Android Tablet Update

AT&T is the least popular wireless carrier in the US among Android fans, so it was a little bit of a surprise to see them issue an upgrade to Android 4.0 for the HTC Vivid earlier today. AT&T took the opportunity to too their own horn by saying, “HTC Vivid will be the first U.S. smartphone to receive Ice Cream Sandwich as an update and the first to be issued by a wireless carrier.”

Some of you might point out that the Samsung Nexus S on T-Mobile started to receive Android 4.0 last year, but that update came from Google and it was halted after some issues were discovered. Still, it’s pretty ironic that the AT&T HTC Vivid with Sense UI is being upgraded to Android 4.0 before the vast majority of Nexus S devices. Who saw that coming?

Android 4.0 will also be coming to 10 other devices in the coming months. The list includes:

• LG Nitro
• Motorola ATRIX 2
• Motorola ATRIX 4G
• Pantech Burst
• Pantech Element
• Samsung Captivate Glide
• Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

No one likes waiting for software updates, but at least AT&T is being forthcoming with the devices they plan to upgrade. This information is valuable to customers and our own buyer’s guides since it lets us know which devices will continue to receive software support.

If you are on AT&T, did your Android device make the cut?

In the wee hours of the morning, Samsung took to Facebook to at last outline the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade plans for a number of their high profile 2011 devices.

It won’t surprise anyone that the Galaxy S II tops the list for an upgrade in Q1 of 2012, but joining it in the coveted first slot is the much less prevalent Galaxy Note.

Unfortunately those are the only two devices greenlit for a Q1 2012 helping of Ice Cream Sandwich at the moment.

The rest of the “ICS-upgradable GALAXY devices” include the Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Samsung only indicates that details on the updates for these devices will be forthcoming.

Quick caveat to all you US Galaxy S II owners: I wouldn’t start holding your breath until your carrier has weighed in on the matter. It’s also worth noting that the special edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 that was given to developers at Google I/O this year has never even seen the Android 3.2 update, so whether Samsung has any plans to continue support for it is unknown.

A perusal of the comments on the announcement show that original Galaxy S and Galaxy Ace owners are the most irate about their devices seemingly coming to the end of their upgradable life. A smattering of original Galaxy Tab owners are chiming in with their disappointment, as well.

With the benefit of letting the other major manufacturers commit to their plans first, it looks like Samsung has drawn a nearly identical line in the sand for upgrading their devices.

Is there anything that you are shocked to not see on this list? If not, what do you feel is the drop dead point for Samsung to get these updates completed without frustrating owners of these devices?

Thanks, Rob!

When AT&T and LG teamed up to show off the LTE enabled LG Nitro in New York City earlier this week, it was discovered that AT&T’s network LTE was live and kicking. Download speeds on the Nitro weren’t as impressive as some of the LTE speeds we’ve seen before, but 7 Mbps down is impressive nonetheless. Fortunately, that’s not the best AT&T’s LTE is capable of. Some speed tests performed on a Samsung Skyrocket and Galaxy Tab 8.9 were sent into BGR today that make even the fastest of mobile networks look like dial-up.

Performed in Pima, right outside of Phoenix, Arizona, speed tests on the Samsung Skyrocket broke 38 Mbps down and 10Mbps up. These numbers probably aren’t representative of how things will play out once AT&T’s LTE network goes official in the area, but even half that would be incredible.

AT&T hasn’t announced any plans for LTE in New York or Phoenix yet, but these kinds of numbers don’t lie. This is definitely LTE.

What do you think? If you could consistently get data speeds near 40Mbps, would you switch to AT&T?

The big day is finally here! Actually, twenty-five big days are finally here! Welcome to Day 1 of the 25 Days of Tegra, where you’ve got a chance to score a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. This little dude has been my tablet of choice for a few weeks now, so we knew it’d be a great device to get the holidays rolling.

Like we announced earlier, these giveaways are for And Me Accounts only. If you’re not signed up yet, you can still join now. If you’d like to keep an eye on upcoming prizes, make sure to bookmark and share the official 25 Days of Tegra Calendar. Each day a new device will magically appear just waiting to be claimed by you, the loyal reader.

The Prize: Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

Highlights of the Galaxy Tab 8.9 include an 8.9-inch LCD display, a dual-core 1 GHz Tegra 2 processor, 1 GB RAM, 3 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0. This is the WiFi-only model in a dark gray finish.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Entries will be accepted for 24 hours after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on the calendar page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

How to Enter

On day 1 we’re going to make it super easy for you. Simply leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. Multiple comments are allowed on this post, but each user will only be counted once. The winner will be chosen at random, so don’t bother downvoting each other.

Winner Announced (comments closed)

Day 1 and the Tab 8.9 went to user drauks. Daniel actually turns out to be an extremely original member, having actually been the 158th registered user of the site. A worthy way to start our Tegra festivities, I’d say!