'Will my phone get Gingerbread?' Here's our official unofficial upgrade list

By Jerry Hildenbrand
last updated

It's the thought at the front of everyone's minds -- "will my phone get Gingerbread?"  Just like last time, and just like next time, we all want to know if our phone can expect an upgrade to Android 2.3, and when.  I don't claim to know any official answers, and I really don't think there are any just yet for most of the phones released this year.  But I can't let a little thing like that stop me.  Hit the break, and check out the list!

The Nexus One

It won't be the first phone with Gingerbread -- that'll be the Nexus S.  But it's likely the phone the engineers used to write and test the new version.  The Nexus One will get the upgrade first -- leaked as well as an official OTA update.  But I think this is the Nexus One's last time to be the star of the show, so we all better enjoy it.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab

This one's easy.  Or hard.  The Tab is going to get upgraded, of that I have no doubt.  The question is, will Samsung pass on Gingerbread and head right to the more tablet-friendly Android 3.x?  Samsung has been known to struggle getting updates out in a timely manner, so I can totally see them passing on Gingerbread.  And as long as Honeycomb gets on the Tab sometime in the first half of 2011, I can't complain if that's how it plays out.

The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G

The MyTouch 4G will get Gingerbread.  It probably was made with Gingerbread in mind, and T-Mobile is touting it as their 4G flagbearer.  If for some crazy reason it doesn't get Android 2.3, we'll fly out to Bellvue and heckle everyone at T-Mobile HQ daily until they cave.  Promise.

The HTC Desire HD

HTC's new global Android flagship.  Engineers will be hard at work stuffing Gingerbread onto the Desire HD, and probably already are.  Look for the HD to be on the Gingerbread fast track.

The T-Mobile G2, and the HTC Desire Z

1 GHz processor myths be damned, The HTC vision will be seeing Gingerbread, on both sides of the pond.  And it will be an awesome fit -- screaming hardware and an even more optimized OS.  Be sure to toss the HTC Merge into the mix here as well.

Samsung's Galaxy S models

To most of us, that's the Captivate, the Epic 4G, the Fascinate, and the Vibrant -- but the i9000, Mesmerize and Continuum are included as well.  Your carrier will get Froyo out for the Galaxy S phones that don't have it soon, then we all get to play the waiting game again.  But Gingerbread will come.  And no, I don't see Samsung skipping Froyo to push for Gingerbread -- there's too much evidence that Samsung has passed Froyo on to all the carriers already.

The Motorola Droid 2

It gets overlooked sometimes, but ask those who use one -- the Droid 2 is a heck of a phone.  Motorola loves it, enough to work with Verizon and re-release it as the Droid 2 Global model.  They will back this one with a Gingerbread update, not only because it's more than capable, but because Droid does, and they will want everyone to know it.

The Motorola Droid X

Take all the reasons the Droid 2 will get Gingerbread, and add a 4.3 inch screen to them.  The X is a huge seller for Motorola and Verizon, and putting Gingerbread on it will keep units flying off the shelves even when the new round of Motorola phones roll in this holiday season.  Yes I said this holiday season.

The Evo 4G

Yes, your Evo will get Gingerbread, I'm sure of it.  Regardless of which phone the customers think is Sprint's best Android offering, Sprint has a lot riding on the Evo, even five months after its launch.

To round it all out, there's this crazy rumor -- and feel free to ridicule me for not having the link -- that an HTC employee confirmed that HTC wants Gingerbread on the Evo before Christmas, and Sprint wants to be first to market with the update.  Like I said, it's a rumor, but it sounds reasonable.

The Droid Incredible

I'll go on record -- The Droid Incredible will be the first phone on Verizon to get the update, and it will go off without a hitch.  They will let Sprint update the Evo while they test, and drive us crazy for a few extra weeks, but they'll have the smoothest, most complete upgrade we could ask for.  Good things are worth the wait.

The HTC Desire

It's the Nexus One, with Sense.  OK, so not really, but you know where I'm going.  The Incredible is getting Gingerbread, so is the Evo, and it's going to debut on the Nexus One.  There is no reason the Desire shouldn't see it as well.

That's my list.  It's not definitive -- some phones are so sure to get it that there are no questions --  the Droid Pro and Droid 2 Global are great examples.  I think you can count on any high end phone released from today forward seeing some Android 2.3 love.  On the other side of the coin, some phones just aren't likely to see any.  The original Droid, or the Xperia come to mind.  It has to end somewhere -- good thing there's a hack for that.

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.

107 Comments
  • Gingerbread on the Epic would be Epic!
  • froyo for the epic would be nice too lol
  • Wishful thinking/speculation here, but when I think about it, 2.3 was more or less already close-to-finished when the Epic was released. The only reason it didn't get Froyo AT release is because the Galaxy S line had been developed and QA'd with Eclaire. Maybe the newer Galaxy S phones will pass Froyo, collect $200 and go straight to Gingerbread? Who knows.
  • Oh how I wish!
  • I dont get it, I mean samsung made the nexus s, and the hardware is practically identical! Why can't they just use that gingerbread update to upgrade all of the galaxy s phones? Is it because of touch wiz? like seriously WTF!
  • So... no love for the original Droid? :(
  • I second that... Hopefully the cyanogen team can work their magic.
  • They will. They'll get Gingerbread on the G1 too.
  • it should get the update. since it's just a year old, and being that it was their first android phone, it might be interpreted as how long they're interested in supporting any of their android phones. Besides, it should be easier to update since it didn't have an additional GUI. I'm sure google's trying to make updates possible for all the various devices, but with varying supported features. Then it's just be a matter of whether the hardware companies decide to continue supporting the devices, as well as the carriers.
  • Great, my MyTouch 4g gets Gingerbread... but will I get a way to enter a URL proxy so I can actually use the internet at work? Or will I have to root the phone...a process that I am certain will cost me a new phone after a brick the one I have. Most stupid, inane, moronic thing to leave out of anything that is hooked to the net.
  • What are you talking about?? You can't brick a phone by rooting the phone. Even if something gets messed up, you can always just flash the stock ROM on it and get it back.
  • Whats the big deal about rooting? It couldnt be me easy to do and theres a near zero chance of actually "bricking" your phone.
  • And maybe the Evo will get the new Sense with the update! ...here's to hoping=/
  • new sense may be closer then you think, the Speedy_RUU has been leaked, which is the EVO 4G Shift, with new sense, giggitty, porting should be next step no doubt i bet within a few days. EDIT: bummer maybe no new sense according to CALK. EDIT to the EDIT: calk might be wrong, may have new sense after all, more giggitty.
  • According to a post by Phil on the Speedy RUU leaked ROM, no new sense on the Shift/Speedy/Knight
  • I think of the phones running Sense the Desire HD + Z will be the first to get it then the original Desire and then the other HTC phones running sense in the states....that is my prediction. As for Samsung I have a feeling they are going to take forever to upgrade their lineup. Good thing is the Nexus S will have its updates coming from Google so Samsung can't delay them :)
  • Hopefully the rumor that the EVO will get it before christmas is true! Sprint and htc work great together.
  • I'm planning on getting a new Android phone from Verizon later this week. Was planning on getting the Droid X. Nice to know that it'll probably get Gingerbread but what new Moto phones are being intro'd before Christmas?
  • Sweetness...! Gooo EVO!
  • I'm not excited about Gingerbread for my DX. After the Froyo debacle, I'd rather stick to what I have now. At least it works, most of the time.
  • Just because Jerry lives in a cave and doesn't appreciate the fastest Network in this country,I am sorry. The MyTouch 4G will be getting gingerbread, the Network is great enough for the best device out there now (Nexus One)and they even kept it going on their Nexus S. I'm expecting gingerbread on my Nexus One and my new MyTouch 4G. The two best phones out there right now. PS will have to check out the new Nexus S when it comes out. It looks very good by was hoping for over the top specs. Maybe too much too fast???
  • Which part of "The myTouch 4G will get Gingerbread" was confusing? :p
  • But it's a very nice cave, especially on Wednesdays when we sweep the bones and leaves out.
  • Dude I just left Tmoblie (the smallest worst network of the 4) nobody leaves absence goes to Tmoblie they just leave Tmoblie. Google partnered with them becuz they are GSM friendly and Verizon is to demanding. Oh and by the way that crap. Is not 4G read the tech reports. Oh and by the way I run with the EVO 4G now 1st to gingerbread after nexus1
  • Wow just got my Droid Pro that was released not even a month ago and it doesn't get any Gingerbread that sucks. I guess 2.2 will work till I can upgrade again Sept of next year and get an LTE phone with Gingerbread.
  • You apparently do not read that well considering in the last paragraph of the blog post it states that some new phones are a given that they will get Gingerbread that they not need to even be mentioned like the Droid 2 Global and Droid Pro. Maybe you should finish reading all the article before you make yourself look like a fool. PS The Droid Pro will get Gingerbread ;)
  • I wonder if 2.3 will fix that 4G lag that's present on the Evo.
  • i have no 4g lag, i connect and stay connected with awesome speeds, then yet the tower is less then a half mile from my house, lol.
  • Actually it has nothing to do with the connection speeds, but rather the phone operations just seem to lag. Apps take longer to load, buttons take longer to respond, etc. The only way to cure it is to shutoff 4g, and reboot the phone.
  • Dude me to, and fix the wireless teather signal issues that the last update messed up. And to hear Sprint wants the Evo to have the update 1ST before anyone else, that's great news as Sprint has been doing so much since Dan H. took over. Mad props to HTC and Sprint.
  • Me three! The evo is the first mindblowing phone Sprint's had in a long time. I'm seeing a lot of them on the street. Everyone I talk to loves it! I do however get the 4g lag. I have a launch week evo. Is it on older units only??
  • "putting Gingerbread on it will keep units flying off the shelves even when the new round of Motorola phones roll in this holiday season. Yes I said this holiday season." - Droid X Ok, Jerry, what are you holding out on us? You know something and I'll be damned if you keep it a secret!
  • i had to read that 5, maybe 6 times. gingerbread? droid x? this holiday season? i sure hope so
  • I can't imagine the DX getting Gingerbread before xmas. My guess is it'll happen closer to Valentine's Day, if not later.
  • Which means I think I'm going to wait for the update to root....
  • you honestly dont think the droid pro will get it what are you guys smoking
  • Well, it DOES have the exact same insides as the Droid 2 and the Droid X soooo...
  • Is there any thing about the incredible HD is coming or what ???
  • Will the dell streak get it?
  • Lol...Dell Streak
  • The Dell Streak is a damn fine device. The 5inch screen is perfect for a small tab, its also fast. Its matching Tegra2 tabs like the Advent Vega in Quadrant when running DJ Steves 1.4.6 Froyo build at the moment (about 2200 which whips other snapdragon devices). Dells ROM is rubbish, but with a custom ROM its really a great device. It will get Gingerbread one way or another.
  • DInc Babaaay!!!
  • Wait, you're not even predicting that the Droid 1 will get 2.3?! How can they not show love for the original flagship Android phone? Or would it be because it's too old an the hardware can't handle it?
  • (holds OG Droid to the sky)
    KHAAAAAA..... wait no GOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE!
  • Dont cry yet guys this is an "UNOFFICIAL" list.
  • EXACTLY!! I'm glad that someone on here read the article instead of just read the bold type. It isn't an official list from Google or anything, it is just Jerry's best guess on which phones he thinks may/may not get it. No one has confirmed that the original Droid won't get 2.3. He is also just estimating who will get it first. Everyone just needs to calm down & actually read the article. M'kay?
  • What about us old school Moto Droid users? Are there any left out there besides me?! Ugh. Continuing to await the launch of 4G phones till I upgrade...
  • I think Verizon and Motorola have to cut the updates off for a year old phone, especially one they skimped a little on the RAM with. It's not that the OG Droid will be forgotten, but 2.2 on the Droid is a great OS for the masses who have no idea they can root and monkey with a phone. VzW and Moto SHOULD stop while they have a modern release that works so well. The good news, third party devs know how to work around issues like the size of a ROM, and adding swap files to the SD card to help with any RAM issues,and create a version of 2.3 that works great on the D1. It's wide open, and like the G1, will keep getting "unofficial" updates until it's absolutely impossible to do it.
  • I'm with you, buddy. Us OG Droid users just gotta keep hanging in there for an LTE replacement. Jerry's comment is 100% correct. It is a solid device, with an unfortunate processor disability. Cyanogen will (hopefully) look out for us when it comes to making a 2.3 rom for the OG Droid. When I upgrade, Cyanogen is going on that thing faster than you can say, "Gingerbread."
  • I don't think it's a "processor disability" so much as a shortage of RAM. The Droid only has 256MB vs the 512MB that's standard now.
  • Sorry about that. I meant ram. My mistake. Thanks a bunch for catching me on that! -_-'
  • Before I got my Incredible I carried an AT&T Tilt. I think that in over two years I got 1 minor OS bump. I'd be extremely pleased to see Gingerbread running on my phone. Now that's the way to support an OS!
  • I will hold you to it... :) Gingerbread would make the droid 2 so much better. :) and ofcourse, the magic question of when? on pins and needles til tehn
  • Why would you write off the Dell Streak crowd? Ours is relatively new
  • Umm, yeah....I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think even Dell wrote off the Streak crowd.
  • Maybe the American ones, but we brits are doing ok thanks!
  • Because I don't see the level of commitment to Android devices from Dell that I see with other companies. I think the Streak is neat as hell, and would love to have one, but I'm afraid Dell can't keep up with the crazy speed at which Android evolves.
  • Gingerbread on my Evo for Christmas!
    Forget "visions of sugarplums."
    I've got visions of Gingerbread :)
    What a nice gift.
    I believe it too as Sprint was pretty quick with the Froyo update.
  • This is a list of devices that will be officially upgraded to gingerbread. The original droid will get it too as it runs stock android. It'll be the easiest port. It wouldn't surprise me if Droid OG gets honeycomb when it releases
  • CATCH ME IF YOU CAN..IM THE GINGERBREAD MAN....DROIDX....Sounds good to me. Hope Gingerbread isn't a disappointment. I'm happy with Froyo either way though.
  • When all the gingerbread comes out of the oven I think I will wait for the rooted version before updating. I don't want to give up the superuser power and all the stuff only a rooted phone can do.
  • Possibly before christmas? Evo ftw!
  • So glad I went with the evo over the epic. The only time the screen looks better is when they're side by side. And that's the only thing they have better! Touch wiz! ......mwaaahaha!
  • Happiness is knowing that my Droid Inc is getting Gingerbread! I know it's EOL is reportedly March 31, but I think Verizon and HTC will keep supporting the phone long after. Now I wait for Sense 2.0
  • The best thing about Android is that even if some phones don't get official Android love, the dev community is quick to step up and take care of it. I can already see Gingerbread roms running on the old Droid Eris.
  • WHAT?? No G1?? DAMN!! LOL
  • Dude -- I bet my cave-home that someone gets 2.3 on the G1. :p
  • Send them my way when you find them! LOL
  • My God let the damn thing die already! Seriously. Someone needs to put the G1 out of its misery with some type of kill switch. I went from G1 to EVO. I almost soiled myself in the first 5 minutes of using it. My god.....its full of speed and win.
  • Verizon told me the Ally will be getting Gingerbread, and skipping Froyo.
    Who knows if this is true or not, but that's what I was told.
  • No love for my G1? jk jk jk jk lol troll lol. Anyways, all people are hoping for is "Froyo skip, gingerbread a go" for the Galaxy S line, nope... sorry... Samsung has made Froyo, I have it on my Vibrant. It may be slow, okay, REALLY slow, but I use it as a normal driver and it is pretty much ready for prime time.
  • What I want to know more as an Evo owner, is if the Gingerbread update will add all the nice new Sense features of the Desire HD. At least give us a font that takes advantage of our big screens!
  • Would be nice to see Motorizon step back a little, just a little from the butchering.
  • G2 for the win..I could easily say its one of the better phones out right now. Anyone else agree? Even with stock speed its faster than most.
  • Ummm not really. They all are good phones....just different. The only phones I could classify as bad would be anything Samsung. Not because of the hardware. (Well other then GPS issues.) Far from it. In most cases Sammy's hardware is the best out there. But Samsung blows and sucks at the same time when it comes to software support.
  • Yes mytouch 4g my soon to be phone
    hb the mytouch 3g slide? And the new mytouch has at least one feature from the new sense
  • The way android updates get put out makes me want to punch a geek.
  • PUNCH AN EXEC, IT'S A BEETER RESULTS,can't blame GEEKS , we want it too, and sick of the games...
  • Thankfully this is an unofficial list because come hell or high water I'm getting Gingerbread on my OG Droid. If the N1 can do it, so can the OG Droid. The OG Droid...DOES
  • I have a really hard time believing that Samsung will upgrade the Galaxy S or Epic 4G. I mean it took them how long to roll out 2.2? I'd give it a 50/50 chance.
  • While often over looked (for some reason) on the front page, it's good to see such an optimistic outlook for The Incredible. Those of us that have one, know what I mean!
  • I have the nasty 4g lag too, it sucks!!
  • GREAT NEWS FOR THE EVO 4G!!
  • Phones with froyo 2.2.1 will get an update I think for sure because I think that 2.2.1 is needed fir the update to happen. Also the tap is going to get an update from Samsung it iwill be up to carriers to push it out. Moto Droid phones maybe not all of them because they have new flag ship phone in the works and that phone does look at what happend to the Droid 1. The HTC phones foresure may take a long tine for some of them again carriers
  • I have the Evo I would love to see the gingerbread before Christmas it would be a nice present from Sprint and HTC.
  • Seems like the MyTouch Slide is definitely the black sheep of MyTouch phones... and will probably not even get Froyo, nevertheless gingerbread or anything newer...
  • Yall talking about putting 2.3 in the Evo before Christmas. ..hmmm can I get 2.2 on my beautiful.Streak before than....tsk.tsk.tsk just ridiculous!
  • Begin playing taps now for the Original Droid? You are a great device and will be missed. (Trumpet plays, women and children begin to cry)
  • I do think that its really sad that the streak was just completely written off..I mean 5 inch screen and great processor? I don't see how they can do that. I mean, like Jerry said earlier. Dell can't or doesn't want to keep up with the android business. I'm sorry for all streak owners, because I think its a great phone.
  • We dont really need Dell, we have a great dev of our own..
  • Gingerbread is ported to the Eris, the Droid 1 can easily see 2.3 but it may be up to the Android Devs to get it going. We will just have to wait and see, as fo alot of the newer phones, I'm sure by mid 2011 most will have an update, official or not.
  • I would'nt think R2-D2 will see Gingerbread any time soon?
  • I love Android for all the obvious reasons, but OS updates is my only gripe. The Android ecosystem is built in a way that prevents simultaneous/bulk updates to all android phones immediately after a new version of Android is released by Google. I guess this is the only place where Apple wins.
  • The only reason for this is because the handset makers want to add their own UI. If they didn't do this then all android would be equal and could be ported to any device with ease.
  • Cyanogenmod 7.0 for Desire... come on baby! Ciwrl & Kali- I know you hear me!
  • Will the Sanyo Zio have 2.3?
  • People need to stop blaming manufacturer skins & mods for the update delays, you're just giving them a scapegoat! The fact is, if they leverage their resources AND work with or pressure the carriers (who are part of the problem), there's no reason the updates can't get pushed out in short order... Sprint/HTC managed to do it with the EVO, the thing was updated to Froyo within two or three months of release (and it was released only a few weeks after Froyo launched IIRC). If they can do it, then everyone else should be able to, yet it's December and most of the Galaxy S line is still waiting for Froyo. As far as I can tell it's not even Samsung's fault anymore, since they've started updating the Euro versions, it's probably being delayed by the carriers who want to add their own bloat on top of Samsung's modifications. I'd say we need to complain to the carriers as much as the manufacturers, they're the ones who can put the most pressure on carriers to fall in line anyway. Porting the OS to such a big variety of phones is always gonna take time regardless, you've got phones with different processors, cameras, keyboard layouts, 3G/4G/HSPA+, etc. etc. It's never gonna be as fast as Apple, but even they are suffering from a certain degree of fragmentation, their updates will never be universal for every iPhone as phones get older and processors evolve faster.
  • yes my evo will get gingerbread im excited
  • I don't want to wait for six for honeycomb on Galaxy tab I hope they give gingerbread soon and after honeycomb.
  • What about the Optimus line? Will the Optimus S get it?
  • YAY!! i have HTC Glacier and i am HOPING it does get it, i mean, in the us it was released only 4 months ago so why not! haha
  • How about the Atrix? I'm sure if the droids are getting it, that the atrix would get it.
  • After the wait , just give me some ICE CREAM !!!!
  • looking forward to seeing vanilla on the droid pro
  • Hey...check out whats new in Android 2.3(Gingerbread)....I got this lovely link when I was searching... Whats new in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Thanks
  • I'm thinking it's time to live up to that promise for the My Touch 4g.... "If for some crazy reason it doesn't get Android 2.3, we'll fly out to Bellvue and heckle everyone at T-Mobile HQ daily until they cave. Promise." What's the latest news is it going to see 2.3?
  • What! No gingerbread fo HTC Incredible S? That is damn disappointing!