Unofficial developers appear to have found a way to run Android 4.1 on the T-Mobile G1. Hardware hacker jcarrz1 of the XDA-Developers forum ported the mobile OS to the world's first Android phone, showing Android's flexibility and the resilience of the G1 to any operating system installed on it. The same hack with the G1 was performed with Ice Cream Sandwich in November, also by jcarrz1.
HTC has finally released a bootloader unlock utility for its aging Dream handset, which was also known as the T-Mobile G1 when it arrived on the market more than three years ago as the first Android-powered smartphone.
After being introduced last October as the latest Google phone successor to the T-Mobile G1, the flagship T-Mobile G2 has quietly been phased out just eight months later. As of June 6, it will be off the market. The phone is manufactured by HTC and suffered build quality issues on launch with some users reporting a loose hinge that allowed the slider to release its keyboard to easily. The G2 was one of the first smartphones to arrive on T-Mobile’s network with 4G capabilities.
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has ruled in favor of Apple in a third case involving iPhone ads, reports say. Some 10 complaints were filed with the ASA in relation to a recent TV spot, which emphasizes the wide variety of iPhone apps available and insists they are "only on the iPhone." That last statement is inaccurate, the complaints allege, because the T-Mobile G1 also has access to a variety of apps at a separate store.
Although the usage of Android for web browsing is continuing to increase, that growth has slowed substantially, figures from Net Applications are said to show. Some six months after launch -- through devices like the T-Mobile G1 -- the OS came to represent 0.0783 percent of the web market, a slight rise from the previous month's share of 0.0728. Growth has remained relatively modest since Android's fourth month however, no longer rising in bounds.
Dexim has added the DWP005 MHub Dock Station to its lineup of iPod and iPhone accessories. The DWP005 is meant to reduce desktop clutter, providing a main dock, three USB ports and an SDHC-compatible card reader. The unit is able to sync with all iPods and iPhones, as well as BlackBerry, G1 and HTC phones by way of included micro- and mini-USB cables. Dexim is selling the DWP005 for $70.
Cellphone carrier China Unicom is now hosting images and specifications for the iPhone 3G -- as well as the Android-based G1 -- on one of its websites, reports observe. The content is only associated with the Shanghai branch at the moment, and does not suggest any sales information, such as release dates. Animations also inaccurately depict the iPhone as supporting payments through near-field communication.
Google has introduced new mobile editing capabilities for its online Spreadsheets application. While a number of phones have previously been able to view Google documents, editing has typically been locked; the first phones to receive editing options are Nokia's S60 series, Apple's iPhone and the T-Mobile G1, so far the only device based on Google's Android platform. The iPhone is also closely associated with Google, mainly as a result of its Google Maps application.
Google has confirmed that the Android Market application store for the T-Mobile G1 cellphone will begin offering paid applications in the US and the UK early on in the first quarter of 2009, according to a report posted earlier this week. Soon thereafter, the Android Market in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain will also sell applications for devices running on the Google Android operating system. The move should help bring the Android Market more in line with the more established App Store from Apple, as the paid apps are expected to be more advanced and of higher quality.
Google has confirmed that the Android Market application store for the T-Mobile G1 cellphone will begin offering paid applications in the US and the UK early on in the first quarter of 2009, according to a report posted earlier this week. Soon thereafter, the Android Market in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain will also sell applications for devices running on the Google Android operating system. The move should help bring the Android Market more in line with the more established App Store from Apple, as the paid apps are expected to be more advanced and of higher quality.
BlackJack II tops Consumer Reports rankings Consumer Reports has published ratings of new smartphones, cellphones and US wireless carriers in their January 2009 issue, giving the highest honors in the smarthphone category to the Samsung BlackJack II. The second highest rated phone was the T-Mobile Wing, followed by the Motorola Q9C, T-Mobile Shadow and BlackBerry Pearl Flip. Just two point behind the Flip, at 61, was the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1, tied at 61. The latest round of Consumer Reports ratings did not include the BlackBerry Bold or Storm, however, nor the Samsung Omnia or any version of the HTC Pro handset.
Google may begin offering downloadable ringtones and wallpapers for the T-Mobile G1 smartphone, according to a Wednesday report. Two icons revealed when unzipping the Market.apk file on the T-Mobile G1 hints at the possibility of Google selling ringtones and wallpapers via the Android Market. Nothing is official and Google has not made any mention of offering either ringtones nor wallpapers, and the icons are hidden in the drawable folder under res, called ringtones.png and wallpapers.png. If the ringtones and wallpapers icons are put to use by Google, their content will most likely be governed by carriers who will charge users for each download, as is the case in many current set-ups.
Google is adopting a more concentrated approach to marketing on cellphones, an announcement reveals. The company says it has revised its AdWords advertising system, and will now allow advertisers to push desktop-like web ads to the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 and other phones with full HTML support. While AdWords material has appeared on devices such as the iPhone in the past, Google says it is now allowing people to target iPhone- and G1-like platforms explicitly, without having to use mobile formats or landing pages.
The UK division of T-Mobile has slashed prices on the Android-based G1 smartphone, an announcement reveals. People should now be able to get the phone for free when signing up for a £30-per-month contract; previously, the G1 could only be had for free with a £40 tariff plan. Though the company is not providing an automatic discount to earlier customers, it is offering to switch people over to the cheaper plan.
Sailing Software has posted v1.0.2 of Sailing Media Sync, its phone synchronization software for Macs. The app syncs non-iPhone devices with iTunes, loading them with the music, playlists and podcasts a user chooses from. Files also retain any playcount information, which can influence future shuffling preferences.
Wal-Mart on Tuesday confirmed earlier rumors that it would undercut T-Mobile's price for the Android-powered G1 by $30, according to confirmation obtained by Reuters. The news arrives one day before the retail chain will sell the device at 550 stores throughout the country, priced at $149 with a two-year contract. The T-Mobile G1 was launched last week for $179 when purchased directly from the wireless carrier.
To coincide with today's launch of the long-anticipated T-Mobile G1 that is billed as the biggest competitor to Apple's iPhone yet, the online application store for the handset that is the Android Market went live on Wednesday as well. Users can now download any of the more than 50 existing applications for their Android OS phones and can rate them after use as well as leave comments. Between user feedback and anonymous usage statistics, the applications will be ranked in the Android Market.
