14 DAY TRIAL // U.S.Cellular, one of the most popular carriers in the United States, recently ranked number one in a Consumer Reports survey, has announced on its Facebook page that it will upgrade all Android smartphones in its lineup to Froyo.
According to U.S. Cellular, Samsung, HTC and LG are working closely with the carrier to offer customers the long-awaited software upgrade.
In this regard, the carrier announced that Samsung Acclaim will be receiving the Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade by the end of this week, while customers who purchased the HTC Desire will be able to upgrade their device by the end of this month.
Unfortunately, LG Apex and Samsung Mesmerize owners will have to wait for the Froyo upgrade until March. However, a more specific release date hasn't been disclosed yet, but the carrier stated that more details about the upcoming software upgrade will be available sometime this week.
The main improvements and features that the new Android 2.2 OS brings are detailed below:
- Google Maps with Navigation: GPS navigation system with voice guidance; - Faster performance by JIT (Just in Time) compiler; - Adobe Flash Player 10.1, which allows the web browser to make full use of the whole web; - Improved customization options; - Home Screen/Menu Preview and Edit : Preview by pinch-zoom; - Search in-Browser : Google, Translate, Wikipedia, Dictionary.
It is unclear why it takes longer for the Samsung Mesmerize to receive the Android 2.2 update, as Samsung has already rolled out the Galaxy S Froyo update to carriers for testing a few weeks ago.
Still, the good news is that the carrier made it official that all four Android smartphones will be receiving the update by March 2011. Usually, carriers do not disclose release dates for software upgrades when it comes to entire Android lineups.