Many of you are already familiar with perhaps the most popular custom ROM for rooted android phones, CyanogenMod. And the latest version brings Froyo Android 2.2 to the Nexus One, Dream and Magic phones. Look for it soon on the Droid and MyTouch Slide, as well as ports to other devices. But for now, Nexus One, Dream (G1) and Magic (MyTouch) owners can download it from CyanogenMod.com or over at xda-developers.
The above screenshot making it’s rounds shows that T-Mobile is committed to bringing Android 2.2 FroYo to the MyTouch series phones, including the Slide, the original and the Fender Edition. Also to be included is a Genius Button app for the hardware lacking the Genius Button, and a Favs gallery with info on your top 20 contacts as well as full Exchange support. The “personal note” does sign off with “no phones left behind, but it still doesn’t offer much hope for the G1, unless you want to do some hacking.
Android 2.2 has been partially released only to the Nexus One, but it’s already been hacked onto the HTC EVO 4G, and it’s all up in the air which other devices will get it and when. But like clockwork, the boys over at xda-developers have ported it onto the first and oldest Android device, the T-Mobile G1/HTC Dream as well as the MyTouch 3G. There’s still a few bugs to be worked out as with all porting, but it’s reported as being stable. And loading this ROM on your G1 is probably only for the most experienced of Android hackers.
T-Mobile has started their OTA rollout of the Android 1.6 Donut update. We’ve all been anxiously waiting, but if you don’t feel like waiting anymore, here’s how to do the update manually:
Rename the file update.zip and copy it to the root directory of your SD card. If you are on Windows and have file extensions hidden, then just name it update.
After the file is copied, unmount the SD card and turn off you phone. Turn it back on by holding HOME+END.
It will boot into a special update screen, then press Alt+S to apply the update from your SD card.
Wait till it finishes, then hit HOME+BACK to reboot
The bootup will take longer than normal, just let it finish.
Enjoy some tasty Donuts!
A quick note, you do not have to have your phone rooted to update, but if you are rooted, this update will lose your root access. Questions, comments, issues? Let us know in the comments.
UPDATE: A reader wrote in with the process for myTouch owners:
There is no need to root or flash from a computer and upgrading is just as easy as with the G1. Put the update.zip file on the SD card, hold home+power until you get to the screen with the exclamation mark in a triangle. Once at that screen just press home+power again. It will take you to the recovery screen where you can use the trackball to to select “update from sd card”.
I’m sure many of you have already seen it. But for those of you that haven’t, I recommend you read BGR’s preview of the Motorola CLIQ. Overall, it throws out some very good info about the phone and it’s software. A few negative points here and there, which may or may not be attributed to preproduction software and/or hardware. I’m hoping the final version does have these things fixed, because I’m very excited about the Moto CLIQ. I would like more info on the battery life though. It was a major drawback on the T-Mobile G1, and could potentially cripple the potential of the CLIQ. I wouldn’t say the review is negative, BGR is always very objective. Hit the read link for all the goodies and plenty of pictures.
T-Mobile has lowered the price of the T-Mobile G1 down to $129.99 to make room for the new Motorola CLIQ hitting the shelves soon. But you can still grab it for only $97.77 over at Amazon. The G1 is still a great phone, and until the CLIQ, Sholes, or Samsung InstinctQ show their faces, it’s still the only full QWERTY Android phone available.
Just like they did for Charlotte a few days ago, T-Mobile USA has flipped the on switch for 3G in Nashville, TN. G1 and MyTouch owners rejoice. Say hello to blazing speeds and goodbye to your battery life. Reports are streaming in from Twitter about happy T-Mobile customers, and it’s good to see T-Mobile well on track to the rollout plan they set for themselves.
Nashville T-Mobile customers, sound off at how excited you are.
Gizmodo and Engadget both recently posted picture galleries showcasing the upcoming HTC Hero alongside it’s brothers, the T-Mobile G1 and the T-Mobile myTouch 3G (aka the Dream and the Magic). If you still haven’t gotten your fill of HTC Hero and you wanna drool over more pictures, hit the links for some HTC family reunion photos.
Sure, current Android handset owners, it’s understandable that you’re looking at HTC’s new Hero handset with a bit of jealousy. The new Sense UI alone is reason enough to be envious of course, as HTC has seemingly done for Android what it has done previously for Windows Mobile — added a UI layer that boosts sex appeal by about a million times. Don’t fret though… It looks like at least some of you will be getting some Sense UI love in the near future. HTC CEO Peter Chou is reportedly quoted as stating, “HTC sense will be available on some other existing devices.” That little snippet can be interpreted a variety of ways of course, but suffice it to say that the Dream/G1 or the Magic/myTouch 3G (or even both) are destined for updates that include the new Sense UI. As for what carrier versions will be privy to said update, your guess is as good as ours for the time being. Keep those fingers crossed, T-Mobile subscribers.
While most of us see this as wonderful news, I can’t help but think how the T-Mobile G1 has much less memory than the Hero, or even the Magic. This is why the hacked version of the Hero ROM doesn’t work so great on the G1. So we’ll slap a big fat RUMOR tag on this one and see what happens.
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