Here's a mid-week feat of heroic hacking -- ambitious Android tinkerers have successfully got Android 4.1 Jelly Bean running on a T-Mobile G1, the first ever Android phone.
The SoCal Devs collective posted about their success on XDA-Developers, and uploaded a video to YouTube. The clip shows the very latest version of Android chugging along on the first phone to sport Google's ever-popular operating system.
Admittedly, not every feature is working properly on the 2008 mobile, which sported a 3.2-inch touchscreen and lacked a 3.5mm headphone socket. Wi-Fi and the all-important touchscreen are working, and brand new near-psychic software Google Now is even partially operational, but screen rotation and the ability to make calls lie sadly out of reach -- at least for now.
The cutting-edge Android 4.1 software runs on the G1, which was built by HTC, with more than a little lag -- you can practically hear its 528MHz processor screaming in protest.
That said, the fact that Android enthusiasts have done such a good job of getting the software basically up and running throws modern day manufacturer's update woes into stark relief.
Most notably Samsung Galaxy S2 owners were left fuming by Samsung's bumbling attempts to update its popular smart phone to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Then we have Sony urging customers to stick on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and backtracking on its promise to update the Xperia Play, Samsung deeming the Galaxy Ace too weak to handle Ice Cream Sandwich, or HTC leaving the Desire Z -- which sports a G1-style slide-out keyboard -- off its update lists.
Putting modern-day frustrations aside, I can only applaud the bonkers attempt to force Jelly Bean onto such an ancient smart phone. I wonder if I could get Jelly Bean running on my microwave...
What version of Android are you running, and are you waiting for an update? Say so in the comments or on our Facebook wall, then enjoy this retro CNET UK video from times gone by.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 6
Add your comment
Justin Gibbins 9 August, 2012 18:17
I love it when people do this kind of thing. At the same time I don't believe you can cite this as an example to throw in the faces of manufacturers who aren't updating their devices. They don't typically say that it couldn't run. They say that the User Experience wouldn't be as good.
You yourself say that this runs quite poorly, saying that the device "screams" in protest. Android already has a bad rep for having a poor User Experience. Imagine how that'd turn out if the latest OS, touted as being much better, shows up on these older devices and performs worse than the older O.S.
That's actually how it is on my Evo 3D. HTC finally updated it to ICS, but I almost liked it better when it was 2.3.4, because it seemed to perform better in certain situations. But this is also mostly the manufacturers fault for not doing a very good job bringing it over and saddling it with an old skin not designed for ICS. It's just a poor experience when I've got my Nexus 7 right next to it.
It's a terrible situation laden with loads of grays. You shouldn't simplify it by placing it in the black and white categories. Sorry for the cliche.
Ultraman1966 9 August, 2012 19:41
Obviously it's silly to expect JB or ICS on a 2008 phone but my Galaxy S was more than capable of running it; I recently flashed to a custom ROM (well, there wasn't exactly a stock) and after fixing mistakes I'd made (using old beta ROMs) and restoring data, it now runs smooth as a baby's boom. Again, no errors or freezes unless I did something stupid which is more than I can say about my sister's Arc S which has no endless problems with Sony's implementation of ICS. So it is about the manufacturers having incompetent engineers; they get paid to do this job but I find the user experience is improved by guys who make/tweak ROMs as a hobby...
anonymous 9 August, 2012 20:45
HTC sensation XE running android 4.1.1 jelly bean :D XDA is the answer...
anonymous 9 August, 2012 23:06
Sensation XE running 4.0.4 with sense 4+ tweaks, will flash 4.1 the instant the legends over at xda/cyanogen get the camera working. I've played with an earlier build and it is lovely, just can't manage life without a camera. Makes nee smile that other than the nexus, my "dated" sensation is running newer software than the big "flagship" phones =P
anonymous 10 August, 2012 06:23
If independent developers can do this then why can't Motorola put ICS or JB on my Droid X2 that I got less than a year ago... May it have something to do with them wanting me to spend more money to upgrade to a new device? My next phone will be a Nexus so I don't have to worry about getting upgrades.
anonymous 10 August, 2012 10:26
this shows that the ''upgrade'' thing is not determined by hardware capabilities it is up to the manufacture to decide , and it is better for companies NOT to upgrade older devices just to push costumers into buying their newer phones ... it is just marketing