06
Nov
2012-11-06_13h49_49

Happy Fifth Birthday, Android: An Exploration Of Android's Five Year Journey To The Top

Posted by in Android OS, Features

Hi, Android! Sorry your present is a little late, it took a while to wrap it. Five years ago yesterday, Google's then-CEO Eric Schmidt joined other members of the newly-formed Open Handset Alliance to announce the Android operating system. Back then, we were still nearly a year away from an actual Gphone (and yes, people really called it that) and Sprint and T-Mobile were the only US carriers even interested. Now, Android is installed on over 400 million devices, nearly every carrier in the world wants a piece of the action, and the platform as a whole is the single largest mobile OS ever.

21
Oct
medium_500px-Android-logo.svg

3 Years Of Android: A Look At Android's Home Screens - From Cupcake To Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by in Android OS, Cupcake 1.5, Donut 1.6, Eclair 2.1, Froyo 2.2, Gingerbread 2.3, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Jelly Bean 4.1

Oh, Android. How far you've come since the days of the G1. Actually, tomorrow, October 22nd, will mark 3 years to the day that Android has been available on consumer handsets in the United States, and the G1 on T-Mobile was concepción.

With Ice Cream Sandwich finally revealed, Android has gone through its seventh major iteration. How has Android changed? What better way to illustrate Android's evolution than its home screen, the hub of user interaction. Here's a look at the face of Android over the last 3 years.

Android 1.5: Cupcake

magic1

Android Version 1.5: Cupcake

Cupcake was step one for what was, at the time, Google's recently acquired mobile operating system Android.

10
May
wm_IMGA0037

[Review] The T-Mobile Sidekick 4G Picks Up Where Danger Incorporated Left Off

Posted by in News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Sidekick 4G, T-Mobile
Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

We all remember the T-Mobile Sidekick. It was the phone to have back before smartphones were a normal, everyday thing. It was the phone that did all the smartphone-y things first. It was built for one main purpose, though; messaging like a demon. It was all about staying in contact with your friends, shooting out emails, and texting all the time, no matter how fast you were driving. It did that job, and it did it damn well. Now that Danger Incorporated is dead, though, can there still be a Sidekick? Well, since Andy Rubin was part of the mastermind team behind Danger and is now heading up the mastermind team behind Android, it's safe to say a worthy successor is possible.

11
Mar
magic

HTC Dream/G1 And Sapphire/MT3G - First Devices To Ever Get The Boot From CyanogenMod

Posted by in Development, G1 (Dream), HTC, Magic, myTouch 3G (Magic), News, Sapphire, T-Mobile

There's no doubt about it - we've come a long, long way since the HTC Dream (whose relatives include the G1, myTouch 3G, and DoCoMo HT-03A) was released. Since that fateful October day, we've seen all kinds of crazy Android-powered gear, from snow goggles to handsets sporting more raw horsepower than a netbook. We've also been treated to heaps of community-created mods, including custom ROMs like CyanogenMod and MIUI as well as mind-blowing hacks of other sorts, such as 1.5GHz overclocks and apps that essentially manage your phone for you.

Unfortunately, all good things must one day come to an end, and for the world's first Android phone (the HTC Dream), today is that day - CyanogenMod, the most popular AOSP ROM in the business, has officially dropped support for the device (as well as the Magic/MT3G).

18
Aug

G2, T-Mobile's First HSPA+ Device, Gets A Website To Call Its Own

Posted by in G1 (Dream), G2 (Vision), News

It seems appropriate since the G1, the phone that kicked off the Android revolution, was killed off a few weeks ago, and since T-Mobile is about to introduce their first HSPA+ capable device, that they would call this device the G2. Well, after countless rumors about a G2 (starting a few hours after the G1's launch), the device has finally been announced on T-Mobile's HSPA+ site.

That's right, the G2 is official, will be the first phone to utilize T-Mobile's 4G-like HSPA+ network, and will have its specs handed out to the media and a select group of people "over the coming weeks." These are exciting times ahead of us, folks, so stay tuned to Android Police for lots more coverage on the G2 and other upcoming Android devices.

15
Aug
cyan

[Updated x2] CyanogenMod 6 Updates: RC3 For Nexus One, Droid, Droid Incredible, Dream, Magic; RC2 For EVO; RC1 For Slide, Hero CDMA

Posted by in Development, Dream, EVO 4G (Supersonic), Froyo 2.2, G1 (Dream), Incredible, Magic, myTouch 3G (Magic), myTouch Slide (Espresso), News, Nexus One (Passion), Sapphire

Get ready for another scoop of blue Froyo: CyanogenMod 6 has just been updated to RC3 for the Nexus One, Droid, Droid Incredible, Dream (G1) and Sapphire (myTouch 3G), RC2 for the EVO, and was just released as RC1 for the myTouch 3G Slide and Hero CDMA.

Update #1: added RC3 for Droid Incredible (thanks monkey droid)

Update #2: added RC3 for Droid (thanks Justin), RC1 for Hero CDMA (thanks Kenshiro2112)

Nexus One

Download Links

INSTRUCTIONS:
- First time flashing CM 6 to your Nexus (or coming from another ROM)?

10
Aug
universal-androot

Universal Androot App Offers One-Click Root On A Multitude Of Devices (G1, Nexus One, Droid, Droid X, Hero, X10, Streak, And More)

Posted by in Development, Droid (Sholes), Droid X (Shadow), G1 (Dream), Hero, Hero (Sprint, HeroC), Magic, News, Nexus One (Passion), Streak, Xperia X10 (es209ra), Xperia X10 Mini / Mini Pro (Robyn / Mimmi)

Looking for an easy way to root your Android Device? Universal Androot may just be what the doctor ordered. The one-click root fad seems to be catching on and Universal Androot is an app that covers multiple Android devices, making it easier for those who may be reluctant experience the mighty wonders of root.

universal-androot[3]

Universal Androot is the simplest root/unroot method I have seen to date and probably the safest - it has been confirmed as working by multiple users (apparently it uses the same exploit used to 1-click root the Motorola Droid X).

Note: This application just gives you root and does not unlock the /system partition or the boot loader on those devices that have them locked, such as the Droid X.

27
Jul
T-Mobile-G1

T-Mobile G1 Rides Off Into The Sunset

Posted by in G1 (Dream), News

The world’s first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 (based on the HTC Dream platform), has officially been discontinued today. It is no longer available via T-Mobile’s website.

More than anything, this marks the beginning of the end for the first-generation flagship Android devices, as phones running Android 1.5 and 1.6 are slowly phased out of the Android ecosystem—reducing version fragmentation, and allowing developers and users alike to move away from obsolete software.

Of course, some homage is owed; the G1 originated the ever-expanding family of Android smartphones we have today . The G1 helped Android move from its status as an obscure, Google-acquired experiment, to that of a first-class mobile operating system.

26
Jul
CyanLogo_huge11_thumb

CyanogenMod 6 (CM6) RC2 For Nexus One, Droid, Dream, Magic, G1, MT3G And RC1 For EVO 4G Released

Posted by in Development, Froyo 2.2, News

CyanogenMod users rejoice: Cyanogen and the CM team are continuing to work feverishly to get CyanogenMod 6 into official release territory.

CyanogenMod 6 Release Candidate 2 ROMs for the Nexus One (and unofficially, the Droid), Dream, Magic, G1, and the MyTouch 3G are now available for download, along with Release Candidate 1 for the HTC EVO 4G.

Nexus One/Droid

Nexus One CM6 RC2 Download links (This will work on a Motorola Droid as well, see this CM forum post):

02
May
cyanogenmod icon

Impressions And Screenshots From CyanogenMod 5.0.7 (Android 2.1) For G1/MyTouch 3G – It's Eclair Deliciousness At Its Best

Posted by in Development, News

If you have not heard yet, Cyanogen and gang have finally released CyanogenMod 5 for your G1/Mytouch 3G. If you are new to using ROMs, make sure to follow the instructions carefully, so you don't brick your phone. Anyone who has used ROMs, whether Cyanogen’s or not, also needs to follow the instructions as you will need to install DangerSPL which has bricking potential (unless you already have it installed).

This release is labeled as experimental - keep it in mind as there could be some bugs. Cyanogen has already stated that reported bugs will be addressed over this weekend and any further reports can be made on the CyanogenMod forums.

Page 1 of 212