Hi,

I have a Samsung Galaxy SL i9003 which game with Froyo installed. I want to upgrade to Gingerbread (if possible). Does anyone know how this can be done or is there anywhere in Bangkok I can take it to to get it upgraded?

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

Have you tried KIES? This is software which runs on your PC and which allows you to manage the phone, including updating the firmware if any official releases are available. I'd recommend using a notebook (battery in case of loss of AC), a USB cable and a robust internet connection.

Is there a particular feature in 2.3.x which you require?

Is the phone working for you now acceptably?

Where did you buy it, originally?

Can you look at Settings, About phone, and share the Firmware version, Baseband version, Kernel version and Build number?

What is your level of risk?

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. Will KIES run on Mac too or does it need to be PC? I have both.

I had read that with Gingerbread you will be able to use Skype video calling on the handset which is why I wanted to upgrade. Also I read that the battery management was better which would increase the battery life.

Here is the info you asked for.

Firmware 2.2.1

Baseband 19003DXXB2

Kernel version 2.6.32.9 root@SE-S604 #1

Build FROYO.DXXB2

I want the upgrade to be straight forward if possible and don't really want to lock or fry the phone.

Have you tried KIES? This is software which runs on your PC and which allows you to manage the phone, including updating the firmware if any official releases are available. I'd recommend using a notebook (battery in case of loss of AC), a USB cable and a robust internet connection.

Is there a particular feature in 2.3.x which you require?

Is the phone working for you now acceptably?

Where did you buy it, originally?

Can you look at Settings, About phone, and share the Firmware version, Baseband version, Kernel version and Build number?

What is your level of risk?

Download ROM Manager from the market.

I had a quick read though several threads and it doesn't seem like there is an official Android 2.3 (aka Gingerbread) release for the i9003. So you'd have to install a 2.3.x-based custom ROM or wait.

I did find this re: Skype video calling:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2390454,00.asp

The updated Skype 2.1 for Android is available now in the Android Market or via Skype.com/m. Those running Android 2.2 or higher should already be able to see video calling in your Skype settings. Go to "Skype Settings" after launching the app and select "enable video calling."

"Unfortunately, if you cannot see the video calling settings, it means your Android phone does not meet the minimum requirements needed to make Skype video calls," Skype said in a blog post. "Please be aware that video call quality may not be as good as on a certified Android device and only the back camera of the device will work if your device is running on Android 2.2 (Froyo)."

Do you have a front-facing camera? Without one it would seem like video calling would be useless, unless you just want to see the far-end video?

Are you experiencing battery life issues? Not sure Gingerbread addresses those, and you might be able to resolve them in other ways?

For now I'd say you'll have to wait for an official release from Samsung or flash a custom ROM. Flashing a custom ROM is guaranteed to introduce a number of minor and one or two major problems, which weren't problems before.