Somehow I missed when it was announced that it was GSM only till 2011. Seems weird since I've read up on it so much. Probably for the best, for everything about it I think is awesome there's another way in which it's crippled.
I've read a couple articles today saying that Froyo handsets will probably not be upgradeable to gingerbread as google may keep that version for Highest end phones and tablets only. If true I'd be pissed to get stuck with 2.2.
Pretty much all the Android version news since back in July has had it pegged as mid October release. Also the Droid T2 will be released this year as (supposedly) the 1st gingerbread Android phone. Almost everything I've read on it says October.
EDIT: Here's an article. There are several others that say basically the same thing.
New operating system will be for high end handsets only, will scrap third party shells (Motoblur, HTC Sense)
Android 2.2 seemed pretty cool, bringing Flash 10.1, a Davlik JIT compiler for faster apps, and the ability to run apps off a memory card. But Google's recently unveiled Android 3.0 operating system, codenamed "Gingerbread" may make Android 2.2 "Froyo" look downright pedestrian.
First and foremost, not all Android phones will get Android 3.0 when it launches in Q4 of this year. Only high end handsets, and potentially tablets, will get the top of the line operating system. Laggard models (also known as "entry level" smartphones) will still run either Android 2.1/2.2, which will be kept alive by minor updates.
For those who experience Android 3.0, the taste will be sweet. The minimum spec calls for 1 GHz processors, 512 MB RAM, and a 3.5" display. Resolutions of 1280x760 will be offered on displays 4" and larger, surpassing the iPhone 4's fancy "Retina Display". And some phones are rumored to have 2 GHz processors (hopefully they'll come with a hearty battery or employ significant die shrink power savings).
Another drastic change in Android 3.0 is that Google is killing off third-party user interface shells like Motorblur and HTC Sense, by offering a faster, superior alternative. The new built-in UI is reportedly similar to that seen in the Gallery app in this clip, with fluid animations and a photobook sort of feel to it.
The wealth of information was leaked by Mobile-review.com’s Eldar Murtazin in his Russian language/locale podcast "Digestiv." This podcast has been translated by Unwired News.
In the podcast, Murtazin claims that the new OS will air to developers and tinkerers in mid-October 2010. That will be followed by a November/December series of hardware launches, just in time for the Christmas season.
