Modder Gets Android 2.1 Running On T-Mobile G1 Phone [Cyanogen Does What HTC Can't, Gets Latest Android Version Running On First Android Phone]

Posted on TFTS by Kevin Schram on Friday, 30. April 2010 under: Mobile/Cell Phones

Fragmentation is a big problem with Android right now, as some Android devices can run Android 2.1, some can’t – some new phones are shipping with 1.6 and some with 2.1. The T-Mobile G1 was the first Android phone, but we were told that it didn’t have enough memory to get an upgrade to Android 2.1. Guess not, as a modder has done just that.

Modder cyanogen has posted a custom ROM for the T-Mobile G1 that will put Android 2.1 on your T-Mobile G1 or the T-Mobile myTouch 3G (known as the HTC Dream and Magic in Europe). This is notable because it didn’t look like T-Mobile was going to OTA update the myTouch 3G to Android 2.1, and the official word on the T-Mobile G1 was that it “couldn’t” update to 2.1 because of hardware constraints.

The custom ROM is dubbed the Cyanogenmod-5 and it requires a custom bootloader. Because of the limited memory, cyanogen had to cut some features that shipped with 2.1 on the Nexus One. The sample Live Wallpapers that came on the Nexus One are gone.

The Facebook and Google Voice apps are also not included, although they can be installed from the Android Market and work fine. The advanced application launcher that comes on Android 2.1 (dubbed Launcher2), also isn’t included on the custom ROM. Cyanogen says, point-blank, “too clunky for these devices”.

The T-Mobile G1′s screen is capable of multi-touch although it was blocked in earlier versions of Android (allegedly because of Google’s deal with the devil Apple). The Android 2.1 update has enabled multi-touch on multiple Android phones that didn’t have it originally, so I assume it would do the same thing on the G1.

I know a few readers out there have the T-Mobile G1 (from comments), so if you’re willing to experiment with custom ROMs, you too, can enjoy Android 2.1

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