Will my HTC phone get the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update?

Android 2.3, Gingerbread, is the latest version of Google’s smartphone OS. It’s currently available on flagship Android devices like the Nexus One, Nexus S and recent high-end Android phones like the HTC Desire S.

We’ve been talking with all of the manufacturers to see which phones other will be getting upgrades to Android 2.3. We’ll also be updating here with release dates, as we get them.

Why update to Android Gingerbread? Well, it will give your phone a speed boost, more efficient battery use and easier download management.

If your phone is running on stock Android (i.e. it doesn’t have a custom UI like HTC Sense) you’ll get a fetching black-and-green wardrobe change to menus and icons.

The keyboard has also been improved, and the web browsing experience is an even smoother affair. There’s even better app management, so you can see what’s currently running on your phone.

What phones get upgraded? It’s a tricky one, and often depends on the UK phone networks, who cooperate with phone makers to “broadcast” phone updates across the network. This is known as an OTA (Over-the-air) update.

(Three UK is promising an Android 2.3 update for their HTC Desire customers mid-May.)

HTC have said that several of their new phones will arrive pre-loaded with the latest version of Android. The dual-cored HTC Sensation will be running Android 2.3, as will the HTC Wildfire S, HTC Chacha, and HTC Salsa.

The HTC Desire S model we reviewed also had Android 2.3, though the Incredible S didn’t. A spokesperson told Recombu that the Incredible S, alongside older models like the HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire Z, and HTC Desire will get upgraded to Android 2.3 in the next few months

This is great news for the HTC Desire, which originally arrived in phone shops packing Android 2.1. Two hefty Android updates in one lifetime is very good going.

Which HTC phones won’t get the Android 2.3 update?

It gets more uncertain here. HTC were unable to confirm or deny which phones would miss out on baked Gingerbread goodness- no-one likes an angry customer who feels left behind..

We’ve heard from our sources that it’s unlikely that the HTC Wildfire would get the update, similarly we can presume the HTC Hero, which missed out on Android Froyo (2.2), won’t be getting the Android 2.3 treatment.