Yesterday, I turned my Samsung DROID CHARGE 4G from Verizon on and it asked me if I wanted to update.  Always wanting that, I said yes.  After two days, here are the nice things I’ve found (nothing bad so far).  I was surprised when it finished, it did not offer me any idea of what it did though.  I’m pretty sure it’s the Gingerbread update.  My Phone Info now says 2.3.6 Firmware Version

So, here are the features (and screen shots)

 

New Version numbers on main screen. image
Nice transitions for top toggles (wifi,bluetooth, etc).  Before, it was hard to tell if bluetooth was on, coming on, off or going off. image
Shows top in green when phone is active.  That is, it reminds me I have a phone call going while I’m doing something else. image
pinch gives up to 4 browser sessions in carousel mode image
breadcrumb icons showing which screen I’m on. Note at the top. I also has a button next to the screen numbers which brings up the screens all together like in the next screen shot.  Also, when scrolling through the carousel, it now wraps from last to first instead of hitting a wall. image
Allow me to set any screen as home screen. image

 

Feel free to add comments below about other things.

 

I just got back from CES and have been honestly quite confused about all the different claims for 4G verses 3G.  Somehow, my T-Mobile phone I trialed (The Google G2) seemed to get pretty impressive download speeds, even though it was still not 4G (sometimes, up to 5MBs).  Then, my AT&T phone running Windows Phone 7 would get close to the same running AT&T’s 3G.  They both seem to call their networks HSPA+ I think, and somehow, that means 3G but faster (whatever the hec that means).  Now, I have a Sprint phone again (the HTC Slide running Android) with the real 4G.  Hmm. a big confusing.

At anyrate, Jason Hiner just a really good article that sorts all this out.  My biggest takeaway is that the “real” 4G networks (Sprint (WIMAX) and Verizon (LTE)) have significantly reduced latency time which does make a big difference for how the web feels when you are doing interactive stuff.  Below is a post to the article:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/how-at-t-and-t-mobile-conjured-4g-networks-out-of-thin-air/43577?tag=nl.e539

Hope this helps you as it did me.


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