14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung Galaxy Tab, the first tablet PC that the mobile phone maker has brought to the market during the last year, is currently running under Google's Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, at least officially. Unofficially, it can also offer users the delights of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, courtesy of a CyanogenMod 7 build that emerged over at the XDA-Developers forum (via Android Central).
The software was made available for Galaxy Tab devices that come with GSM connectivity options on board: “Euro, US ATT/TMO Tabs, with JJ4 or other unprotected bootloaders that can run Euro ROMs and P1_add_hidden partitioning,” a post on the said forum reads.
The ROM is said to be pretty stable at the moment, with a lot of features currently working, though with a lot of issues still present into the mix.
According to the said forum post, the ROM comes with the following features: Voice calls: OK (make sure to use modem.bin compatible with JK5 RIL) 3G data: OK Wifi: OK Bluetooth: Turns on, discovery works, doesn't fully pair with my keyboard Camera: reports say broken, as expected. Sensors: AKM kinda works, gravity is OK now, proximity is faked at 10cm, light sensor now works reliably but auto brightness is screwed. GPS: should work now. Recovery and initramfs: CWM3, broken
The latest release of the ROM comes with a new kernel, along with a refreshed repo, and with codeworkx's brcm_patchram_plus fix added into the mix, aimed at fixing bluetooth initialization.
Those interested in trying out the solution on their devices should keep in mind that the process will void warranty, and that they are installing the software at their own risk. The ROM is still buggy, the experience it would offer might not be the one expected.
Samsung might come up with an official Android 2.3 update for the device, though nothing was announced officially on the matter. A better software might become available in the near future, either officially or unofficially, so stay tuned to learn more.