AT&T to release update that enables sideloading

Earlier this month we reported that AT&T had confirmed they would be opening up their Android phones to non-Android Market apps. Well, we knew that it would be for AT&T’s upcoming phones, but we were unsure about their older devices?

According to a leaked image that Android Central got their hands on, it looks like the older devices will be getting an OTA (over the air) update to enable the sideloading of apps. Unfortunately, only a handful of lucky devices will be getting the update. The HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Aria, and Samsung Captivate are the selected ones. Oddly, the Motorola Atrix isn’t mentioned in the list.

There certainly is a possibility that AT&T will release the update for even more phones in the future, but for now, it looks like AT&T users with other Android phones will have to resort to rooting if they want to sideload apps. At least this news is better than nothing right? What do you think of AT&T relaxing their grip over their Android handsets – is this a sign of better things to come?