14 DAY TRIAL // Google announced last week that users of an Android-based mobile phone would be able to enjoy the latest update for the platform starting with October, and T-Mobile already started to deliver the new software to its users. Starting with Thursday, October 1, the owners of a G1 or a myTouch 3G handset will receive the Android 1.6 platform on their devices over-the-air, the carrier announced.
According to the mobile phone operator, there are a series of new features included in Android 1.6 (aka Donut) that should enhance the user experience of any Android-based device owner, but there are also some meant to fix issues that were previously present with the OS or the device. One of them is a system reboot fix that T-Mobile stresses upon.
“The update also includes an important fix for isolated instances of system reboots after dialing 911. We have worked with Google and HTC on a solution, and the rollout of Android 1.6 is being accelerated to ensure the system reboot fix is rapidly delivered to our customers. The over-the-air update will be delivered to all G1 and myTouch customers in the coming days. Given the system reboot fix, we strongly encourage all users to install Android 1.6 when prompted to do so,” the carrier says.
As for the enhancements that Android 1.6 comes along with, we can count a new and improved Android Market experience, which should enable users to find applications much easier within the software portal; an integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery interface; updated Voice Search, which now features better integration with native applications.
The search capabilities Google's Android platform comes with have been improved as well, offering the possibility to search through various sources, including browser bookmarks & history, contacts, and the web, all directly from the home screen. Some details on the Quick Search Box feature on Donut can be found here, while more on the features Android 1.6 and Android 1.6 SDK come with are available here.