Samsung Galaxy S Update: Sprint Samsung Epic 4G OTA Update to Android 2.2 Froyo Rolling Out?

Friday we received a press release stating that the update to Samsung Galaxy S phones to Android 2.2 Froyo would be in the "near future."? It could be that the near future is today as the blogosphere is awash with rumors that Sprint Samsung Epic 4G owners will be getting an Over-the-Air (OTA) update to Android 2.2.

Meanwhile, MobileBurn contacted a Sprint rep who said, "We have not shared specific timing in the release of Android 2.2 for Samsung Epic 4G.? We will share specific details when they are available."

Once a file exists, it is very likely that it will be released at some point, and the best we can estimate is the "near future."

The OTA update is one of the easiest ways for you to install the update to Android 2.2 on the Samsung Epic 4G.? You receive a notification and then follow prompts to download and install the update.? Samsung also posts updates via its Kies app, where you download the update to your computer and then transfer it to your phone.

XDA Developers found the Google link and then posted instructions on how to install the update from ZIP file.? Several websites posted instructions on how to update a Samsung Epic 4G from the files.? The methods are contrary to carrier-supported updates that we have seen through the years.? Before attempting the process, we suggest that you first contact Sprint directly.? It may void your warranty.

We contend that it is a misnomer that Engadget called the release "Official."? In order for an operating system to work correctly on any handset, it must be official from the carrier (Sprint) and the handset maker (Samsung).? As we read through the mess today, we found no proof that the files being used were actually "official."? We've got a call out to Samsung, so let's wait for a word from either Samsung or Sprint.

You really don't want to spend hours installing software only to have to delete it later.? Before you do anything at, all be sure to have a backup of your contact and files.

We know that owners of the Samsung Epic 4G, Samsung Fascinate, Samsung Captivate?and Samsung Vibrant have been eagerly awaiting an update to Froyo, which is supposed to fix GPS problems.? The GPS problems on the Samsung Vibrant and Captivate can be helped with a new Samsung app, Samsung GPS Restore.

The Samsung Galaxy S update to Android 2.2 includes many well-liked features, including an Adobe Flash compatibility, speed improvements, better keyboard, Samsung Media Hub,?better Microsoft Exchange support, and storing of apps on the microSD card (see list of update features).

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Review Samsung Galaxy S: Samsung Continuum Review of Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Continuum Rated 3.6 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

Reviewers of the Samsung Continuum liked the Super AMOLED touchscreen that is divided into a lower ticker section and full screen, small light size, and media player.? They questioned how useful the lower ticker screen is because it can become overwhelming and turns into a "sucking vacuum" for information junkies.? The ticker, however, may be useful for stock brokers, social media enthusiasts and news lovers.

The Samsung Continuum has two screens -? a 1.8-inch 96 x 480 Super AMOLED screen (Ticker Display) below the primary 3.4-inch (480 x 800) main Super AMOLED touchscreen.? The screens are divided by Android menu, back, search and home buttons.? The ticker can be programmed to show news, weather, emails, stock quotes, and social media updates.? The ticker can also be used for media player controls and multitasking.? The ticker is activated by a grip sensor.? The main screen is smaller than other Android screens and makes portrait screen typing more difficult.

Features of the Samsung Continuum include Android 2.1, running on a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 384MB of RAM/512 MB Flash, 2GB of internal storage, and an 8GB microSD.? Other specs include, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, DLNA, DivX video playback, 3.5mm headset jack, 3G mobile hotspots, and a 5-megapixel 720p video-capable camera with LED flash.

Like other Samsung Galaxy S phones, the Samsung Continuum comes with Media Hub and Social Hub.? The Social Hub can be setup for unified inboxes of email/social media and calendar (read Samsung Galaxy S tips).? One reviewer called the media player "among the best."? Voice quality ratings ranged from mediocre to good.? The battery life was rated from good to mediocre.? Photo quality was mostly well rated.

Reviewers thought that the ticker would determine who would buy it.? If you need constant contact and more than enough information, the Samsung Continuum may be your Samsung Galaxy S phone.? If you like a bigger screen, Verizon has other options, such as the Samsung Fascinate,?Motorola Droid X and DROID Incredible.

Like the Samsung Fascinate, the Samsung Continuum comes preloaded with Bing as the default search engine.? If you prefer Google, you can use voice search or use Google in the web browser.? Google Maps, a very popular free mapping program, can be installed.

Preinstalled apps include Scrabble word game, Skype mobile, Twidroyd, Tetris, MySpace, V CAST videos, Kindle, Bing search, Swype, Voice Search, ALLShare media sharing, Voice Commands, and Voice Recorder.? Preinstalled apps can not be uninstalled.

Verizon sells the Samsung Continuum for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement and data package.? Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

Along with free shipping, Verizon offers an added bonus for ordering online with the Wireless and Mobile News coupon-link so that you can get an Instant Phone Rebate Only Available with Online Purchases.

Verizon recently reduced the price of the-Samsung Continuum to $99.99 for Black Friday only.? In the meantime, online retailers like Amazon Wireless, offer it at a similar price point.? Note: prices can change, so check back often.

An update to Android 2.2 Froyo is expected by the end of this year.

Summaries of Reviews Reviewed

Bonnie Cha at CNET rated the Samsung Continuum 3.5 out of 5 for it's small ticker window(for fast information), 1GHZ processor 5-megapixel camera with HD video capture, and mobile hotspot mode. She didn't like that by cutting the Super AMOLED screen into two screens a 3.4-inch top screen and 1.8 inch ticker screen, it makes typing more cramped, it runs Android 2.1, Bing is the default search engine and preloaded apps can't be uninstalled. The secondary screen can be good for accessing information on the fly but drains processor power. Slimmer than other Galaxy S phones and fits nicely in hands. The touchscreen is responsive. The grip sensor automatically activates the ticker screen which is handy for getting the date/time (no one wears a watch any more), to control the music player while getting Twitter updates can be too much information.? To work around Bing search, you can use voice search which uses Google or go to Google in your web browser. Google maps can be installed and used. Email set up was easy and works well with an unified inbox and calendar. The media player is attractive and advanced with DivX and DLNA support. Photo quality was great, call quality was good, speaker phone quality was above average and battery life was good.?

Sascha Segan at PCmag rated the Samsung Continuum 3.5 out of 5 for the ticker screen, smallness,? lightness and well-built fee. He didn't like the mediocre voice quality, email/social media redundancy and that the ticker sometimes shows old data. He found that the ticker made him hungry for more data but didn't like the execution of the software "The punchy 3.4-inch, 800-by-480 main Super-AMOLED display looks really sharp and bright, but touch element sizes are reduced compared with other phones." Voice dialing worked with Bluetooth but not all the time.? Battery life was good.? The ticker was difficult to setup and showed old Facebook/Twitter updates. The Hummingbird processor is very good for graphics and games. Media Hub is called "among the best" Android music and video players. He likes the Droid Incredible and Droid X better from Verizon.

InfoSync rated the Samsung Continuum 85 out of 100. They found the shape peculiar - long and narrow. Because of the grip sensor the ticker was powered on by mistake. The external microSD slot enables users to swap out cards.? The screen froze sometimes. The call the ticker a "vortex sucking? into a tantalizing vacuum," while an excellent choice for stock brokers.? Voice quality is good. Battery life was mediocre. Photo quality was good like the Samsung Focus but not as good as iPhone. Video quality was above average and worked best in bright light. "Without the ticker panel, the Samsung Continuum is just as good as any other Galaxy S phone on the market, so let that be the deciding factor."

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Samsung Galaxy S News: Samsung Sold 600,000 Galaxy Tab Tablets

Samsung has sold over 600,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets since it went on sale last month, according to a report in the Korea Herald.

Samsung reported that consumer demand for its Galaxy Tab has been robust and is outpacing supply in most countries.

Samsung previously reported, on November 10, that three million of the seven million Samsung Galaxy S phones it has shipped worldwide have gone to the United Sates since July.

"We believe tablet PCs will take over a bigger portion of the market next year," Samsung's mobile division head Shin Jong-kyun said at the IFA gadget expo in Berlin in September.? "For this year, we're projecting to sell up to 1 million units."

Bloggers contend that the numbers are impressive and show that there is a huge demand for super-portable computers that have the battery life and connectivity of a cell phone.? Reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Tab have been good, calling it an "iPad rival."? However, the mega-marketing and uber-popularity of the iPad is a tough nut to beat.

Powered by the Android 2.2 platform, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7-inch enhanced TFT touchscreen, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, 3G connectivity, 802.11n, Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, GPS and Bluetooth 3.0.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is part of the Galaxy S phone series that is currently available as the Samsung Captivate (read review) at AT&T, the Samsung Epic 4G (read review) at Sprint, the Samsung Vibrant (read review) at T-Mobile, and Samsung Fascinate (read review) at Verizon.? The Samsung Galaxy S phone has various features.? You can see the differences in our Samsung Galaxy S comparison article.

We are still waiting for reviews of the new Samsung Continuum from Verizon.?

Although the Galaxy Tab ships with Android 2.2 (Froyo), U.S. Samsung Galaxy S phone owners are still waiting for an update.

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Review Samsung Galaxy S: Samsung Galaxy Tab Review of Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Tab Rated 3.5 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

Reviewers of the Samsung Galaxy Tab all liked its compact paperback-book size, two cameras (for video chat), ability to view Flash webpages and crisp, glossy touchscreen.? The Samsung Galaxy Tab is available from many carriers with different options.? Only T-Mobile, Sprint,Verizon, and U.S. Cellular enable mobile hotspots at different prices (see chart below).

Powered by the Android 2.2 platform, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7-inch enhanced TFT touchscreen, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1, 3G connectivity, 802.11n, Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, GPS and Bluetooth 3.0.

One reviewer noted that the GPS worked extremely well with Google Maps turning the
Samsung Galaxy Tab into an efficient GPS unit.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is more pocketable than the iPad and can be operated with one hand.? EBook reader options are plentiful.? Called an iPad contender that is more like a large Android phone, reviewers noted that the battery life was shorter and the processor speed was slower than the iPad.? The email, file-management system, calendar, contacts, music player, video player, and messaging apps were redesigned to work well on the Tab.? Touchscreen typing was rated from good to a little difficult.

Although it is not an iPad, the consensus of reviewers is that Samsung Galaxy Tab has some good features and can come in handy.? The pricing is confusing, and data plans vary according to carriers (click on chart to see details). You'll want to try one out to see how you like it and if it fits your needs.

Summaries of Reviews Reviewed

Donald Bell at CNET rated the Samsung Galaxy Tab for T-Mobile and Sprint 3.5 out of 5. He liked that it has two cameras, Flash compatibility and the convenient size.? He thinks it behaves more like a large Android phone than a netbook alternative, apps aren't optimized for the screen size, and depending on the carrier, it may require a contract.? He thinks that it is a serious contender to Apple's iPad.? The 7-inch LCD (1,024x600) touchscreen is a crisp, glossy beauty with multitouch responsiveness.? It feels like a solid paperback book.? It shines with Google Maps because it has GPS.? Audio, video, and photos all work beautifully.? With multiple eReader support, it works well as an eReader but has shorter battery life and weighs more than dedicated eReader products.

Christopher Null at Wired rated the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 out of 10.? He found the screen to not be as bright as the iPad.? He liked that the 16GB microSD card, accessible via a flap on the side, can be upgraded to 32GB.? He thought it performed well but was sluggish at times.? He found it light in the hand but slippery.? He sees the Galaxy Tab as a new class of tablet rather than an iPad competitor.

Walt Mossberg at All Things Digitall called the Samsung Galaxy Tab iPad's first real rival.? The actual screen real estate on the Samsung Galaxy Tab is less than half of the iPad's.? The Samsung Galaxy Tab includes the three most-requested features missing in the iPad: a camera (two in fact), the ability to run web videos and applications written in Adobe's Flash software; and multitasking.? The iPad had better battery life.? The Samsung Galaxy Tab lacks a Wi-Fi only model.? Photo quality was average but video was fuzzy.? He found the data plans from carriers confusing and warns buyers to calculate charges first.

Melissa J. Perenson at PCWorld rated the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.5 out 5 for its one-handed use, microSD card slot, and brilliant, bright screen.? She didn't like its proprietary connection port, non-support of HD video and its slowness to recharge.? It's a fine product with smooth Android implementation and design elegance. The screen looked gorgeous in dark and ambient light but was harder to read in daylight.? Camera quality was plausible.? Samsung has optimized some core Android apps, redesigning the memo functions, email, file-management system, calendar, contacts, music player, video player, and messaging apps.? She wished that it used a USB port.? An advantage of T-Mobile plans is that the use as a mobile hotspot is included in data plans.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is part of the Galaxy S phone series that is currently available as the Samsung Captivate (read review) at AT&T, the Samsung Epic 4G (read review) at Sprint, the Samsung Vibrant (read review) at T-Mobile, and Samsung Fascinate (read review) at Verizon.? The Samsung Galaxy S phone has various features.? You can see the differences in our Samsung Galaxy S comparison article.

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