The promised Android 2.3 update to the Droid Charge from Verizon has now started going live. Users can either wait for automatic delivery or check in settings to push it manually. The update comes one day after it was originally promised, however.
(Update: dated below) Verizon has officially indicated that an update to Android 2.3 will soon be available for its Samsung Droid Charge users. The carrier has posted details on the benefits of upgrading and instructions on how to do it. The actual update is "coming soon."
A study performed by Localytics found 36.6 percent of all Android devices sold in the summer of 2011 in the US offer 4G network speeds. This includes HSPA+, LTE. and WiMAX network compatibility, however. The tally represents an increase of more than 50 percent since the 22.6 percent in the first quarter.
The upcoming GRJ90 update to the Nexus S 4G written about yesterday and due for July 11 will also update the handset to Android 2.3.5, according to Droid-Life. The update will otherwise allow the secure element in the NFC chip to work, thus enabling Google Wallet functionality on the handset. Other changes the software will bring with it include a 4G Settings Widget, TTY Support, NI Push Support, and better Wi-Fi performance, speakerphone audio quality, 4G throughput and signal acquisition. The signal strength indicators get a new tune as well.
The Samsung Droid Charge will go back on sale in Verizon stores on May 14 after a two-week delay, Droid-Life reported. Sales staff were reportedly being told to don Charge-themed t-shirts for their shifts this weekend. Verizon has since officially confirmed this rumor, with online sales starting on the evening of Friday, May 13. The reasons for the delay remain unknown, however, but are believed to stem from Verizon's temporary 4G network outage.
The Samsung Droid Charge which was delayed as a result of the Verizon 4G outage may arrive next week. According to Android Central, Costco will be getting units on Monday, with a firm “do not sell” message to staff until May 3. The phone was thought to have been delayed so that customers could enjoy the speed of a fully functioning network.
The upcoming Samsung Droid Charge due to arrive at Verizon will have support for ten devices through its hotspot devices. The information comes from Droid-Life and beats out next-best HTC Thunderbolt's eight-device maximum. At the same time, Verizon employees have already begun training on the device, implying it's getting close.
A newly leaked pricing sheet for a few upcoming smartphones at provider Verizon has shown up thanks to PhoneArena. Dates are also revealed, though they are the prices' effective dates and not release dates for the handsets. The sheet revealed that the 4G-capable Samsung Droid Charge will cost $300, for which buyers will get a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU, and an eight-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 1080p video.
While the handset itself hasn't been officially announced, accessories for the Samsung Droid Charge have begun showing up in Verizon stores. The images of a multimedia dock were posted by Droid-Life and indicate that the smartphone will be out anytime now. The dock should be able to take advantage of the HDMI output in the handset. The dock also looks like it has a built-in SD memory card slot.
