The updates continue to pour in, this time, according to a tweet, Virgin Mobile USA will be updating their Samsung Intercept to Android 2.2 Froyo. The update will come “sometime this spring,” and with it, Intercept users will finally get theirs hands on features that many users have been enjoying for quite some time.

The big news here is that it’s a Samsung device. Samsung’s phones are well known for their delayed updates or lack thereof. With the device launching in October of last year, the update, coming this Spring, was exceptionally fast regarding Samsung and its carriers history.

We’re definitely expecting more information in the coming months and we’ll be sure to keep you updated!

[Via TalkAndroid]

88 COMMENTS

  4. Will the update be only on new intercepts or will it be available for everyone? Please don’t tell me I just spent $250 on this phone and they decide to give awesomeness a month later.

  7. Matt, the update will be available for all intercepts. It will be an OTA (over the air) update. So when it comes out you will just go into settings and update phone.

  8. I’ve been using the Sprint 2.2 hack for my Virgin Mobile Intercept for a few weeks now, the battery life seems to be much better, and I like the subtle enhancements in the user interface

  9. Adam…Is it true that MMS wont work if you use the Sprint update? Cause if that’s the case then I’ll definitely just wait for the official Virgin Mobile update.

  10. Swiit, I’m curious about that myself because i would really like to update now because of the phone lag. But I also heard that voicemail notifications will also not work and that is one of the reasons I even bought the phone because I was sick of my old phone not notifying me of voicemails

  15. While I’ll be happy to get the update, can they be any slower? I’d not be surprised if there’s another big update from Google for their Android OS before we ever get 2.2 on our VM phone.

    /sigh

  16. wow this is pretty much the best news i’ve found… i’ve been waiting around for a post like this for months :). i love this phone but i would really like to get the updates @ the same time as sprint i mean were on the same network, & the same phone… come on guys get ur shit togetther.

    🙂 i just hope it dont wipe everything i have on my phone already…

    did anyone else have problems with google account when they got their intercept?

  17. This seals the deal. I am buying the Virgin Mobile Intercept this week. I almost swayed to the Blackberry model simply because I’ve heard a) How crappy the 2.1 Intercept is, and b) How much nicer it is with 2.2.

    My Palm Pre has been so frustrating with its slowness that I refuse to ever buy another phone that has poor reviews for speed reasons. Now that the reviews are looking up on 2.2 Intercepts, I’m switching to Prepaid Android and cutting my phone bill to 1/3 🙂

  18. It’s now almost February….is there any more word, following an alleged Tweet, that Virgin Mobile will definitely upgrade the Intercept to 2.2?

    As my daddy said…”Show me the money !”

  19. It’s now almost February….is there any more word, following an alleged Tweet, that Virgin Mobile will definitely upgrade the Intercept to 2.2?

    As my daddy said…”Show me the money !”

  21. im on my third new intercept in two weeks of being with virgin mobile NOT HAPPY!!
    I will say virgin mobile has done every thing to help me every time i call an have a problem

  24. Why wait til Spring release? Having winter blues? I have this Intercept phone through Virgin Mobile. Maybe it’s time for me to get an iPhone now that it’s available through Verizon. Oh wait, since I’m not on a contract and there is no “punishment fee” to bail out, I should go for the iPhone. So long Samsung and Virgin. It’s been a wonderful five years! lol.

  25. Latest tweet from Virgin Mobile USA regarding Samsung Intercept Froyo upgrade:

    We know you have been asking for specifics on when VM will be getting the update to Android Froyo 2.2….it will be available about 3/25.
    24 minutes ago via web

    virginmobileus on twitter.com

  26. Be patient. Your Intercept will work MUCH better when the update arrives. I was with Sprint, with a Samsung Intercept, and it was dodgy. Had to reboot the phone at least once daily, to get all networks to refresh. Sluggish response, freezing, and other lame software behavior was a big issue with 2.1 software.

    As soon as Froyo 2.2 came out, the phone worked much better. Still slow with some things, like Pandora. That could also be the severely crowded network in my area, though.

    Hang in there. The upgrade makes a big difference! Enjoy your contract-free, punishment-free mobile service!

  28. Virgin Mobile USA is pushing back the Android 2.2 (FroYo) upgrade to first week of April 2011.

    Here is from their Twitter Account:

    @NG_Player I’m sorry, the update is being rescheduled due to some internal timing issues. It should be ready the first week of April. ^MR
    about 2 hours ago via Radian6 in reply to NG_Player

  31. hey everyone that waiting dont just get the optimus trust me i had and still got my intercept and im telling the optimus is way better games the screen resolution and more are the shit it feels better so fuck the intercept and get the optimus trust me

  32. I don’t agree I have both phones and even with the 2.1 the samsung is better I have to restart the lg everytime I want to switch back to 3g lg isn’t that good and a lot of other people I know that has thlg ttaded it in bc they had a lot of problems with it

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

    • True. My parents have it, it’s a mess of a phone. They wish they had gotten the Intercept as well. However once I can afford something outside of VM I WILL cause of these continuous update delays, ridiculous, the intercept was nearly double the price and has still not been updated!

  33. For all the people with dirty mouth, the UPGRADE IS HERE. Received text today, 04/08 it will start to roll out 04/11. Not great as I will be on vacation, and if the upgrade is poor quality I’m screwed, plus can’t back up to computer………………….

  34. Everyone is expecting a perfect release on 4/11/2011. Virgin Mobile USA and Sprint probably tested Froyo extensively. Here is one email to a customer:

    Thanks for contacting Virgin Mobile Customer Care.

    Due to an unusual high volume of emails recently, it has taken us longer than expected to respond to your email. We are very sorry for the delay in responding back and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

    Virgin Mobile customers using a Samsung Intercept will receive a text message advising of an upcoming handset software update. Virgin Mobile will offer a software update for the Samsung Intercept which will update the device software from Android 2.1 Eclair to Android 2.2 Froyo. Not all Intercept customers will receive the software update at the same time. The initial software update push will be to 5,000 Intercept users starting April 11th. Further deployments of the software update will be pushed out as testing is confirmed.

    NOTE: Customers who manually look for a software update will not find an available update until after the date they are scheduled for the software push. This update will be available for manual updates to all subscribers after all software pushes have been deployed.

    If you need additional assistance, feel free to let us know how we can assist further or contact us at 1-888-322-1122 (or *VM from your handset). You can reach us Monday through Sunday from 4am-9pm PST.

    Thanks,

    Elisa
    Virgin Mobile At Your Service

  35. Here is the actual text/SMS message sent to select 5000 customers by Virgin Mobile USA:

    VMFreeMsg: Starting 4/11/11, you will be notified of a phone software upgrade available for your Intercept. Click http://msg4u.us/isr for more information.

    Here are details from the link above:

    Virgin Mobile Home

    Within the next few weeks you will be receiving a prompt on your phone to update your Intercept phone software from 2.1 éclair to 2.2 Froyo. The update process will take 5-15 minutes to complete. Ensure that your phone is charged or connected to AC before clicking Restart and Install. Do not remove your battery during the update process.

    Google or Exchange Contacts, Email accounts, Text Messages, Alarms and installed applications will be backed up and restored. A soft reset may be required to re-sync Calendar events. Music files, Photos and Videos are stored on the memory card and are not affected. Memos, Call Logs, Speed Dial numbers, Playlists, Folders, App shortcuts and Widgets will be deleted. Backup any important Memos before proceeding.Speed Dial numbers, Playlists, Folders, App shortcuts and Widgets can be recreated after the update is complete.

    After the installation is complete, your phone will restart. You will be prompted to re-enter your Google Account Password.

    Froyo 2.2 enhancements include:
    · Exchange Active Sync updates
    · ability to install applications to external memory card
    · improved Bluetooth device support
    · Bluetooth Voice dialing
    · improved operating system performance
    · dedicated phone, application and browser icons on every home screen

    First lucky 5000 Virgin Mobile USA Samsung Intercept subscribers – enjoy the Froyo (:-))

  36. I received the update saying to look for the update on 4-10 but haven’t received the update yet. I bought this phone just before Christmas and have waited soooooo long for the update. i was very excited to hear the update was going to be here the 11Th but now I think I’m not going to get it and we’ll be back waiting for the update again. i just bought the LG Optimus V for my husband last weekend and found myself jealous after playing with it. This phone came with the 2.2 operating system on it. This is like being stuck with windows xp while your spouse has a computer with windows 7. If they don’t update me soon I am going to retaliate. My husband even offered to trade me but I refused to take the trade. The situation sucks.

  37. Its stupid the 11th already came and past I called the call center half a dozen times and all the can tell me is to keep waiting. On a message to tell me how to upgrade. But everytime they say ohh you should get it before tonight is over. Or in the morning . Well guess what still now 2.2 update. I have been screwed around so much by this company. I went to weeks without internet. Because theysaid they was having problems with their network they kept telling me that they was esculating the problem but could never figure out the problem. Finally I got tired of the cat mouse game and told them I think it was a phone issue. But no. I the customer was wrong finally I convinced them to send me a new phone and guess what I got internet now. Trust me you don’t want to trust the idiots that run this company.they sent out that email to everyone in the us and they are only going to give it to 5000 people who has the intercept at a time. When it is bullshit because they told us in the message that we would all have the 11th of this month.

  38. Basically what I was told by a advisor at vm is that we should receive a message on or anywhere two weeks after the 11th of april if you have not received the message of that time and all the pushes have been made then the software update would be available for you to update manually. Of this I don’t know if I would trust. But still its something to go on

  40. So i recieved the update. & it started to install, but then its stopped and a triangle with and exclamation mark in it popped up on my screen with an android figure. It wouldn’t let me do anything. I left it for an hour and it still didnt do anything. So i took out the battery because there was nothing else i coud do. & when i turned it back on i pressed reboot. So my stuff is all there i just don’t have my update now. Can anyone help me.???

    • I had the same problem all u have. To do is reset your phone to factory. Settings and your update will start automatically wait a few minutes and go under settings about phone. And update android and it will be downloading just save your contacts to your card first

  41. 4-14..PA…just got it about 12:20….i sent them a email about 3days ago…and today no text mess…just a regular mess on the phone screen telling me to update

  42. I got the update this morning and it is about time!! I love it and i live mississippi and we generally dont have 3g but now i do!! so yay me!!!!!!! good luck to all!

    • hey dani. when did you get the update. im hoping that ill get the update today. is the android 2.2.1 froyo for samsung intercept very good?

  47. Every time I talk to CS they tell me “Soon” I will receive a message about when/where to get the upgrade. What/when is this mythical “SOON” ?? Is it days, weeks, months, YEARS?? I finally got fed up and tried to trade it in for an LG Optimus, but they tell me at Radio Shack that the majority of the LGs they have sold for VM no-contract are in for repair and not to get it. Oh, the trials and tribulations of trying not to get ripped off for a mobile phone!!

  48. I have just received the 2.2 Froyo update on my Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept on 4/19/2011 at 2:15a.m. It took the update around ten minutes to complete. As far as what the update has changed on my phone other than the clock and unlock slider I really can’t tell much difference. I also thought that this update would let me use my phone as a wifi hotspot and so far it does I have not found the feature. Needless to say the phone still sucks and it way over priced. I might just go to a different company next month and say for Virgin Mobile and the constant hassle from them. I need a phone that is functional and so far the Samsung Intercept has not been.

  49. I just undated my phone. I cannot text on it now and it will only let me call sometimes. I am very upset with this. I have decided to just get a whole new phone and tell everyone not to by the intercept as it SUCKS!

  50. I just undated my phone. I cannot text on it now and it will only let me call sometimes. I am very upset with this. I have decided to just get a whole new phone and tell everyone not to by the intercept as it SUCKS!

  51. Ok guys for the the misconception 2.2.2 android version build number FROYO.EC07. You also still can not get the wifi hotspot feature to work on here. I have googled everything I know possible to get it to work but Virgin Mobile has a block on it. They remind me of Nazis the way they do business. I figure if I pay 250 for a phone and the 60 a month for service I should be able to use it however I please.

  52. same thing with my phone. !! at first i thought it might of been because i have alota messages but idk ! it does SUCk. ughh

  53. Why, why, why did they update? They took my phone from OK to a HUGE pain in the ass. Now every time I text someone the first time it fails, the second time it goes through! THANKS for making my phone unusable. Well done. When I bought the phone I knew the phone did not have the brain power for upgrades, and I was OK with that. Don’t force upgrades on your users. Especially if the upgrade is going to break the freakin’ product. THE END.

    • I totally understand where you’re coming from. I received my notification to update on 04/20/2011. Since updating last night, my phone is freezing and responding slowly. Naturally, I telephoned Virgin Mobile Tech Support and other than advising me to turn off the phone and remove the battery and removing apps from my phone that still has 90% storage space available, they had no other troubleshooting options. I came out here hoping to find answers.

      • Hey….good news! I did receive help online and now my phone is running fantastic. .

        Here’s a list of things I was told to do that worked:

        (1) The Virgin Mobile rep SHOULD have asked me to check the INTERNAL STORAGE SPACE, but asked me to check the SD Card space. Go to settings – click on SD Card and phone storage then check the INTERNAL STORAGE SPACE level at the bottom anything less than 25MB is going to slow up your phone. Mine was 22MB

        (2) At this point you can either move some apps to your SD Card or uninstall them to provide space on the INTERNAL STORAGE. Now go to:

        (3) SETTINGS -click on MANAGE APPLICATIONS and check to see which files are high lighted MOVE TO SD CARD. Unfortunately most apps will not be highlighted those you won’t be able to move, but move those that are highlighted. Moving the apps from Internal Storage beats deleting apps you may want to use later.

        (4) It was also suggested that I turn off apps that do not need to be running all the time and turn them on when I need them to conserve battery strength.

        I did the steps above and my Internal Storage space grew to 37.19MB, so my phone moved way faster and my battery lasted longer.

        But another Intercept user suggested the free version of LAUNCHER PRO. I researched and installed it. Wow..now my apps launch up through Launcher Pro and the difference is tremendous! It also adds 3d effects and more features. I downloaded Launcher Pro and something else and my Internal Storage is now at 21.9MB BUT with Launcher Pro’s help apps and phone performance is still moving fast.

        I am checking out and researching these recommended apps for better phone performance:

        Advanced Task Killer and Titanium Back Up – Apparently these two apps clean, turn off and remove apps that normally drain the battery and take up space. Titanium backup manager allows you to freeze or uninstall system built-in apps you couldn’t uninstall otherwise if you wanted to. Do your research on Titanium Back Up because it requires Root. One temp root that was suggested to me is: z4root .

        Other apps or resources that I’m researching because they were suggested to me by the Intercept users that helped get my phone working better are:

        (a) ADW
        (b) 4share.com
        (c) z4root
        (d) Tasker

        Look, I’m really new at all this..but I know that Android can be pretty much customized to run personalized applications specific to my needs, so I installed the app TASKER which enables creation of personalized apps. It’s a really complicated tool to learn. I keep it turned off when I’m not practicing building apps.

        Hope some of this info helps.

  54. Why, why, why did they update? They took my phone from OK to a HUGE pain in the ass. Now every time I text someone the first time it fails, the second time it goes through! THANKS for making my phone unusable. Well done. When I bought the phone I knew the phone did not have the brain power for upgrades, and I was OK with that. Don’t force upgrades on your users. Especially if the upgrade is going to break the freakin’ product. THE END.

  59. Or should have said I just my update today to 2.2 and its never worked better. I’m really happy with it except for the soft buttons get hung up, that’s it!! Great phone, I would recommend!!

  60. I received the 2.2 upgrade notice on my intercept but after reading some of the post below Im afraid to install the upgrade. Are there really so many problems with the upgrade? Should I take it to a store and let them install it so someone there can fix the phone if it is messed up. I dont know if I should upgrade or not….help?

  61. At first when my phone updated to 2.2 I also had problems with the sms service but this is no big deal. Wait about 10 minutes and turn off and then cut back on your phone. The sms service is going to be a pain for about an hr but it is only because the network in the area is going to be busy from sending out the update. Patience is a virtue and Happy Easter everyone!

  62. At first when my phone updated to 2.2 I also had problems with the sms service but this is no big deal. Wait about 10 minutes and turn off and then cut back on your phone. The sms service is going to be a pain for about an hr but it is only because the network in the area is going to be busy from sending out the update. Patience is a virtue and Happy Easter everyone!

  63. I hate the interface the battery and other icons at top look awful look like someone drew with hand, bad interface all around can’t turn blue tooth and WIFI from pulll down

  64. Just installed my update. Works way better. Only con is the wifi enabling is not in the pull down menu. You have to go to the settings now…unless I’m missing something. Overall better performance. I can now get Angry Birds to work!..LOL

  65. WiFi and Blue tooth Menu…From the home screen you can hit the menu button on the phone and it will give you the settings menu, from there the wifi and blue tooth enabling is the first one in the list.

  68. I dont have an intercept yet, but i would like to get one. Will it automatically come with the 2.2 update or will i have to install something?

  69. I’ve been waiting for ages for this too – but just found out how to get it. I called Virgin (absolutely useless as usual) – they told me the update wasn’t out yet. So I did a factory reset. Within 10 minutes 2.2.2 arrived!!! Been playing with it for the last hour – seems much better – highly recommended. Just save your contacts before you do the factory wipe!

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