AT&T: Gingerbread Coming To All 2011 Post-Paid Android Phones

One of the biggest gripes from customers who purchase phones directly from a U.S. carrier (as opposed to unlocked) is that carriers aren't always so quick to push out Android updates. Case in point -- the unlocked Nexus One received its Froyo updates long before any other phone, and the Nexus S has seen updates faster as well.

AT&T is responding to customer demands, though: the carrier just announced that upgrades to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) are planned for all post-paid Android smartphones already introduced this year. That means that the Motorola Atrix 4G will get the update starting today, and HTC Inspire 4G owners will see it in the coming weeks.

The Atrix 4G update will allow users the ability to download applications from third-party stores, and if you own a Samsung Captivate, you can rest assured that your phone will get the update as well. Now will rival carriers take notice and catch up?

Beginning today and continuing over the next few weeks, Motorola ATRIX 4G users will be prompted to install the update. To download the update, users must be connected via Wi-Fi. In August, HTC Inspire 4G users will be notified that the update is available and can be downloaded when connected to a Wi-Fi network. AT&T smartphone users can access at any one of the company's more than 26,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at no cost.

The AT&T smartphones planned for a Gingerbread update are:

HTC Inspire™ 4G
LG Phoenix™
Motorola ATRIX™ 4G
Pantech Crossover™
Samsung Captivate™ 4G
Samsung Infuse™ 4G

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Gingerbread delivers a number of improvements, such as user interface refinements, refined copy/paste functionality and speed enhancements. The upgrade offers improved power management that offers a more active role in managing applications in addition to an improved on-screen keyboard with multi-touch support that makes typing faster and more accurate