No Android Upgrades to Froyo for AT&T in 2010

[mnemonicj]

This study says it all. AT&T is the only carrier that had no Froyo upgrade eligible phones in 2010. I am not saying that the Captivate not getting Froyo is AT&T's fault in any way. It is clear that Samsung is the one delaying the upgrade since it hasn't hit any carrier in the US.

But, this does show AT&T's poor choice of Android phones, probably because AT&T didn't want to have any real competition to the iPhone. Verizon is doing the smart thing, some of the best Android phones with the best Android support while offering the iPhone to the sheep. Verizon is just too expensive for me.

 

[JayFReaZy]

This OTA could be froyo for the fascinate, can anyone confirm?

Twitter

 

[tylerdurdin]

yeah I see your point but att was smart from a buisness aspect. the money att made from the iphone was astronomical. The difference between the iphone and every other phone is exclusivity. Apple hit AT&T off nicely to keep that phone their premiere phone, smartly AT&T did just that, both companies now see that they have to part ways to continue making money. Now iphone goes to verizon AT&T gets more top of the line androids everyones happy.

we will see who has the new hottness now.

 

[CappyUser]

This OTA could be froyo for the fascinate, can anyone confirm?

Twitter

Me thinks its not Froyo

Software Update: Samsung Fascinate
Fascinate's DL09 update rolling out in earnest - how's it going for you? | Android Central
Samsung Fascinate DL09 Update for Manual Installation | Android Phone Fans
Verizon Droid Pro, Samsung Fascinate get updated
Samsung Fascinate Receives Maintenance Update | Android Community
Samsung Fascinate update rolling out now, Froyo not included

 

[mnemonicj]

Now iphone goes to verizon AT&T gets more top of the line androids everyones happy.

...except the customer. AT&T's cellular and customer service have taken a big hit since the iPhone was released due to the exclusivity. There are now people that will never again come back to AT&T as long as someone else is offering the iPhone.

I stick with AT&T because of a few reasons that wouldn't fit 99.9% of people:

1. My wife gets a 28% discount through work, so with two smart phones with 2GB data plans and 200 text messages each we pay $107 a month after taxes.

2. My previous two phones to the Captivate were unlocked Nokia phones that worked on AT&T and my N95 even had the AT&T 3G band. AT&T being the largest GSM carrier, in the US, is more likely to support unlocked phones available elsewhere. If my phone breaks or if I want something different (Nokia N9) I have that option on AT&T.

3. AT&T works great in my area and at my mother's house and my in-laws' house where we spend a lot of time. No other carrier has reception at all three locations. The only alternative would be T-mobile because of Wifi calling, but they just released that to Android phones only recently.

 

[Cuerbo]

"There are now people that will never again come back to AT&T as long as someone else is offering the iPhone."


I don't know about that, with AT&T you can surf and talk at the same time. With a Verizon iPhone, you'll have to do one or the other. I can see this being a problem for folks who decide to jump ship. Also, with Verizon now offering the iPhone and Sprint/T-Mobile not far behind as I recently read, AT&T's network is bound to get better.

The day Verizon announced the iPhone, its website was down several times that night. Watch, on February 3rd when you can pre-order, you'll see similar results. It's good to have competition and it's good that finally AT&T will be offering other high end phones and not just the iPhone.

The Captivate has a ton of potential but unfortunately, Samsung has fallen short with how it has maintaned the phone and kept its users happy. Jumping between forums and comparing, it seems to me that the Fascinate is the best of the bunch. Verizon seems to push a little harder for updates, believe two since the Fascinate was released.

I have no complaints about AT&T and although they are pricey, would stick with them for the foreseable future. I've had Sprint and it's no big deal, yes they have good plans, but my experience with them was not pleasant. Also, their current 4G deployment is super sketchy, coverage is not that good and they still charge you $10 whether it is available or not in your area.

 

[sremick]

I don't know about that, with AT&T you can surf and talk at the same time. With a Verizon iPhone, you'll have to do one or the other. I can see this being a problem for folks who decide to jump ship.

Unfortunately most people switching aren't going to do their homework ahead of time and are going to learn this the hard way. They've gotten so used to it on AT&T that they don't realize this isn't the case on the other side of the fence... they just assume it's a normal feature.

You're lucky if they even realize what "rollover minutes" are.

 

[movrshakr]

I just ran across this thread. Are you saying there will be no 2.2 coming to Captivate--even in 2011?!

If that is true, my reaction is why did I not believe my gut that ATT care nothing about its customers and Samsung builds crappy phones.

 

[Cuerbo]

I posted this article earlier, it's a good read if you want to know the story behind updates, manufacturers and carriers. The only one that can answer your question is either AT&T or Samsung, neither of which has so far. It might be a combination of both or simply Samsung trying to meet the requirements, no one knows.

The phone was released in July of last year, by then, Samsung had access to developer builds of Froyo. After all, all software companies work with their partners this way to help them develop products for their upcoming release. Why HTC and Motorola released within 30 to 50 days after Froyo went public and Samsung still hasn't could be a sign of things to come. We're talking about a phone here and not Windows 7 or Windows 2008 Server.

Android upgrades: Which manufacturers can you trust? - Computerworld Blogs

 

[Snow_Fox]

I wonder if samsung is trying to roll all the updates for the U.S. out at once..

Captivate, Epic, Vibrant and Fascinate..

What really separates at&t captivate from rogers?

 

[kollarism]

Everyone knew that ATT was in love with the iPhone forever. Now that it won't be exclusive, they can push these other companies for updates. Hopefully this year they will do that.

Also, if you followed any of the CES 2011 event, ATT is supposed to be coming out with 15-20 new Android devices this year. That goes to show they are really looking at Android without the iPhone. Motorola Atrix is a huge step up compared to anything Verizon has.

 

[Snow_Fox]

Unfortunately most people switching aren't going to do their homework ahead of time and are going to learn this the hard way. They've gotten so used to it on AT&T that they don't realize this isn't the case on the other side of the fence... they just assume it's a normal feature.

You're lucky if they even realize what "rollover minutes" are.

When I use to sell cellphones.... I told tmo and at&t.

I was explaining to a customer that tmobile had "unlimited talk" and the customer asked "So do i get rollover minutes with that?"

 

[movrshakr]

Everyone knew that ATT was in love with the iPhone forever. Now that it won't be exclusive, they can push these other companies for updates. Hopefully this year they will do that.

Also, if you followed any of the CES 2011 event, ATT is supposed to be coming out with 15-20 new Android devices this year. That goes to show they are really looking at Android without the iPhone. Motorola Atrix is a huge step up compared to anything Verizon has.

Wait, that makes no sense. If they are coming out with 15-20 new Androids, that in itself argues for them to leave the EXISTING androids to wither--thus encouraging customers to get one of the new phones. IF you were a business would you rather push out an update to an existing customer--or sell him/her a new phone with a new contract?

I assure ATT, if they do not update the Captivate, I will never buy another phone from them ever.

 

[Space Cowboy]

Sorry, but I have a hard time believing that the majority of the upgrade issue isn't AT&T's fault. 2.2 has been available to AT&T, but its been said that tethering was embedded which AT&T doesn't want because they can make an extra buck by other means.

AT&T needs to step up and cough up Froyo!

 

[movrshakr]

In a discussion on the ATT page on Facebook,

ref Captivate + Froyo (or even gingerbread) | Facebook

they said, "... keep in mind that carriers need to test updates to make sure they work on devices before pushing them out to customers."

To me this confirms that Samsung has delivered the 2.2 to ATT and it is totally ATTs fault for failing to release it in a timely manner. They are incompetent--or are intentionally delaying it, or never intend to release it--in order to sell more of the new Android phones.

They are stupidly incapable of realizing this will drive people to other networks because they see they will have no updates coming from ATT if they were to buy a new phone from them. Stupid . Can you say Verizon here I come?

 

[Endoran]

I posted this article earlier, it's a good read if you want to know the story behind updates, manufacturers and carriers. The only one that can answer your question is either AT&T or Samsung, neither of which has so far. It might be a combination of both or simply Samsung trying to meet the requirements, no one knows.

The phone was released in July of last year, by then, Samsung had access to developer builds of Froyo. After all, all software companies work with their partners this way to help them develop products for their upcoming release. Why HTC and Motorola released within 30 to 50 days after Froyo went public and Samsung still hasn't could be a sign of things to come. We're talking about a phone here and not Windows 7 or Windows 2008 Server.

Android upgrades: Which manufacturers can you trust? - Computerworld Blogs

We basically get shafted both ways. The worst manufacturer (as far as companies that actually say will upgrade) and the worst carrier (by any standard of measuring [click on the other article linked on the bottom to see "Which carriers can you trust?").

I think most of us knew this when we dived into the captivate. At least the early adopters like me and people who did their research. But anyone who wanted a smart phone that wasn't an iPhone really didn't have a choice, so we all took the plunge and crossed our fingers. I said all the way back in August that we'd be lucky to get 2.2 by December but that didn't stop me from being upset that it still hasn't come out.

Anyway, I expect AT&T to get better at upgrades this year as they have lost iPhone exclusivity. But that's my optimism and look where it took me with the captivate. Hehehe.