Gingerbread Update for Six Android Phones to Dampen Apple's Cheaper iPhone Plan

AT&T has announced plans to roll out Google Android's latest smartphone version Gingerbread update for six Android phones starting Tuesday.

The update will be rolled out for post-paid Android phones. However, the update will be delivered both via OTA and in some cases where the update requires a large file size the Gingerbread update will require Wi-Fi connectivity or the phone needs to be connected to a PC.

The Gingerbread update is coming to the following phones which were earlier endowed with Android 2.2 or Froyo. The phones include Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, LG Phoenix, Pantech Crossover, Samsung Captivate and Samsung Infuse 4G.

The range of above mentioned Android phones include phones with super specifications like Motorola Atrix and HTC Infuse 4G and also includes entry level Android phones like LG Phoenix, Pantech Crossover and Samsung Captivate which are price between $29 and $49.

Gingerbread first released in December 2010 with Google's pure Android phone Nexus S. Android 2.3 codenamed Gingerbread brought in features like NFC, cut-and-paste functionality and a more intuitive keyboard. It also comes integrated with VoIP and the ability to manage downloads from a single place.

The most recent rumor regarding Apple iPhone 5 release comes from an Italian Web site iPhone Italia which says that the highly anticipated smartphone will ship in U.S. on September 5 followed by global launch next month. Thus a Gingerbread roll-out by AT&T does not bode well for Apple's iPhone 5 plans. Apple is still dealing with some high-profile Android phone launches like Samsung Galaxy S2, myTouch 4G Slide, HTC Sensation, Motorola Photon and the upcoming Motorola Droid Bionic.

The Gingerbread update comes to cheaper Android phones as well which can compete against iPhone 3GS which is available on AT&T for $49. Pantech Crossover and Samsung Captivate are both available for $49 while LG Phoenix is priced at $29 and all these phones are due for a Gingerbread update.

Rumors that Apple will launch a cheaper iPhone possibly codenamed iPhone 4S have also been circulating the web. And while some analysts like Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore forecast Apple's foray into the lower price smartphone segment, Apple is due to face heat from the cheaper breed of Androids with Gingerbread updates.

Here is a list of the six Android phones on AT&T network which earlier sported Android 2.2 or Froyo and will now receive a Gingerbread update:

HTC Inspire 4G:

Display - 4.3-inch LCD

Resolution - 800x480

OS - Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Processor - Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon

RAM - 768 MB

Internal Memory - 4GB

Camera - 8 MP

Video Capture - 720p

Battery Life - 6 hrs talk time

Thickness - 0.46-inch