T-Mobile
has released a new version of the myTouch 3G. It now offers more memory, twice as much storage, and a more standard headphone jack, but the price for this Android OS-based smartphones stays the same.
The new version — which goes under the same name as its predecessor — is bundled with an 8 GB microSD memory card, while its predecessor came with a 4 GB one. It also has more RAM than the original: 288 MB.
[via BrightHand]
Early adopters of Google’s Android operating system, namely the owners of a T-mobile G1 handset, might have a new reason to rejoice, it seems. According to the latest news around the Internet, there are great chances that the Android 2.0 operating system will make an appearance on their mobile phones, and there are also great chances that they will receive the Android 2.0.1 flavor of the platform.
This is a rumor that might stand up in the end. As many of you might already know, the G1 was said at a certain point in the past to be only eligible for an update to the Android 1.5 (Cupcake) iteration, while the Android 1.6 (Donut) flavor was said to be too big to fit on G1′s internal memory. However, Android 1.6 went just fine with G1, and there are great chances that 2.0 (Eclair) will also fit the handset’s flash memory.
According to the guys over at AndroidSPIN, there is no doubt that the T-Mobile G1 will enjoy an update to Android 2.0 or 2.0.1in the near future. There are no details available on the source of the rumor, yet they say that an OTA update is currently being polished for the device (for what it’s worth T-Mobile has been rumored before to be working on 2.0 updates for its Android devices).
“It has been confirmed that T-Mobile is releasing an Eclair update for the T-Mobile G1. The update will be at least Android 2.0 but more likely Android 2.0.1 as both versions have already been prepared as OTA updates. An anonymous source of ours has confirmed that both the Android 2.0 and the Android 2.0.1 are in the hands of some very fortunate people. Nothing can be released just yet due to Non Disclosure reasons,” AndroidSPIN notes.
The T-Mobile G1 was the first Android device on the market, and a wide range of updates were delivered to it, bringing forth numerous enhancements, but it is rather uncertain whether its owners will be receiving other updates too in the future. In case Android 2.0 is indeed on its way to the G1, it will receive a warm welcome from the handset’s users, that’s for sure.
[via Softpedia]
Google’s Android OS is featured on three of the five devices making up T-Mobile’s holiday lineup. Previously introduced but not yet available, they’re the Cliq, the Behold II and a special Fender version of the myTouch. The Tap and Nokia 3711 round out the list.
T-Mobile has unveiled its holiday lineup—never mind those two pesky major holidays still to come—and it includes the Google Android–equipped myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, Samsung Behold II and Motorola Cliq, as well as the T-Mobile Tap and Nokia 3711.
[via eWeek]
On Sunday, T-Mobile continued its commitment to the Open Handset Alliance and introduced its fourth Google Android device, the Samsung Behold II.
The Behold II is scheduled to launch later this year, though a specific release date and pricing were not announced at this time. It’s the first Android smartphone by Samsung to be released in the United States and joins the carrier’s other Google devices, which include T-Mobile G1, the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, and the upcoming Motorola Cliq.
[via cnet]
T-Mobile has started sending out Android 1.6 to its customers in an over the air update. The rollout is staggered and occurring over several weeks. You can stare at your phone endlessly waiting for the download or you can manually download it yourself.
We have discovered the file for the T-Mobile G1 which updates your phone to Android 1.6. This file is being hosted by Google so I don’t think anyone will complain about distributing it.
For the full list of Android 1.6 highlights, visit the official Google Android site.
If you have a T-Mobile myTouch 3G, please be patient while we wait for the download link to be discovered.
Read first: This method is for people running an official T-Mobile USA version of Android. You will be downloading the official update file from Google and manually installing it on your phone. The update file is the exact file that is being sent to phones over the air, but this method allows you to manually download it (instead of sitting there waiting).
Warning: Some developers have not updated their apps to be compatible with Android 1.6 yet. Check your favorite apps to make sure they have been updated and contact the developer if they have not.
Warning 2: If you have a home replacement app that does not support Android 1.6 you may get stuck in a force close loop. You can boot into safe mode and uninstall the offending app. Hold down Power+Menu when turning on the phone and keep holding down both buttons until the phone boots in safe mode. You can then go to Settings > Manage applications to uninstall the app.
Verify: When the update is complete you can double-check your version of Android by going to Settings > About phone.
Read first: This method is for people running any hacked version of Android. Installing the official T-Mobile version of Android 1.6 will wipe your phone and you will lose root access. This is for people who wish to return to the latest default install of Android.
Warning: Some developers have not updated their apps to be compatible with Android 1.6 yet. Check your favorite apps to make sure they have been updated and contact the developer if they have not.
Step 1: Downgrade to RC29
Step 2: Upgrade to Android 1.5 CRB43
Step 3: Upgrade to Android 1.5 CRC1
Step 4: Upgrade to Android 1.6 DRC83
Verify: When the update is complete you can double-check your version of Android by going to Settings > About phone.
[Thanks Justin for the link]
[via Android and Me]
T-Mobile has demonstrated the first pay-as-you-go Android handset to go on sale in the UK.
The Pulse, which is manufactured by Huawei, was announced on Thursday. Huawei is best known in the UK for manufacturing mobile broadband dongles for operators such as T-Mobile, and the Pulse marks its entry into the British handset market.
[via CNET]
Transmedia launches its Glide Engage microblogging and collaboration application for the T-Mobile G1 smartphone, based on Google’s Android mobile operating system. Transmedia CEO Donald Leka said Apple’s inconsistent iPhone App Store policies and the fact that Glide Engage will compete with Apple’s MobileMe and iTunes store mean Transmedia has to be careful about what it launches on the iPhone.
Transmedia CEO and Chairman Donald Leka isn’t buying the recent talk about the Apple iPhone being superior to the T-Mobile G1 based on Google’s Android mobile operating system. Leka uses both the iPhone and the G1 and said he finds the G1 superior for Web browsing.
Weighing that fact and Apple’s unpredictable iPhone App Store policies regarding competing applications, Transmedia Aug. 18 launched the first mobile version of its Glide Engage social networking and mobile collaboration application for the G1 smartphone. Glide Engage does a lot, but most notably it enables microblogging up to 1,400 characters, a stab at Twitter’s 140-character cap for messaging.
Transmedia’s choice of the G1 as the launch pad for Glide Engage is significant because it flies in the face of some developer anecdotes that the G1 is an inferior device to the iPhone. Although Apple has sold millions of iPhones, the device is supported by an App Store marred by inconsistent policies that have led to the expulsion of some applications.
In the most high-profile case, Apple allowed some third-party Google Voice call management applications to run on the iPhone, but yanked them from the App Store. Apple also rejected Google’s submission of a Google Voice application for the iPhone App Store.
Transmedia has supported the iPhone since its inception two years ago, letting iPhone users create Microsoft Word and PDF documents, edit photos and other tasks from the Glide Operating System. But business is business, and Leka believes the best business is to go with the G1 first.
Leka told eWEEK the Google Voice issue, currently under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, the open-source nature of Android, and the G1′s nimble Web browsing were a few of the reasons he and his staff chose to release Glide Engage for the G1 first.
“The Android phone is just a great Web phone,” Leka told eWEEK. “I carry an Android phone and I carry an iPhone, but for Web browsing I just find the Android phone to be a better Web browsing phone.”
However, he admitted another reason that proves more pragmatic than philosophical. Glide Engage aims to compete with Apple’s MobileMe service, which pushes e-mail, contacts and calendar events over the air to all Apple devices, and potentially down the road with Apple’s iTunes store and social networking plans.
“We’re a small company, so we can’t release something that Apple arbitrarily rejects and then we’ve lost our development dollars,” Leka told eWEEK, adding that he wants to establish a foothold for Glide Engage in the mobile market before submitting an iPhone version for approval to Apple.
Glide Engage is a rights-based social networking and macro- or micro-blogging service. The fat character cap on the app’s microblogging feature means people can use it to share documents, images and other files.
In describing this capability, Leka also claimed Glide Engage is a bit like “bringing Google Wave to the Android platform before Google does it,” because it lets users start with a post, then add editable links to documents and photos. Users can also easily upgrade their microblogging collaboration to a video conference on the fly.
Glide Engage is also integrated with the Glide OS’s productivity and collaboration application suite and file storage solution, allowing users to create and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Glide Engage, which features 10 gigabytes of free storage, can be downloaded here for the G1, but will eventually be rolled out for RIM’s Blackberry, the Palm Pre, Symbian and Windows Mobile. That doesn’t mean the app will never grace the iPhone.
Leka said a version of the Glide Engage application for the iPhone is nearly complete and will be submitted to Apple for approval.
The mobile version of Glide Engage comes a week after Transmedia rolled out the desktop version, which can be downloaded here.
