf?

I also agree with you that Google needs to step on these manufacturers to force them to release phones with the most current OS version. Of course, is it totally their decision or do the carriers play a roll in what OS is released?

Either way, I think it is up to Google to put pressure where it needs to be applied.

 

[Raptor007]

I always figured since Verizon is paying the bill and they are ordering the inventory its to their spec. The code is open source so really the issue always comes down to the stupid overlay skins they put on these phones. Mfg's has no clue how to differentiate their hardware beyond a skin. Apples hardware is nothing magical, sure the screen is nice, but its 3.5" its way behind the norm today. The internal storage is high, sure they locked in the memory prices.

Now imagine if Motorola were to spec a standard screen, memory (RAM) storage etc but varied the design from one carrier to another and didn't have to worry about a skin. Something tells me the phone would so a heck of a lot better. Most everyone today puts a different launcher on their phone anyways, I know I do.

 

[speedtrap63]

I couldn't agree more about the skins, but I don't dislike Sense. If you have to have one, it is the best in the crowd.

My issue is with the bloatware that the carriers dump onto every phone. Of the multitude of crap apps that Verizon put on my Dinc, I can't think of a single one that I use at all, let alone on a regular basis. I don't think it would bother me so much except that the only way to uninstall them is to root. Which of course I did, but John Q. Public isn't going to do and probably shouldn't anyway due to the lack of knowledge on the subject. The point is, they should be removable without root if they are going to be there at all.