The My Account app available to all of T-Mobile’s Android customers was updated to version 3.0 today. This update was minor compared to v2.0 and only adds the ability to toggle paperless billing and make payments from your phone. An extra layer of security was also added that requires customers to login with their T-Mobile password to make payments.
My Account v3.0 includes the following changes:
- Separated the app into two menu icons – My Account and Help
- Allow customers to setup paperless billing and make payments using previously stored payment methods
The real story here is that new versions of My Account are normally followed by updates for new versions of the Android firmware. Cupcake (Android 1.5) was released shortly after the first My Account app appeared and Donut (Android 1.6) was sent out after the app was updated to v2.0.
Most carriers are releasing their Android 2.1 upgrades around Q2 2010, but we do not have a specific date for the G1 and myTouch 3G.
T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman recently said T-Mobile-branded devices like the G1 and the MyTouch 3G would receive updates together. Brodman also noted that certain devices like the Motorola CLIQ, which uses a custom Android UI called Motoblur, will take longer to receive updates because of “integration issues”.
Motorola already said the CLIQ Android 2.1 update was planned for Q2 2010, so based on Brodman’s statements it is not unbelievable to think the G1 and MT3G could see updates next month. Sprint recently pushed their Android 2.1 updates to early Q2 2010, which indicates the firmwares are nearing release.
Since the G1 and MT3G were the first Android devices to receive Android 1.6 updates, it is only fitting they could be some of the first to get Android 2.1. Both of Google’s Android developer phones are based on the same HTC models as T-Mobile’s phones, so they should be the high on the priority list for updates.
That is of course, if both phones are getting Android 2.1. It would be a huge mistake if the companies were waiting this long to drop the bad news, so I still think we are in for a surprise soon.
