By Between February 5th and February 15th, T-Mobile will be releasing OTA Update 1.1 or RC33 for T-Mobile G1 owners. This news is official, coming from an Administrator at T-Mobile’s customer forums. Unfortunately, they have also officially said that this update is NOT cupcake and that it will merely include “bug fixes and feature enhancements”.
If you’re a current G1 owner you’ll have to wait patiently and eventually, your phone will be automatically upgraded. New G1 owners can expect an update to come within 3 days of purchasing their device but I wouldn’t count on that – just lump yourselves into the “it will come eventually” group. Patience is a virtue.
Will G1 owners EVER get the cupcake upgrade or will it only be made available to new Android devices? It’s looking like the latter which would be a huge disappointment for early adopters who want simple things like an onscreen keyboard. Here is a screenshot of the G1 running RC33… look at the bottom line that says “Build number” and you’ll see RC33 mixed in their along with Firmware Version 1.1 in the middle of the screen.
We really shouldn’t be complaining… at least we’re getting an update at all… I’m more than happy I got my G1 and the value of owning the first Android phone for the past few months, flaws and all, has been well worth the experience.
“We really shouldn’t be complaining… at least we’re getting an update at all… I’m more than happy I got my G1 and the value of owning the first Android phone for the past few months, flaws and all, has been well worth the experience.”
I agree a thousandfold.
Hi Rob,
Do you know if people in the UK will be getting this update aswell or is it a US only update?
Great question, Ron… I’m sorry to say I don’t know the answer. If the past is any indication, the UK update will follow right on the heels of the US update. So I would expect maybe a week delay or so?
That’s just a guess – if we get any more info we’ll pass it along!
While we do all want cupcake, and I’ve seen a phone running it and making the new stuff look VERY nice, it isn’t ready for prime time yet. They’re certainly not going to update everyone to a point where their phones are broken just because they clamor for it. Wish I had a better idea when … =) but personally I’m fine with the “we’ll release it when it’s ready and we’re working hard” approach.
dude, quit with the sensationalist hyperbole. of course cupcakes features will eventually come to the g1. if you really think google would let the flagship android get abandoned, you are foolish. the fact is cupcake is still being worked on. software is hard, it almost always runs over its deadlines, not to mention when you are doing something as far reaching as cupcake
@joe
Whether or not cupcake reaches the G1 isn’t up to Google alone. It’s also up to T-Mobile. Android isn’t only Google… you’re forgetting the concept of the OHA. I’d also point out that while a specific carrier/manufacturer can have a flagship Android Phone, the idea of Android itself having a flagship phone is conceptually flawed.
This isn’t WinMo, BlackBerry, iPhone proprietary platform so Google just doesn’t have free reign over everything that happens. Its a bit more delicate and complicated than, “Cupcake is inevitably coming are you stupid?!??!?!”
Im not sure if people are missing that one little piece.
“Unfortunately, they have also officially said that this update is NOT cupcake and that it will merely include “bug fixes and ***feature enhancements***” I don’t know about you, but that is definitely worth looking forward to. Get over cupcake. You bought it without those features. Enjoy your G1. Enjoy it even more if we get the “cupcake”. Simple as that.
I just got this update 10 minutes ago. Got on here to see what it was. I dont see anything different, fyi. definitely no cupcakes.
@pat
When you find out what IS different makes sure you let us all know! BTW, check your phones settings and make sure its really RC33… I’ll be jealous if it really is… I seem to always be the last to get the darn update!
actually it has voice search now.
it says “kila-user 1.1 PLAT-RC33”
Cupcake or not, we should be thankful that anyone remembers the G1 still. The G1 in itself seemed to have fallen off the map of cell phone aficionados. Yes it was the flagship of android, but as you all know sometimes the flag ship is abandoned for bigger and better things! The iPhone is only held on so long because Apple has nothing else to work on cell phone wise. The iPhone, in true Apple fashion, is locked to a single provider meaning they have a larger influence on the phone software itself. I can bet you that AT&T has no say in anything other than the data plans for the iPhone while T-mobile/HTC has all the power while Google has pretty much none.
I would like to point out that RC33 is a good sign for cupcake fans. The fact that there are *ANY* new features means that Google/HTC/TMO are all committed to the G1 fulfilling the android potential. If I am reading the tealeaves, I would be inclined to believe that this update indicates that the codebase cupcake is built into is starting to work its way into the update schedule. Maybe this means the the bluetooth profiles will be added as they pass QA in the form of incremental upgrades. Come to think of it, as a software engineer myself I would have to be crazy to try and radically upgrade a software package in one giant update.
I’m still on RC30…that update came the day after I bought my phone. Does it make sense that they’re jumping from RC30 to RC33? Or have there been other updates that I’ve not received?
BTW, when the hell will the Market go pay and therefore have the better apps available?!?! Forget about Cupcake, I want a lively Market with more/better apps.
I just want A2dp I bought the G1 for that feature mainly cause the well designed music play back. and when i bought my blue tooth headphones i almost cried that the G1 didn’t support it. honestly i don’t care about an on screen keyboard the deciding factor for me to buy this phone is cause it had a sliding keyboard. That is all I ask and all i want cause i want to jog with out wires all around me and me tripping into a ditch off a bridge cause the long stupid wires that i have to use for the G1. If I could and knew how i would make an app that would do that for me but i cannot cause I’m not as smart as I’d like to be.
Hi, I just got this update a few minutes ago.
Pat, the difference is it fixes up some bugs, you have voice search, you can save attachments from text messages, and you will be notified when you can download updates or when there is something new on the market. That’s what I have found from searching on google xD
I tried out the voice search, works nicely. But I agree with you guys, love the phone as it is. I’m very pleased with my phone, its so much better than my old crappy Razr. The g1 is my dream come true.
Haha, just thought id comment and tell you guys!
I’m in the UK, and I only ever remember my phone updating once the first day I got it, and it’s never since done it. My build number is:
kila_uk-user 1.0 TC5-RC8 116470 ota-rel-keys,release-keys
Does anyone know if there is there any way I can force the phone to upgrade itself?
Hi guys. I just updated and the new voice search feature is really amazing and works perfectly. I am alone in my room and notice that it is very sensitive so I wonder how well it will work outside with traffic noise etc.
the home screen icons look like they have a fade out aesthetic now and also the market has a notification now that tells you that there are updates to the applications you’ve downloaded. pretty nice.
oh, and the introduction of a location based community feature to the maps application called Lattitude.
dominic – the uk have a different numbering system so donn’t worry that you are only on 7 and the US guys are on 30 or 33.
then sit patiently and hopefully we’ll get our update in a couple of days or so – you can’t force it to do the official update early.
Hey guys, I’m in Mauritius and got RC33 OTA on my ADP1 on Monday (or Tuesday!) Neat! Saw my phone asking me if I want to update the bootloader (update 1 of 2) with the next update to happen 15 minutes after the 1st! Went with it! Then a few minutes after the first update, phone prompted me for the second update! Yey! Suprisingly though, I have the impression that this version takes more space, coz suddenly I saw my application space (which was about 20mb) down to 8mb… Even stranger, today it’s up to 15mb…