Samsung Galaxy Tab gets updated to Gingerbread

I just upgraded my Samsung Galaxy Tab (Model GT-P1000) to Android 2.3.3 or Gingerbread. Ever since Samsung announced the tab was getting Gingerbread, I’ve been regularly checking whether the firmware was already available for the Philippines.

Gingerbread offers a streamlined user interface “for simplicity and speed.” Here’s a listing of the firmware’s improvements.

GINGERBREAD UPDATE. The Galaxy Tab gets upgraded to Android 2.3.3 or Gingerbread, which offers improvements on the user interface, power management among a slew of other features. Click on photo to enlarge.

“The user interface is refined in many ways across the system, making it easier to learn, faster to use, and more power-efficient. A simplified visual theme of colors against black brings vividness and contrast to the notification bar, menus, and other parts of the UI. Changes in menus and settings make it easier for the user to navigate and control the features of the system and device.”

It also comes with a keyboard “redesigned and optimized for faster text input and editing” as well as improvements in copying and pasting text. Gingerbread also offers improved power management, built-in Internet calling, downloads management and offers “user access to multiple cameras on the device, including a front-facing camera, if available.”

To update your Galaxy Tab, connect it with Samsung’s Kies desktop software and use the system to check for firmware upgrades. The upgrade took less than 30 minutes for me.

The new interface looks a bit sleeker but I already encountered one hitch—the screencapture app that I’ve been using, ShootMe, no longer runs unrooted. While ShootMe states that it requires a rooted phone, I used to be able to run it in my unrooted Tab in Froyo. Oh well, I just have to find another app.

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2 responses

  1. Chat Trinidad Avatar
    Chat Trinidad

    i upgraded my samsung galaxy tab to gingerbread yesterday. i love the new features/improvements but my calendar was forced closed. i followed one of the advice i found in the net, discarded all my stored calendar data to no avail. i can no longer open the calendar. please help.

  2. Gabriel Mangahas Avatar
    Gabriel Mangahas

    I cannot update my gt-p1000 via kies it always says your device doesnt support update via kies anyone have any ideas so i could update except odin though too risky for my taste

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