T-Mobile CMO: Samsung Vibrant Froyo Upgrade Coming Jan. 21

[sciwizam]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376045,00.asp

An Android 2.2 upgrade for the Samsung Vibrant will roll out to subscribers starting on Jan. 21, T-Mobile's chief marketing officer Cole Brodman confirmed to PCMag today.

So what was the hold-up? It was purely technical, Brodman said—it wasn't about marketing, payments or sales. Samsung sent its base 2.2 upgrade to T-Mobile in late November, and with the holiday season, it's taken until now for T-Mobile to work out the kinks and integrate its own features.

"It was a quality control and timing issue," Brodman said. "The biggest challenge is integration and customization."

In the future, T-Mobile aims to update all of its phones to new versions of Google's Android OS within 3-5 months after Google makes the OS version public, Brodman said. The delay comes from having to integrate manufacturer skins and T-Mobile's own features, such as Wi-Fi calling.

Smartphone users expecting frequent upgrades is "new to us," Brodman said, "and we're going to have to step up and change the way we do things."

 

[Phokus]

"The delay comes from having to integrate manufacturer skins and T-Mobile's own features, such as Wi-Fi calling."

Stock Android FTW

 

[Dulanic]

"The delay comes from having to integrate manufacturer skins and T-Mobile's own features, such as Wi-Fi calling."

Stock Android FTW

Will never happen FTL

 

[Oyeve]

This would be nice but I am not holding my breath.

Thanks for the info tho.

 

[SunnyD]

"The delay comes from having to remove support for HSPA+ from the kernel so we don't cannibalize the Vibrant 4g sales."

Fixed that for ya.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Question is, will this brick rooted and/or Lag fixed phones?

 

[zerocool84]

After all this time, only one Galaxy S phone is getting 2.2 which is retarded cus they should have skipped 2.2 and gone 2.3 but people seriously need to learn to stop supporting Samsung.

 

[SunnyD]

Question is, will this brick rooted and/or Lag fixed phones?

Technically yes (for lag fix). Remove the lag fix before updating.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Technically yes (for lag fix). Remove the lag fix before updating.

ok, cool.
Have to charge my phone past 40% then I will be un lagging and unrooting.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Hopefully the other Galaxy S phones will eventually get it as well.

I have to say, my Epic is so much better than my Moment that I'm almost willing to forgive the lack of updates, but it's still frustrating and makes me wonder if I'd have rather gotten the Evo.

Either way, I'm definitely not getting another Samsung phone. They won't update even their flagship devices.

 

[zerocool84]

Hopefully the other Galaxy S phones will eventually get it as well.

I have to say, my Epic is so much better than my Moment that I'm almost willing to forgive the lack of updates, but it's still frustrating and makes me wonder if I'd have rather gotten the Evo.

Either way, I'm definitely not getting another Samsung phone. They won't update even their flagship devices.

Even after the Moment you got another Samsung device??? Yikes

I have the Moment still but waiting what else is coming cus there is no way I'm getting the Epic.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Funny how it was announced after that post on xda...

 

[Kanalua]

Who cares? Though, it's only been a few weeks since I've finally had a rock solid Froyo ROM (Axura 2.2.5.6 w/ KA6 modem).

 

[Cstefan]

Even after the Moment you got another Samsung device??? Yikes

I have the Moment still but waiting what else is coming cus there is no way I'm getting the Epic.

I'm another moron who had a moment and got an epic. Samsung has forever lost my dime.

 

[ponyo]

After all this time, only one Galaxy S phone is getting 2.2 which is retarded cus they should have skipped 2.2 and gone 2.3 but people seriously need to learn to stop supporting Samsung.

No Android phone other than the Nexus S has official 2.3 right now. There are 7 million Galaxy S already with official 2.2. All Galaxy S phones outside the US received official Froyo update. T-Mobile sold more Galaxy S phones than any other 4 US carrier with over a million sold. It makes sense they update first since they sold the most and was first with the release back in June '10. Vibrant is also the closest in hardware to the i9000 Galaxy S.

I'm already running stock 2.2 KA6 which is what T-mobile will send out as OTA update. I'm 99% positive the OTA firmware will be 2.2 KA6 since it contained secondary boot loader. No other leaked firmware other than JI6 had SBL.bin included. And JI6 was the 2.1 OTA update T-Mobile sent out late last year. People are going to be real happy with KA6. It's the smoothest Vibrant rom yet. I can't detect any lag even with the stock Touchwiz launcher. It's the first rom I truly feel lagfix isn't needed.

Who cares? Though, it's only been a few weeks since I've finally had a rock solid Froyo ROM (Axura 2.2.5.6 w/ KA6 modem).

We should all care because the sooner Samsung releases the official Froyo for the Vibrant, the sooner they'll release the source code to 2.2. Then we'll catch up to i9000 Galaxy S which has all kinds of cool stuff available for it. If you haven't noticed, all the cool development happens on i9000 because they already have the 2.2 source code. I'm looking forward to Voodoo Sound working on the stock Vibrant kernel instead of ported i9000 kernel which has terrible battery life. I don't care much about overclocked or UV kernels but lot of people do. I also don't care about CyanogenMod but it'll help there too.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Even after the Moment you got another Samsung device??? Yikes

I have the Moment still but waiting what else is coming cus there is no way I'm getting the Epic.

I'm another moron who had a moment and got an epic. Samsung has forever lost my dime.

Yeah, it was definitely dumb of me. I guess I figured since the Epic was a flagship device with variants released on all four major carriers it might get some more attention. Obviously that was wrong. Never getting another Samsung.

 

[ponyo]

Update is available via mini Kies download. It's not OTA at this time. It's KA6 like many suspected. Personally I would skip the Kies update and flash the deodexed zip version on XDA. That one is already rooted and has modded recovery. Or just skip KA6 and flash the newly leaked KA7.

 

[Raduque]

Yep, I'm throwing rooted/voodooed/busyboxed KA7 over top of my voodooed/rooted/busyboxed KA5.

PS: Kies is junk, garbage, worst. software. evar.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Update is available via mini Kies download. It's not OTA at this time. It's KA6 like many suspected. Personally I would skip the Kies update and flash the deodexed zip version on XDA. That one is already rooted and has modded recovery. Or just skip KA6 and flash the newly leaked KA7.

Well this sucks, I've tried all morning to get Kies working. It will install, but when I plug my phone in to the computer, It fails loading the USB drivers.
The screen on my Vibrant just flashes and acts retarded.
Is the version on XDA you talk about a update.zip type update?

 

[ponyo]

Well this sucks, I've tried all morning to get Kies working. It will install, but when I plug my phone in to the computer, It fails loading the USB drivers.
The screen on my Vibrant just flashes and acts retarded.
Is the version on XDA you talk about a update.zip type update?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=919760 Deodexed KA6 already rooted and with modded recovery and quickboot. This is the version on mini Kies minus the root and modded recovery.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=923456 Deodexed KA7 already rooted and with modded recovery and quickboot. This is the newest leak. I recommend this version since T-Mobile just released KA6 to shut up people bitching about Froyo.

You flash via Clockwork Recovery. You don't have to rename it update.zip. Just select the file you want to flash in Recovery.

I would highly recommend flashing the Voodoo kernel to go with whichever rom you choose. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=870480 Read up on Voodoo if you're not familiar. It's worth the hassle and the best mod you can do for your phone.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[s44]

Don't ever rename anything update.zip. The only thing with that name should be Clockwork (flash it from ROM Manager).

 

[rudeguy]

if you are a n00b...don't flash voodoo. You don't need it and it can make for a huge PITA if you screw up.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

The fact this is non OTA means the majority of the people who own these things will never flash it, samsung fail again.

 

[kaerflog]

I waited a few days for the official 2.2 upgrade instead of just flashing a ROM..
The Kies software is such freakin garbage that I gave up..
So I rooted my Vibrant and flashed Axura and I'm quite happy.
Runs much faster, and everything works(GPS is flaky at times but works).

 

[Oyeve]

I downloaded mini kies on a fairly clean vista build on one of my laptops lastnight and flashed my vibrant. The whole process took 25 minutes. The phone did its last reboot and hung at the boot screen for an hour. I pulled the battery and rebooted. My vibrant is on froyo now. Avatar got borked but all of my data and apps are there and functional. Overall I am loving my vibrant a lot more! The main apps are a bit better, even the movie player has more options. The camera has more settings and IMO takes better pics in low light. There are a bunch of improvements but some things are the same. Like battery life still sucks and there is still lag. Especially when I go into apps and takes 10 seconds for my apps to appear. I am still tweaking it but am satisfied overall.