14 DAY TRIAL // Almost two years have passed since AT&T and Samsung introduced the Captivate Android-based smartphone in the US. Although the device was built to run Android 2.1 Éclair, Samsung promised it would update the phone’s software to Froyo, and then Gingerbread.
Unfortunately, the Captivate is among the last carrier-branded Galaxy S devices that receives the long-awaited Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The good news is that AT&T and Samsung have just announced the availability of the major software update from the handset maker’s site.
Android enthusiasts who kept their Captivate units unrooted will be able to download and install the official Gingerbread ROM for this device.
The I897UCKK4 software upgrade is only available via Samsung Kies Mini. It is recommended to download and install the latest version of Kies Mini, as previous versions might not work with the update.
Keep in mind that Kies Mini does not work on Apple computers for the time being. Kies Mini is the only software supported in the US that allows users to update their Samsung Galaxy S smartphones.
It is also worth mentioning that Samsung Captivate owners can upgrade directly to KK4 from any previous released software.
Aside from bringing the Captivate’s firmware to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, this update adds the following improvements and new features:
New User Features:
- Download Management;
- Intuitive Text Input: New layout for larger fonts and easy inputs; Word prediction and Multi-touch for numerical input (Shift + Numbers); One-touch Word Selection and Copy/Paste.
UI Improvements:
- Fixed Top-menu in Gmail;
- Voice Search added into the search categories;
- Vertical play mode added for YouTube.
New Developer Features (Enhancements for Game):
- 3D Graphic driver updates;
- Additional Khronos standard such as OpenSL ES, EGL for better multimedia performance;
- Concurrent Garbage Collector technology imbedded to reduce lags in playing games.
For more details on how to download and install Android 2.3 Gingerbread for Samsung Captivate, head over to Samsung support site.
