Since it's become an almost industry standard to have one may major update per phone, I'm doubtful either phone will go beyond 2.2. The real answer is outside of maybe some mfg and provider execs , no one knows for sure.
I have my hope, but I doubt it officially. on the against side are two things: 1) Smartphones have a shorter time on market than ever. and this means very little return. 2) ther are many costs to update we don't opften consider, ranging from the direct costs of integrating it, to liabilities and costs should it break a feature, the the costs of making new user manuals, support manuals, support training etc.
So let's say 2.3 (or whatever you want to call Gingerbread) isn't officially released for the Epic. Will we still be able to install it and run ROMs (if we choose) assuming there is a still a community (i.e. us) willing to do the work? I mean, let's say I'm super stubborn and I just want to keep my Epic for five years. Can I keep upgrading versions of Android until the hardware on the Epic isn't able to handle it?
Yes, assuming there is someone to put it on a rom, and the hardware can handle it, you can keep updating it.
I believe that the Epic hardware can accommodate 2.3. Upcoming Nexus S phone is a Galaxy S phone with 2.3. Google is apparently liking the Galaxy s platform with Hummingbird so much that it has made it the new platform for future development. Thus, I have said this before...our Epic hardware is ahead of everyone else. So, at least for the next year or so, Epic should be quite current!
and with Google switching from Snapdragon to Hummingboard, future upgrades should happen quicker..and it will be the Evo folks that are waiting around for OS updates!
From my understanding, up until Nexus S, Google has been using the Snapdragon platform for their OS development...thus, Samsung has to modify what google sent to be compatible with Hummingbird processor, thus lending to further delays. With the future going over to Samsung (our exact platform!), we should be getting future updates quicker. It does speak volume about our hardware that we have for Google to jump to it as their future platform! Aside from the OS, the upcoming Nexus S is no better than what you already hold in your hands! (And depending on your needs, the Nexus S may even be inferior in some aspects!)
What leads you to believe that? (specifically the part about google developing an OS around a processor)
Here is a hint of it: CNXSoft – Embedded Software Development Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8×55 Nothing is for sure yet. But, my point is that Samsung is using our hardware to develop the next phone. And according to rumors, Gingerbread is not really made for dual core...so, the Epic should have no problems getting 2.3.
I thought gingerbread was supposed to be dual core compatible since it's the release that is supposed to be tablet friendly, and many of the better tablets will be running the dual core tegra 2. It's one of the bugs right now with the tegra 2 tabs running 2.1 which wasn't meant to run two cores.
any links to the rumors because that wouldn't make much sense with all these companies going dual core for their tablets.
