Android and Me » t-mobile g1

Video: T-Mobile G1 gets its very own Android 4.0 AOSP port

Nick Gray — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:51:16 +0000

If you’re into loading custom ROMs on your rooted Android device, I’m pretty sure you’ve been keeping a close eye on the development community, hoping to get an Android 4.0 build for your phone up and running as soon as possible. We’ve already seen a few Android phones get early AOSP ports over the past week, but none of us expected to see Ice Cream Sandwich running on the T-Mobile G1.

Just last month, the HTC T-Mobile G1 celebrated its third birthday, but the development community for the original Android phone is still working hard to keep the phone relevant in a world dominated by dual-core devices. But the Android 4.0 build isn’t quite ready for prime time quite yet. Developers are still trying to enable WiFi, Bluetooth and screen rotation, but we don’t expect these issues to linger for too long.

I’d venture a guess that most G1 devices were retired about a year ago, but there are plenty of you who couldn’t bear selling the device once you upgraded to something new. Are any of you going to spend some time this weekend playing with Android 4.0 on the G1? I know I will.

Dear T-Mobile, it’s time to put the myTouch 3G to sleep (UPDATED)

Alberto Vildosola — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:25:41 +0000

The time is June 22nd, 2009, and the T-Mobile G1 has been available for exactly eight months now. The device is currently the only Android phone available in the market, but it’s about to get some company. Today, T-Mobile will announce its second Android phone, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G.

The myTouch 3G is a huge improvement over the G1, with such enhancements as a headphone jack, better battery life and more internal memory. The phone is welcomed with open arms by the Android community, but it’ll become obsolete in just a few months when Motorola and Verizon announce the Droid.

While the myTouch 3G showed us that Google, HTC, and T-Mobile were committed to moving the Android platform forward, we were all more than glad to dump it for some Snapdragon-packing superphones.

Two years later, Android is everywhere. The platform has taken off faster than you can say “iDon’t multitask” and we’re no longer asking ourselves whether our Android phones will switch between apps smoothly — like back in the myTouch 3G days. Instead, we’re shooting and watching 3D video, outputting full-HD video to our TVs, and wondering how long it’ll be until we can run Crysis on our Android devices — hint: probably next year.

That’s how fast the mobile world has changed in two years. T-Mobile, on the other hand, hasn’t noticed this change yet. The carrier is still offering the same old, slow, and outdated myTouch 3G — for free though — that helped Android get its foot out the door. The phone is a relic by today’s standards, worthy of a statue at the Android Museum, but a relic nonetheless.

It’s not like T-Mobile doesn’t have any other cheap Android phone that it can give out for free. In fact, the carrier has four more Android phones on its lineup that it sells for free. The LG Optimus T is one of them, and it’s 10 times better than the myTouch 3G in every possible way. If you don’t feel like “Life’s Good”, you can still get the Motorola Defy, the Comet, or the Cliq XT.

So, why, T-Mobile, why are you still selling this piece of Android history? Please, just let the myTouch 3G die in peace so it can take its seat next to the G1 in Android heaven.

UPDATE: It looks like somebody at T-Mobile reads Android and Me. The myTouch 3G is no longer showing up on the carrier’s website. Thank you, T-Mobile, thank you.

CyanogenMod 6 breaths new life into the aging T-Mobile G1

Nick Gray — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:39:44 +0000

CyanogenMod 6 has finally landed, giving the HTC Magic and Dream a taste of Froyo. While a few other ROM developers have been releasing some of their beta builds on Android 2.2 for the two phones, the CyanogenMod team is the first to deliver a nearly perfect build to the public. For those already running on Cyanogen’s Eclair build, the update to Froyo is pretty seamless, but you may need to wipe your phone in order for everything to install properly.

Earlier this afternoon, we gave the newest build a try and can say that it’s a great first build. We did run into a few issues with various apps not downloading properly from the Android Market and have had our G1 freeze and restart a few times as well. However, we can say that CM6 is definitely faster than CM5 thanks to the new JIT compiler from Froyo. While there are a few things that still need to be ironed out, the team behind CyanogenMod have released a great ROM which is definitely ready for day to day use for people who simply have to have the latest build of Android running on their phone.

G1 owners still have a prayer for an official upgrade to Android 2.2

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:30:15 +0000

The G1 has already received Android 2.2 thanks to some hard working hackers, but there is still an outside chance that T-Mobile could upgrade the device over the air. Before I get your hopes up, just remember T-Mobile has the final say on firmware upgrades and their official response for the last couple of months has been, “We will let you know when we have more details to share”.

Buried inside the Froyo code drop post on the Android Developers Blog was the news that Google included all the configuration files necessary to build the source code of Android Open-Source Project on its own. Android engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru noted that, “You can now build and boot a fully open-source system image out of the box, for the emulator, as well as for Dream (ADP1), Sapphire (ADP2), and Passion (Nexus One).”

As many of your know, the G1 is the HTC Dream and the exact same hardware as the Android Developer Phone 1. Some developers have already reported success in building Android 2.2 for the Dream and we know the team behind CyanogenMod is also working on a port.

What I find most interesting is that those who built Android 2.2 from source were able to flash it on a Dream using any version of the secondary program loader (SPL). The most recent crop of custom Android 2.1 ROMs for Dream have required the DangerSPL, which rewrites the system partitions to address the device’s limited internal storage. Carrier builds are always larger than the builds from source code (because of all the extra apps), but it sounds possible that the G1 could fit Android 2.2 without modifying the SPL.

At the end of the day it’s T-Mobile’s call, but I don’t see them leaving behind the G1 owners just yet. Even though it is the oldest Android phone, the G1 appears technically able to run Android 2.2 at an acceptable performance level. In the mean time, keep an eye on HTC’s Developer Center in case they release the Android 2.2 system images for the ADP1.

Surely T-Mobile would have broken the bad news by now if they did not intend to upgrade the G1, right? Do you really think they kept you waiting all this time just to disappoint you?

Android Hacks: Improve reception for G1 and myTouch3G

Christopher Chavez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:04:56 +0000

Editors note: As we previously mentioned, we are finally bringing more contributors on board so we can provide our readers with more content. We are going to overhaul the site to improve the navigation, but we are getting some guys started early so we can hit the ground running. Our latest edition is Christopher Chavez who we had the pleasure of meeting at CES in Las Vegas. Christopher will be primarily doing videos that are related to hacks and whatever else he finds interesting.

As you may have noticed, our video contributors will be using their own YouTube accounts. We already have our main YouTube account, but we want our contributors to keep their own accounts so they can promote their own stuff and better interact with our readers. Make sure you subscribe to their YouTube accounts (and go comment and rate their vids) in order to get the latest updates.

From Christopher: So if you’re like me, lack of reception can really get on your nerves. Well, fear no more! Someone was able to get us this upgraded radio from someone’s something or other (LOL). Anyway, what this will do is give your phone a MEGA BOOST of reception! So now you will have more bars than you used to and even 3G where you only had Edge. Awesome right? So follow my vid and flash this already!

As always, be sure to make backups when performing any hacks on your Android phones. This is not for beginners.

Visit the YouTube page for download links and instructions.

T-Mobile rolling out minor update to G1

Taylor Wimberly — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:58:07 +0000

TmoNews has posted a leaked memo that states G1 owners will begin receiving a minor over-the-air (OTA) update this week. The update (build number DMD64) focuses on improving call performance and does not include any additional fixes. These updates are normally rolled out on a staged schedule, so it could be a week before it hits everyone’s device.

Details of the update include:

This software update improves customers’ call performance only and does not include any additional feature enhancements.
The Android 1.6 DMD64 OTA will be sent to G1 customers only and will not be sent to customers using other Android devices at this time.

Leaked memo from TmoNews.

Select G1 users get special treat from T-Mobile

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:51:22 +0000

Some G1 owners might have felt ignored by T-Mobile as they wait to hear the fate of a possible Android 2.1 update.

TmoNews is reporting that T-Mobile has just launched a new software trail program for G1 customers called “Voice Plus Beta”. T-Mobile chose G1 users to test the new service because they “tend to be at the forefront of new developments in technology and have been loyal T-Mobile customers with an affinity for testing new mobile products and applications.”

T-Mobile Voice Plus Beta offers the following features:

Call Divert: Carve out a little peace and quiet by sending selected numbers straight to voicemail without ringing your phone.
Call Defer: Let callers know you’re busy and schedule a convenient time for you to call them back. Send them a text message that acknowledges their call and that you will respond at a later time.
Visual Voicemail: Easily manage your voicemail! View a list of who left a voicemail, with the time of the message and its length. Choose which to listen to now and which to review later.
City ID: Get more information about the calls you receive. The city and state information of incoming calls is displayed.

Any G1 users can sign up to participate, but the beta program is based on a first come, first serve basis. Head over to the official T-Mobile forums for additional details.

Requirements to participate in the T-Mobile Voice Plus Beta:

The download will be made available to the select number of T-Mobile G1 customers who reply with an email to voiceplusbeta@t-mobile.com. Be among the first to respond to secure your chance to participate in this beta.

Your e-mail MUST include:

Email subject line: Voice Plus Beta
IMEI Number – Your IMEI can be found in your phone’s Status menu (Menu > Settings > About phone > Status), from the dialer: *#06#, or on the sticker under your battery.
Your T-Mobile telephone number, with area code

I gave my G1 away which prevents me from signing up, so let me know how the service performs if you get accepted to test it out.

G1 owners could miss out on Android 2.0

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:27 +0000

Remember those rumors that the G1 might not be able to receive future updates? I’m the guy who caused all that mess.

Thankfully, I was wrong and T-Mobile rolled out Android 1.6 to the G1. Google was able to optimize their code and squeeze the update into the limited space of the G1.

Unfortunately, the problematic storage issues of the G1 remain (and they are not going away). I know I’m going to take some more heat for this, but I want to make sure our readers are informed and fully understand the matter at hand.

The numbers don’t lie

I will try and keep this short and simple. If you are interested in the back story you can find my original posts here and here.

G1 system partition: 69120K
T-Mobile Android 1.5: 68780k
T-Mobile Android 1.6: 68800k

The G1 has about 70 MB available for the operating system to be installed. Android 1.5 used 99.5% of that space and Android 1.6 was no different.

Emulator Android 1.6: 61216k
T-Mobile Android 1.6: 68800k
Emulator Android 2.0: 70964k
T-Mobile Android 2.0: ???

Above you can see the difference between the vanilla Android size and the T-Mobile Android size. The vanilla Android that you can get from the SDK and run with the emulator does not include the Google apps, T-Mobile apps, or all the ringtones and notification sizes.

Android 2.0 running in the emulator already goes over the G1 system partition limit. The T-Mobile version will likely be 7-8 MB larger. For those of you who are curious, the myTouch 3G (and most other Android phones) feature a 90 MB system partition and will have no problem with Android 2.0.

What happens next

T-Mobile is committed to supporting the G1 with future software updates. They told us so when we posted our last story on this issue.

We plan to continue working with Google to introduce future software updates to the T-Mobile G1. Reports to the contrary are inaccurate. -T-Mobile USA

With that being said, there are still huge obstacles ahead for T-Mobile. Check out this old quote from an Android engineer.

“Where the situation is really tricky is that the system partition on the US G1 was already filled to the brim with cupcake, and we were routinely flirting with build sizes that were a few dozen kB under the limit (or several MB over…), which means that even small changes to the core platform could very easily push the system size over the limit and staying under the limit took some effort”. -Jean-Baptiste Queru

As the Android operating system continues to evolve, the code base will continue to grow. The G1′s days are limited because its storage space is already maxed out.

Will Google find a way to make Android 2.0 fit on the G1? I honestly don’t know. I hope I’m wrong again, but there is no denying that Google and T-Mobile have some major hurdles in front of them to make this work.

A special note to the hackers

Yes, I know you can hack the G1 and load whatever the heck you want on it. Chances are you will be running Android 2.0 sometime next week. I know it is possible to change the partition sizes by loading a new SPL, but there is no way in hell it is extremely unlikely that T-Mobile will attempt this over the air. Flashing a new SPL also presents new problems because it erases all data on the device (which is a big no-no when it comes to everyday customers).

MOTOLEAK: Hacker ports Blur to HTC G1

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:46:50 +0000

A reader just sent in this video that is sure to please Motorola. Apparently a hacker was able to obtain a leaked copy of a Cliq rom (which includes MotoBlur) and he ported it to the HTC G1. We saw how Google reacted to developers distributing their Android apps, so I can only imagine how Motorola feels about someone releasing their software for another manufacturer’s handset.

What is the thinnest Android phone?

Taylor Wimberly — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:46:55 +0000

With all the new Android phones that are coming out, I thought it would be cool to compare the thickness of each one. When the first Android phone launched, many people criticized the T-Mobile G1 because of its bulky size. Look at the following Android phones to see how they stack up. I chose the two current phones that are for sale in the United States along with three future phones that are expected to go on sale later this year.

* Contains slide-out QWERTY keyboard

I think it comes as no surprise that the G1 is the thickest phone. It was the first Android phone released and features a full QWERTY keyboard. The second thickest phone is the myTouch 3G which was HTC’s second Android device. Stuck in the middle is the Sprint Hero. We can see that HTC has made size improvements with each Android phone they produce.

The Motorola Sholes measures in at 13.7 mm thin. This one actually caught me off guard because it also features a full QWERTY keyboard. Motorola was somehow able to fit a full keyboard in and still deliver a device that is slimmer than any HTC Android phone. I will have to do some more research, but it could be the thinnest phone ever with a full slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Coming in as the thinnest Android phone is the Samsung Galaxy. There is still a debate if this phone will ever go on sale in the United States or if it is too late to release it. I went ahead and included it just because it was so thin.

I own a G1 and I don’t mind the size, but it would have been nice if it was a slimmer device. I found the myTouch 3G fit perfectly in my hand and I prefer the device, but I still miss the physical keyboard. It is really impressive to see a device like the Motorola Sholes that still offers the full slide out keyboard, but makes no sacrifices in size.

How important is thickness to you?