T-Mobile has announced that sales of the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 are set to hit the 100,000 mark six months after launch, and revealed that it will be releasing the Android 1.5 update (aka “Cupcake”) to customers in May.
The Cupcake update will add a raft of new features to the T-Mobile G1, with highlights including a touchscreen keyboard and the ability to record and play back video. Coincidentally, Vodafone’s HTC Magic will include all this too, and will go on sale the 1st May – so it seems T-Mobile is trying to deflect some attention away from the launch of the G1′s first Android-equipped rival with today’s announcement.
T-Mobile has also confirmed that it intends to launch its second Android phone this summer, describing the forthcoming device as “groundbreaking” but declining to reveal any details.
Here are the features the 1.5 update will bring to the T-Mobile G1:
- New touch-screen keypad
- Full video record and playback in MPEG-4 & 3GP formats
- Direct uploading of video to YouTube
- Copy and paste within browser
- View Google Talk™ friends’ status in Contacts, SMS, MMS, Google Mail™, and Email applications
- Animated window transitions
- Accelerometer based application rotations
- Faster camera start-up and image capturing
- Direct upload of photo to Picasa
- Faster acquisition of GPS location
- More home screen widgets
- Stereo Bluetooth support of both A2DP & AVCRP profiles plus auto-pairing
- Faster browser with updated Webkit & Javascript engine
- In-page search function
- User interface refinements to key tools including Google Mail, email, browser, SMS and camera
Out May | £Free to G1 owners | T-Mobile
