Android Cupcake Update: The Official Word

by Android Tapp Jan 22, 2009 11:57 AM – 22 Comments

According to an announcement by T-Mobile’s Product Development and Public Relations departments, a message approved by Google sent via email to Will (T-Mobile Forums Administrator), the Cupcake update will not be released to the general public and T-Mobile will keep us posted when software updates will be released. Below is an excerpt of the email:

According to the Android team, “Cupcake,” which is the code name for an Android software build, is still a work in progress that is considered to be a development branch and not for general availability.

We will update you as T-Mobile G1 software updates are made available to T-Mobile customers.

For those who aren’t familiar with the “Cupcake” Update… it’s a branch of software updates and improvements for the Android operating system that were merged into the main operating system build. The Android community much anticipated these updates because it included some of the following:

Ability to Save pics and attachements from text messages

“Find” feature on webpages

Updated web bowser

Stereo Bluetooth Support

Video Recording

Onscreen Typing

Email improvements

Plus more…

What are your thoughts on this announcement? Comment Below

[Source: Official T-Mobile Forums]

Tags: Android, Android Cupcake Update, Android Software Update, Cupcake Update, G1, T-Mobile G1

Categorised in: Announcements, News

22 Comments

By Michael Martin on January 22, 2009 at 12:24 pm:

This “statement” has no substance as the OTA update would come from T-Mobile itself.

Its not a linear process where Google/OHA completes a version of Android and then its mirrored off to the providers, rather its a trough that the other OHA members can “cherry pick” what they want for their own updates.

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By Mark Murphy on January 22, 2009 at 1:18 pm:

I am a big fan of Mr. Martin, but in this case, I believe he is incorrect.

In the abstract, what he is saying is technically possible: HTC has access to the Android source code (as do we all) and could “cherry pick” stuff to package in updates as they see fit.

From a practical software development standpoint, HTC would have to be fairly desperate to do that rather than wait for milestone releases. Teasing out *just* the changes to support, say, video recording would be a nightmare even with a static code base. Considering cupcake is a moving target, still under development, trying to get a stable set of files that implement worthwhile functionality, are adequately tested, and won’t cause compatibility problems for future releases…well, I sure wouldn’t want to do it.

But, hey, that’s just me.

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By Patuxent on January 22, 2009 at 1:49 pm:

So I’m confused. Is it not coming at all? Or just still under development?

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- By Android Tapp on January 22, 2009 at 4:11 pm:
  
  @Patuxent My opinion of the info and reading the Roadmap website is that is will eventually be released. Maybe just not as soon as we hoped.
  
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By Robert Barrett on January 22, 2009 at 3:05 pm:

This is just software being made for future cell phones with Android.

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By Andro Idmo on January 22, 2009 at 3:13 pm:

That is really dissapointing if it is true.

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By rimworker on January 22, 2009 at 7:35 pm:

sooo.. when does the patch arrive that deals with the horrid battery time I keep hearing about?

Love to buy one, if it lasts longer than 4 hours..

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By Gordo on January 22, 2009 at 8:41 pm:

It’s not cupcake as you know it. Basic bug fixes and not much added functionality.

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By Michael Martin on January 23, 2009 at 11:58 am:

Some more interesting features not mentioned before when you manually install Cupcake to a G1 – http://www.googleandblog.com/google-android-cupcake-ingredients/3650

,Michael Martin
Google And Blog

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By Wow on January 23, 2009 at 2:20 pm:

Yikes. Simple English comprehension skills out the window.

“still a work in progress that is considered to be a development branch and not for general availability” DOES NOT EQUAL “will not be released to the general public”.

The message from T-Mobile was sent in response to an inquiry on the rumors that Cupcake would be sent OTA in January. Since we’re nearing the end of January, people are wondering where it is. T-Mobile is simply saying that it’s still under development, still a development branch, and that it is not ready to be distributed to the public yet. NOT that it won’t be released at all.

Software companies build development branches with new features so they can get it all tip-top before shipping to the customer. We don’t give out our development branches — they’re for internal consumption and testing only. Once they’re ready and GA quality, they get distributed to customers. Simple. Because it’s a “development branch” and isn’t ready for prime time does NOT mean that it never will be.

Yeesh.

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By Marcus on January 24, 2009 at 1:50 am:

Will the update include the flash player 10, or will the g1 not have this feature.

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By Jon Boy on January 24, 2009 at 7:55 am:

Well, Michael Martin has been wrong many times in the past so I’m going to have to side with whoever wrote this article instead.

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By Michael Martin on January 24, 2009 at 2:00 pm:

I would defer to Mark Murphy’s knowledge of the matter, although the way T-Mobile has handled updates in the past led me to my logic and understanding.

@ Jon Boy,

If by stating I have been wrong many times as a reference to the OTA update dates, yes, as it being a direct result of dysfunctional information I was provided from within T-Mobile….publicly T-Mobile hasnt been much better on the communication front.

I also do put out my opinions, of which being the general nature of opinions I will be wrong on some, but saying Carte Blanche I will be wrong on all as a result of the above isnt the most logical.

In the end it spurs conversation and at the bare minimum on the Cupcake front its cattleprodding T-Mobile to get some cupcake crumbs to its customers.

To which it will benefit all of us G1 owners.

,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/

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By dandaninc on February 2, 2009 at 1:30 am:

I really want to do this…

1st

WAHAHAHAHA

I’m sorry I have been taught that is what you are supposed to write if you have an opinion about what you are reading, viewing, downloading, or getting FOR FREE.
I hope that everyone out there who has posted the above 1st comment in the marketplace finds this post on your website!
I still feel bad for all the developers who have spent countless hours writing code for the awesome apps we do have as G1 owners!
Cheers to all their hard work!
Thank you for spending the time buildling this website too it’s awesome!
*RBM TeamXI*

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By virinderpal on February 5, 2009 at 6:40 pm:

i just recieved an update today (february 5, 2009) but i don’t see much of difference. It was the update itself that made me go on the t-mobile forum for g1 to see what it was about. i don’t know if this was the cupcake update or not. i just found out today what the cupcake update was. Can anybody else contact me if they what the update was about? (sbatth350@yahoo.com)

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- By Android Tapp on February 5, 2009 at 7:02 pm:
  
  @virinderpal The Cupcake update was one of the more rumored and anticipated Android updates as it included the feature I mentioned above plus more. The update you received today was apart of this “T-Mobile Releases Android Firmware Update with Google“, in which T-Mobile is releasing to its customer from 2/5/2009 thru 2/15/2009. Like you mentioned, there were minor fixes, most notably the Google Voice Search app which allows you to search with your voice.
  
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By Michael Martin on February 5, 2009 at 7:02 pm:

The RC33 features are detailed at http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?board.id=87&thread.id=30897

Saving pics from Text Messages is a Cupcake feature that made it in.

,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/

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