G1 users have been waiting patiently for the much anticipated update to their phones’ operating system. Actually, I should clarify that. G1 users in the United States have been waiting a while. G1 users in Europe are already enjoying Android 1.5. The system update, including a set of improvements codenamed “Cupcake,” was set to roll out in the U.S. by the end of May. T-Mobile just scratched that and is now saying they’ll start randomly sending the update to customers in early June. T-Mobile hasn’t given an exact reason for the delay. The carrier posted a message in their own forum saying they’re “working diligently” to release it as soon as possible, and that they’re “finalizing the build…to ensure optimal functionality and smooth delivery.” They also said it has to do with feedback they’ve received from independent software developers about application compatibility. It seems those developers are the ones who need the extra time to update their applications for optimal performance with the Android 1.5 operating system. From the looks of it, the list of Android 1.5 features will be worth the wait. Some of the improvements are general, such as refinement of all core UI elements, and animated window transitions, while others are quite specific, such as faster camera start-up and image capture, an on-screen soft keyboard that works in both portrait and landscape orientation, and the ability to copy and paste in the browser. When T-Mobile finally does release the update, not only will current customers be elated, the new operating system may draw a large number of new customers. One research and consulting firm is speculating that Android smartphone shipments will grow by 900 percent this year, while Apple iPhone shipments will grow by just 79 percent. It will be interesting to see how Apple responds.
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