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T-Mobile G1 Gets Android Update, But 'Donut' Is A No-Show

Beginning over the weekend, T-Mobile USA began pushing out a minor firmware update for the HTC G1 Android phone. Unfortunately, all it does is fix bugs -- no new features are installed. This begs the question, why haven't we heard a peep about the Donut update for Android and what new features will it introduce?

All that we know about the new update for the HTC G1 -- the world's first Android phone -- is that it refurbs the general permissions and installs some bug fixes. The new firmware, which should change from CRB43 to CRC1, is being pushed out automatically over-the-air. All users' devices should complete the update by today, June 20.

If you were hoping for Donut, be prepared to wait a bit longer.

What strikes me is that the Android developer community shared what Android 1.5 "Cupcake" was going to introduce as early as November 2008 -- a full six months before the update was eventually pushed to Android devices. We know next to nothing about Donut.

Google has already said that it plans to introduce three more updates to the core Android mobile operating system by the end of 2009. The three new versions of the OS also come with names of desserts, with "Donut" being the next update to hit end-user devices.

Back in May, Google shared a couple of details about Donut. Donut will allow users to perform a search across the entire device for anything that's stored on it. It will also be able to transition from local-device searches to online searches in an instant. Google also promises to open the text-to-speech API in Android. This means third-party developers will be able to use those tools in their own applications.

Those two tidbits are pretty much all we know about Donut.

What else will be included, and when will it drop? Google also recently said that it is hoping to add more social networking features to Android. Does that mean Donut will feature better Facebook and Twitter integration? Google has said very little. With three more updates set to hit Android devices by the of 2009, we're looking at an update every-other-month between now and December. Will Donut show up before the end of summer? I am sure T-Mobile G1 users hope so.

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