Should I update to 4.5.608.en.US?

[Mrs EB]

Within the last week, when I turn on my D2G, I get a black screen which alerts me that the above update has been downloaded and is ready to install. I first want to know about this update. What is it? It's not an update for a certain app because it would have told me that.

I went to my "about phone" link in the settings. It says I have "system version" 2.4.330.A956. Is it worth it to update or will it cause more problems than good? I don't want to download until I learn what exactly is being updated yet I cannot find out what it is.

So what's with this update? What is it and should I do it? I didn't even know I downloaded it.

 

[chap87]

Its nothing you downloaded. Its a system update to gb. Yes go ahead and do it.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using DroidForums

 

[vikramsingh]

Already have update...nothing noticeable. Apparently it fixes something related to Exchange synchronization. You can go ahead and install it.

 

[silver6054]

Already have update...nothing noticeable. Apparently it fixes something related to Exchange synchronization. You can go ahead and install it.

If Mrs EB is on 2.4.330.A956, she is on Froyo and this will update to Gingerbread, so significant with many visible changes! (And yes, worth doing in many peoples opinion). Vikram probably went from .607 to .608, and this is mainly just the exchange issue.

 

[vikramsingh]

If Mrs EB is on 2.4.330.A956, she is on Froyo and this will update to Gingerbread, so significant with many visible changes! (And yes, worth doing in many peoples opinion). Vikram probably went from .607 to .608, and this is mainly just the exchange issue.

Yes, I updated from .607 to .608. Thanks silver for correcting me. From froyo, this is huge...but worthwhile IMO. But people have different opinions.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using DroidForums

 

[Mrs EB]

If Mrs EB is on 2.4.330.A956, she is on Froyo and this will update to Gingerbread, so significant with many visible changes! (And yes, worth doing in many peoples opinion). Vikram probably went from .607 to .608, and this is mainly just the exchange issue.

So I'm now on Gingerbread? That is a change. I did notice right away that the M in Motorola turned red and that icons for contacts and calls were easier to see. I also saw how the apps were easier to find. So am I really updated to Gingerbread? I haven't done much more to see what other changes are in GB.

 

[silver6054]

So I'm now on Gingerbread? That is a change. I did notice right away that the M in Motorola turned red and that icons for contacts and calls were easier to see. I also saw how the apps were easier to find. So am I really updated to Gingerbread? I haven't done much more to see what other changes are in GB.

If you have the red M then you are almost certainly on Gingerbread. Best way to confirm is to look at the settings again, your system version should now be something containing 4.5.608, and the Android version should now show as 2.3.3

 

[Mrs EB]

If you have the red M then you are almost certainly on Gingerbread. Best way to confirm is to look at the settings again, your system version should now be something containing 4.5.608, and the Android version should now show as 2.3.3

I just checked and you're right on both. So is there much of a difference between froyo and gb?

 

[silver6054]

I just checked and you're right on both. So is there much of a difference between froyo and gb?

Well, there's Froyo-GB in general, and then there's how it impacts this phone! There are no huge earth-shattering innovations in GB in general (some dismissed it as UI tweaks for example), but in the case of the Droid 2 Global, this was the first release since Dec 2010, and contains a large number of important bug fixes, some of which may or may not impact you (exchange sync for example: this was targeted as a business phone and exchange sync never worked well for most until now) and I think most of us think that this release has greatly improved both stability and battery life.

That said, looking around you can easily find lots of threads about how the update RUINED MY PHONE/LIFE etc, I still am not clear exactly what causes these different experiences (e.g. is it app mix, individual phone variation, user error....). But that seems to be common with any major upgrade, on the Verizon site there is a long thread about how Froyo ruined the original Droid. Hopefully you will be one who has a good experience with this upgrade.

 

[Mrs EB]

Well, there's Froyo-GB in general, and then there's how it impacts this phone! There are no huge earth-shattering innovations in GB in general (some dismissed it as UI tweaks for example), but in the case of the Droid 2 Global, this was the first release since Dec 2010, and contains a large number of important bug fixes, some of which may or may not impact you (exchange sync for example: this was targeted as a business phone and exchange sync never worked well for most until now) and I think most of us think that this release has greatly improved both stability and battery life.

That said, looking around you can easily find lots of threads about how the update RUINED MY PHONE/LIFE etc, I still am not clear exactly what causes these different experiences (e.g. is it app mix, individual phone variation, user error....). But that seems to be common with any major upgrade, on the Verizon site there is a long thread about how Froyo ruined the original Droid. Hopefully you will be one who has a good experience with this upgrade.

Thanks. One thing I have noticed is that the green light on the upper right hand corner of the D2G keeps blinking even though I don't have new email or new texts. Why is it blinking?

 

[silver6054]

Thanks. One thing I have noticed is that the green light on the upper right hand corner of the D2G keeps blinking even though I don't have new email or new texts. Why is it blinking?

Yes, there are some newly introduced bugs, and that is one of them. A list is available at:

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/60286?start=0&tstart=0

Note that most people don't experience most of them, and that the Froyo list was much worse!

 

[Mrs EB]

Yes, there are some newly introduced bugs, and that is one of them. A list is available at:

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/60286?start=0&tstart=0

Note that most people don't experience most of them, and that the Froyo list was much worse!

Wow, maybe I shouldn't have updated to GB! LOL

Well.....I've been testing it by sending test emails and all of a sudden, the green light stopped blinking continuously. It now blinks ONLY when I get email. So this is nice...it's back to normal! Go figure.

 

[lwags67]

I have not been able to update from .607 to .608 on two phones due to deleting bloatware rather than freezing. Did not know what I know now. But, considering the problems with .608 and the fact that it probably will not be updated again, I am going to give up the idea of sbf back and re-doing .607 and .608.

 

[Mrs EB]

I have not been able to update from .607 to .608 on two phones due to deleting bloatware rather than freezing. Did not know what I know now. But, considering the problems with .608 and the fact that it probably will not be updated again, I am going to give up the idea of sbf back and re-doing .607 and .608.

I'm sorry, I'm trying to understand this. I don't even know what bloatwear is. So you updated to GB, your phone froze, and now you will go back to Froyo?

 

[silver6054]

I'm sorry, I'm trying to understand this. I don't even know what bloatwear is. So you updated to GB, your phone froze, and now you will go back to Froyo?

"Bloatware" is the generic name given to applications on the phone, such as Blockbuster and amazon, that a user doesn't use, but comes preloaded and cannot be deleted without rooting. (Of course, one person's bloatware is another person's useful app). If you delete bloatware (after rooting) updates will fail. The correct way to deal with bloatware is to "freeze" it, so it won't run, and then unfreeze it when you want to do an update. Novice users who get root tend not to know this, and happily delete the bad bloatware. Later they discover that this is a mistake!

The usual solution is to "SBF" back to an earlier version, this replaces the deleted bloatware, and then the upgrade will proceed. lwags67 is saying he/she won't bother.

Lwags, if you are happy with your current state, then that makes sense. I found GB even with the new bugs MUCH better than Froyo, so I would still push upgrading. But certainly some people have a bad experience.