G1 Lifecycle

[aryndar]

G1 Lifecye (http://androidandme.com/2009/07/uncategorized/donuts-roadmaps-and-android-2-0/)

the article states...."While we are on the subject of updates, let’s discuss the lifespan of the T-Mobile G1. The phone should receive the Donut update, but there are concerns if it will be compatible with later Android builds. The problem should be no surprise to heavy Android users – the G1 is limited by its small internal memory.

Already, we have seen this space issue become a problem for G1 owners trying to load Magic and Hero builds of Android. Some roms require a new SPL, secondary program loader, which repartitions the internal storage to free up more space. Other builds require that some data is loaded onto your SD card to make up for the limited space. Either way, the phone must be hacked which doesn’t fly for an official T-Mobile update.

This point is again explained by more Android engineers:

“If the data doesn’t fit on /data, no amount of backup/restore will make it fit. It just doesn’t fit. An upgrade can require to wipe /data, which is not acceptable on the G1″ – Jean-Baptiste Queru

“Also I think the chance that we deliver an OTA update to existing devices that repartitions the flash storage as part of the update is… very small.” – Dianne Hackborn

With these physical limitations in place, the days of the G1 could be numbered. HTC has addressed this issue in new phones by upping the internal memory, but where does that leave all the early adopters? All we can do is wait and see what happens."


and read..

Are early adopters of the T-Mobile G1 getting the shaft? (http://androidandme.com/2009/07/news/are-early-adopters-of-the-t-mobile-g1-getting-the-shaft/)

the article:

"The T-Mobile G1 is my favorite phone I have purchased, but it is also a gimped device. I tried to defend my beloved Google phone, but after using the newer HTC Magic (aka myTouch 3G), it became apparent that the G1 has several major design flaws. The underpowered battery and small internal storage space have been addressed by HTC in newer devices, but where does that leave the million customers who already own a G1.

I know I’m not the first to complain, but the G1 has problems that will never go away. The weak battery performance has improved with software updates, but there is only so far they can push it. By comparison, my HTC Magic last nearly twice as long with all the features turned on including GPS and 3G. The internal storage is another major area of concern. Many users have already experienced low space warnings after installing about 40-50 apps. We also reported this week that the G1 might not support future upgrades to the Android operating system because of its design limitations.

It looks like the answer to many G1 owners who complain is “Go upgrade”.

T-Mobile is currently promoting a pre-order for their second Android phone, the myTouch 3G. The phone is advertised for $199, but this is only for existing customers who have not upgraded their phone in the last 23 months. This would mean that all current G1 owners are not eligible for this special price. Instead, the early supporters are forced to pay $459 if they want to upgrade.

While the myTouch 3G is an improved device over the G1, it is hard to justify spending nearly $500 for an upgraded battery and more memory. In order to qualify for a discount, many T-Mobile customers will have to wait till 2011 or 23 months after their original purpose.

I understand how mobile contracts work and other carriers have similar rules. If G1 owners don’t qualify for an upgrade, they should at the very least be offered a special trade-in program. T-Mobile customers were the first in the world with Android phones and played an important role in the development of the operating system. We were essentially the beta testers of Android 1.0, but we knew our support would help shape the new leader in smartphones.

T-Mobile, we thank you for your support of the Android platform, but please provide a way for G1 owners to upgrade."

hmmm

[constellanation]

It's true, the phone will become outdated.


although the part about possibly sending out an ota that repartitions the original flash memory is pretty interesting. atleast from the rooted angle, remove that partition and run apps2sd and the phone will have a lot of memory and can in theory continue to run every update. hmm who knew rooting your phone could increase it's life span.

[Iceberg]

Feels like I already read this elsewhere, maybe mippin.com
But I think everyone should be well aware of this upcoming problem. I'm curious to see how our community will be devided when people start coming in with the Sapphire, Magic, the entry level Android, Lancaster, asking how do they root this and how can I unbrick that and everything else including how the market will work.

I hope my next Android can do everything my g1 can as easily and conveniently as it has.



But at least we aren't like Apple and release the same phone ten times, :p
Though it would be nice to see the g1 rear its head again come 3.0 updates :D

[ggrant3876]

I'm very happy with my G1, it does everything I want and need. As long as we have Cyanogen it won't be obsolete. He already has Donut loaded on his phone according to his twitter. He said : it's alive."

[SteveJones]

Keep thinking about changing - then I think about losing my keyboard. Maybe the Motorola Scholes - I think that has hardware keyboard too.

[ggrant3876]

This posted at XDA :
Originally Posted by uberingram http://forum.xda-developers.com/images/xdabuttons/viewpost.gif (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=4343970#post4343970)
I read it and it makes a lot of sense. Regardless of the danger SPL we can pretty much say that OTA's from this point forward are going to not hit G1's. By the end of this year any big, new Android improvements will have to be hacked and spliced into G1 compatible ROM's by people like cyanogen. There's a problem with that though because we're even seeing in donut code that it points to a lot of hardware drivers that simply don't exist or work on the G1. It's going to take more and more work to keep Android up to date on our phones as Androids complexity and size increase. We are on a sinking ship my friends. There will come a time and it will be very soon that even people that took the risk with the Danger SPL will be left in the dust. The G1 simply does not have enough memory. End of story.

Edit: To prove my point take a look at JesusFreke's US 1.51 release. He made minor changes and it pushed it over the edge, size wise, and he had to compress and bunch of stuff and use cramf files. That means that cupcake BARELY fit on G1's as it is. Where do you think that leaves donut or eclair? Not likely.