Rumors were abound last night that T-Mobile would begin sending out the Android v1.6 update (known amongst the geekdom as “Donut”) today, and sure enough: they’ve just confirmed it.
The big changes here include a fix for a bug that would reset your phone after dialing 911 (Oops!), the new (and much prettier) market, improved voice search, a new camera interface, and homescreen search. Here’s the official word from ol’ Magenta themselves:
The rollout of Android 1.6 (Donut) to T-Mobile’s G1 and myTouch 3G customers is now underway, and provides new features and software enhancements. The update also includes an important fix for isolated instances of system reboots after dialing 911. We have worked with Google and HTC on a solution, and the rollout of Android 1.6 is being accelerated to ensure the system reboot fix is rapidly delivered to our customers.
The over-the-air update will be delivered to all G1 and myTouch customers in the coming days. Given the system reboot fix, we strongly encourage all users to install Android 1.6 when prompted to do so.
Regarding new and enhanced features, Android 1.6 includes:
* An improved Android Market experience that makes it easier to discover great applications.
* An integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery interface.
* Updated Voice Search, with faster response and deeper integration with native applications, including the ability to dial contacts.
* Updated search experience that make it easier to search various sources, such as browser bookmarks & history, contacts, and the web, directly from the home screen.Additional details on Android 1.6 can be found at http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-1.6-highlights.html
If last night’s rumors continue to hold true, G1 owners should begin getting their updates today, and myTouch owners should start seeing it tomorrow. Let us know when you get yours!
YAY!! I can’t wait. I hope this also fixed, the overall SLUGGISHNESS, AND BUGINESS of my phone thou. That’s what T-Mobile promised me, when I called them, they said, the next update shall fix it. If not, I want another phone.
I returned my two days ago for the exact same reason. I blame 80% of it on HTC for building an underpowered phone. Other 20% is the OS.
Being a Linux nerd, I figured Android would be promising and I would go along for the ride. However, Google’s decision to control the platform turned it into a poor excuse for an iPhone.
Bought a iPhone 3GS and am not looking back. Until there is a real open-source handset, maybe Moblin-based, I will be a slave to Apple/At&t.
You just need “Task Manager”, or another application like it. Its a free app that makes it super easy to close out stuff your not using, and keep your phone fast!. Just put a shortcut on your home screen and you’re set.
(Normally things like the Browser or Market stay open in the background even after you go back to the home screen, which is great if you’re still using them, but a memory hog otherwise.)
Yeah, I’m waiting for the same thing. It’s been really frustrating, this sluggishness/lag. Otherwise, the phone’s great.
Apparently, part of the problem is due to having GPS/Wi-Fi on (per Google forums, they slow down the phone and drain battery). I have task killer and keep killing tasks, but that’s really not helping much.
Is there a way for me to get this official update on my G1 with Wi-Fi only? I’m using a friend’s retired device just to play around with the Android platform, but it has no cell service.
Yes, you can get this over Wi-fi.
I can’t wait to get the Donuts it’s 11am already!
Drew, patience. This update will show up pretty soon as a download from someone…
Here is my suggestion.
Root your phone and get the latest Cyanogen Rom… you get 1.6 baked in, besides cpu is running at spec not slowed down like stock.
Life is much better.. except that google sent a sease and disist letter to cyanogen.. kind of BS, he made the android platform bearable… still his latest release is the one to have.
Nooobs-
Won’t this latest release deal with CPU issue?
What CPU issue?
CPU running @ spec
Wow, what a mess!
I just finished upgrading to the latest 1.6 firmware. After wasting about 6 hours on this, I can tell you with certainty that if you had a rooted phone, you do not want to use ADP1 HTC 1.6 firmware.
Here is what happened:
1. Upgraded to ADP1 1.6 firmware, I lost root :(
2. Tried to downgrade to 1.5 or lower, none of the firmwares can be downgraded on the G1, since they “upgraded” the recovery image. You cannot flash the custom recovery image either. They broke the custom recovery image loader: flashrec too.
3. Went all the way down to RC29 using the Camera+Power trick and rooted again
4. Upgraded to Engineering Bootloader
5. Upgraded to Cyanogen 1.4 recovery image. Then upgraded to lastest Cyanogen firmware. What a difference. It is night and day!!!
I can see why Google wanted Cyanogen dead.
A) Cyanogen rom doesn’t downclock the CPU! It is just a much faster experience.
B) The offical HTC firmware requires that you login to Google before letting you use the Browser. So literally Google is tracking your every browsing activity.
C) Google Maps works so much better with the hardwre GPS locator now compared to the official HTC firmware.
So, you never actually ran the official 1.6 to see how it is? I don’t see how you say Cyanogen 1.6 is better. Did you have any problems other than losing root?
Well, I can’t speak for TS, but my wife and I both have G1’s, hers basically bone stock with a bunch of apps, and it just got the 1.6 update yesterday. Mine is rooted, with Cyanogen Mods ROM. The difference is NIGHT and DAY. I have tried a couple of different ROMs and found none that really compare to the Cyanogen. Of course, you currently can’t get it, but I have confidence that he will come up with a solution that doesn’t have the native closed source Google apps built in, which was what was getting Google’s lawyers panties all in a bunch. The Cyanogen mod was based on Donut and was out quite awhile ahead of the OTA update. It takes advantage of the full processor speed. Plus you have the ability to run apps from your SD card (though you need a SDHC card to take advantage of it) which frees up the precious little memory the phone has to run its processes.
Certainly worth the trouble. As to TS’s post, I thought ADP1 firmware IS root, as its a dev phone…? I can see not flashing with the T-Mobile rom, as with root, you won’t be getting OTA updates anymore, nor would you want to; they’ll kill your root.
Oh yeah, that.
It’s a common power-saving trick to underclock and/or undervolt a CPU. Undervolting is fraught with uncertanties, as many CPUs get unstable at lower voltages, so this is pretty uncommon. This is part of the same scenario where you may have to crank up the power (overvolt) when you overclock a CPU. Pentium3 & 4 was most commonly overvolted to accomodate overclocking. be careful, that frying sound you hear is real…
Now, underclocking for power-saving is pretty fundamental; Slow down the CPU and save on battery. And the G-1 needs all the power saving it can get. So I would not be surprised that someone wrote an app to edit the system settings and allow full speed. And underclocking is very very common in small devices.
Me? Feh. Not so important. But some people want it, and that is what android is all about baby…
My phone aint doing it yet. Want! do, phone, do!!!
TM is rolling out carrier billing for apps. Due out near end of Oct.
No donut for me yet. What gives?
BTW – G2 is nothing but net. My phone is fast and has never crashed. I turn-off GPS to save battery. Turn it on when I need location services.