Gingerbread for the Sprint Epic 4G begins rolling out tomorrow (Nov. 9)

By Jerry Hildenbrand
last updated

We just heard from a Sprint ninja that Gingerbread for the Samsung Epic 4G should begin a slow rollout tomorrow (Nov 9).  The initial plan is to get it out to three percent of the users the first day, which should avoid any huge fiasco like we saw with the Froyo update.  The update will continue to slowly roll out over the following eight days, until it gets to 100 percent of the users. 

As we already saw the EI22 kernel source released, it makes sense that its the version we'll be seeing.  Besides all the perks that come with Android 2.3, the change log includes:

  • Airrave notification fixes
  • SMS area code fix
  • PRL and Profile update fix
  • EAS HTML Tagging fix
  • Bluetooth headset quality fix
  • Lock screen date fix

Hit the break for more details, and hit the forums link to discuss.  It's been a long time coming!

Samsung Epic 4G forums

Thanks, friendly Sprint ninja!

Jerry Hildenbrand
Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

39 Comments
  • Damn! Really!!? If I had that phone I would never buy another android phone from Samsung unless it's a nexus
  • Yeah that's pretty much how I feel, unfortunately the Epic is still the best phone with a keyboard on Sprint. Thankfully the guys at xda have kept up pretty well, but even then its far less activity than I've been used to with HTC phones.
  • Why even bother. Just move on...
  • DID HELL JUST FREEZE OVER?!
  • Anyone know if its 2.3.4 or .5 ?
  • It's gingerbread 2.3.5. :)
  • Figures. I just bought a Nexus S off of Craigslist for $90 bucks Friday because I never thought it was going to show up. Oh well. Enjoy Epic users. Mines for sale.
  • Double post. Apologies.
  • Better late than never. Can't wait to see what the devs do with this.
  • I'm so excited! Maybe we'll get Ice Cream Sandwich by the time Android 6.0 is released! Samsung, you suck at updating your phones. We still won't be caught up to the latest OS out there.
  • Don't even know what to say, this is probably the last update this phone gets. Now the question is do I run this or CM7?
  • I would look out for CM7 to finally get finished up from this release.. They should be able to fill in the missing links from the source and other things they were waiting from an official GB release.
  • Yeah I will stick with CM7, don't want to downgrade from GB 2.3.7 to 2.3.5, would drive me nuts, lol.
  • @kriegel: actually, it wasn't samsung. Friend who works with Sprint dev said they had a bitch of a time testing and getting it to work with the keyboard (other galaxy phones don't have the kb). That, and im sure some of their bloatware wasn't cooperating.
  • Makes you wonder why most of the other Galaxy S phones are still not updated.
  • I initially had buyers remorse when I got the Evo 4G and then the Epic 4G came out. Boy, that was short lived. Those guys didn't get Froyo for what seemed to be eternity while HTC happily updated me in within a reasonable amount of time. That's my big hang up with Samsung devices (I've come to realize). They produce great hardware, but their support for further value after the sale sucks huge gorilla balls... Especially compared to HTC and Motorola who update their devices rather well. And this on a "premium" device, no less??
  • I had an Epic 4G and loved it. However, while travelling in September with my 18-month-old daughter it died on me (flash memory appears to be permantantly corrupt... reflashing from a NAND backup didn't even help). My wife didn't like the idea of me travelling without a phone. Fortunately, we had an upgrade on my account and it was coincidentally the day after the Epic 4G Touch came out. I honestly don't regret giving up the keyboard. All that said, when my parents were shopping for a phone in June and Best Buy offered the Epic 4G for "free" after rebate it was the phone I had to recommend. I'm excited I'll be able to uprgrade them and get them Google Talk so we can video chat from phone to phone.
  • WOW!!!..Talk about being fashionably late to the GB party. Ok just late.
  • I must admit that this phone had the BEST keyboard I've ever used on a phone .
  • That is just sad. How can the people over at Samsung even keep a straight face and act like everything is ok releasing this update when an Ice Cream Sandwich phone is about to drop. Plus HTC has already committed to saying their newest devices will be upgraded. That is just irresponsible. If my Epic 4G Touch follows this pattern, I will start an Occupy Samsung Movement
  • Yes you are correct but if you notice on the current HTC upgrade list you don't see the original EVO 4g listed... So that was released just a month or so ahead of the Epic 4g, so it puts things in line to be fair... I don't honestly believe many Epic 4g users expected to see ICS... GB, yes... ICS... Pipe dream... Sure its a bit late to the party but we have become used to Sammy and their updates by now... Don't forget the EVO 4g may have been quick out of the gate too on the update, but it also came with some bugs that needed some attention... TBolt had its share of problems too on initial GB update. Come to think of it GB has given quite a few devices some difficulty getting updated properly without problems. So being the first out of the gate doesn't always mean its the best approach...
  • Why the heck people ask/mention ICS?? *Originally* Samsung just promised Froyo and delivered (eventually).. Gingerbread is just a bonus/freebie that they did not have to give or mention! I for one am happy with my phone (mostly) and am thankful Samsung decided to spend time and money to develop GB for the Epic.. Folks gotta remember that phone companies do not have to upgrade software and are NOT obligated to do so!
  • You hit it right on the money Mike! Froyo was promised out of the gate.. GB was an added bonus.... I'm not even going to discuss the thought of ICS... Hope for some ICS port down the road...
  • Samsung joined the Android Update Alliance, so that's a promise to all of us that our phones would be updated to the latest Android for 18 months after its release. Our Epics are not 18 months old yet, and ICS will be released before our 18 months are up, so I feel that we should officially receive it since the equally speced Nexus S is getting it. Will that happen? I doubt it, but cheers to our devs at XDA developers for getting CM7 near completion.
  • I am rooted running eb13 with ext4 deodexed whatever and ace rom..... can someone please point me in the direction on how to odin back to stock? I'm looking for the easiest path to go back to stock, I haven't been keeping up with all this rooting gibberish for a while and I have no clue what I'm doing anymore. Thank you!
  • Use this guide. I would use EC05 which should be the most up to date build of Froyo. http://forums.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-rooting-roms-hacks/35212-how-fa...
  • Hey Mike, thanks for running ACE ROM as long as you have :) I guess I must have done it right for you to stick with it as long as you did... Pick procedure #2 go back to official Froyo EB13 (most painless).. You can then OTA update to EC05 usually within 15 minutes of booting up into Froyo EB13. Reason I say this is EC05 Odin job has given many people problems... http://forums.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-rooting-roms-hacks/60768-how-fa...
  • WOW.. the Epic.. seems like so long ago I had you.. Moved on the Nexus S 4G and will not get any other device except the next Nexus series (Which should be called Nexus Prime, not Galaxy Nexus, it sounds so much tougher)..
  • I literally agree with you on every point... Once i switch to Verizon this christmas (Sprint is going down more and more) I'm getting the Nexus Prime (I refuse to call it by any other name, cuz the Nexus Prime gives it the Optimus Prime sound that it deserves). I swear, I will never get a Samsung android ever again unless it's a Nexus. First the Moment, and then the Epic... no more.
  • AArrrgghhhh.... thanks for bringing up the Moment! Thank goodness mine died within 9 months. Sprint was sort of forced to give me a better phone (Evo!) as the Moment was already out of production.
  • Interesting that it doesnt mention a fix for the wifi error on EC05... that's the only glaring flaw I had with EC05. And *tsk*... I'll believe this when it hits my phone, honestly. I just sent an email to Samsung yesterday asking why the update is taking so unforgivably long. And today a tech employee responded saying that they didnt know "if/when the Epic would get 2.3". Seeing this news on the exact same day means either A) it's just a BS rumor, or B) my email scared samsung into finishing the job in a day. lol. :-p
  • What wifi error on EC05??? Wifi works just fine on EB13/EC05... Maybe your referring to GPS problems which is more related to hardware than software in my own opinion..
  • I thought the same.. I have never had Wifi problems except with the last CM7.. GPS on the other hand, on my first phone, just plain sucked and never locked.. Then, I got my first and only replacement and never had any GPS problems again (until the EH17 GPS freeze glitch, which was patched).. My phone is now 100% as functional and stable as was on EC05.. I will wait on this last update so I can pick and choose whatever patches devs come up with as I like to run stock removing and adding what I want..
  • Naw, I'm not talking about GPS... GPS actually worked fine for me (although it usually took 30-60 seconds to get a lock). There was a VERY occasional wifi error on EC05 that, sometimes when you tried to enable wifi from the pulldown notification menu, it would just say "enabling... " and never connected. THen if you went to wifi in settings it would say "error". Sometimes, enabling it from settings would fix it, and sometimes you would have to reboot the phone to fix it. Like i said, it's not a big deal and doesnt happen that often, but it's there. Though I'm sure some users havent had that issue.
  • What about the keyboard lag? It's amazing that bug made it past three production builds; it's now just sad. Luckily devs at XDA patched that annoyance.
  • Good question on the keyboard lag.. Probably overlooked once again... Stuff like that just doesn't seem to bother the testers when they are building these updates... Thats why the kernel/ROM devs are our heros ;)
  • I'm not as mad about the keyboard lag as I am about the fact that the hw keyboard skips keys almost without fail once every 5-10 keystrokes. Literally, it doesnt matter how carefully you press it... I swear, I've tested many times, and I'll slowly, deliberately, firmly, press F-A-I-L, and end up with "FAL" or something like that. it's ridiculous. Although I'm afraid that's probably more of a hardware issue than a software issue. :-(
  • The Bluetooth bugs are killing me. I hope this update really does fix those issues.
  • We'll I got itchy so you got it
    I downloaded it myself
    thanks for the instructions
    Was the first time for me nice and easy can't wait to check it out
    And maybe check out some other stuff to upgrade