14 DAY TRIAL // Introduced in February, Samsung's Galaxy Ace is a mid-budget Android-based smartphone, which is delivered with Froyo platform on board.
Although no official statements have been issued, it seems that the Korean handset maker plans to upgrade the device's software to Gingerbread.
According to SamFirmware via TSAR3000.com, the Android 2.3.3 ROM for Galaxy Ace (S5830) has been leaked and is now available for download.
The source also recommends Galaxy Ace owners to use Odin to update to Gingerbread, instead of the usual Samsung Kies desktop software.
In addition, SamFirmware has confirmed that the leaked ROM is genuine. Also, it appears that the said ROM is a work in progress, as it is plagued by several issues.
Even though the phone might seem to be a bit low on hardware requirements for leaked ROM, as it is powered by an 800 MHz ARM 11 Qualcomm processor, the Gingerbread Galaxy Ace is reportedly faster than the same unit running Froyo.
However, the device is using more RAM and the user is left with only 147 MB of memory after the installation is complete.
While the applications work much faster with Gingerbread, menu transitions seem to be slower in comparison with Froyo.
Another downside of the new leaked ROM is that users will lose root. It has also been confirmed that the phone's camera autofocus feature will not work after the upgrade, so users are only left with macro.
However, the camcorder has been improved with an additional 640x480 pixels resolution and with a new skin.
The leaked Android 2.3.3 ROM is only available for European Galaxy Ace, but users report that owners of the smartphone from other regions can install the new ROM as well.
Make sure you backup your information before doing the upgrade and note that the ROM is only in beta stage.
