RSSFuture of Android 'Cupcake' update uncertain
By Tim Conneally | Published January 22, 2009, 4:39 PM
A hotly-rumored branch of updates to the Android operating system that goes by the unusual moniker "cupcake" may not be released to the public.
AndroidTapp received a message from the T-Mobile Forums admin which was traced all the way back to Google via T-Mobile's Product Development and PR departments. In the message it said, "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."
While still not more than a rumor, the very existence of the Cupcake branch and its ability to bring video camera functions and an onscreen keyboard to the T-Mobile G1, is technically still rumor as well.
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 "may not be released to the 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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|This just in! a known development branch to Google's Android OS is rumorred to be in fact a development branch and a work in progress.
wow, slow news day or something?
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|I really wish that either T-mobile or Andoid team of Google would take 10 minutes out of their time and create a blog explaining what us customers can expect in the future, and what plans there are. I dont think thats too much to ask for.
For instance, my battery life on my G1 does not even last one day with 3g, bluetooth, wifi and GPS disabled, which to me is unacceptable, and I would very much like to know if there are any plans whatsoever on fixing the issues that bothers me and many other customers. Because if not, I am going to have to switch phones since I dont want a phone which I cannot use because the battery will not last a whole day even with "everything" turned off. I might as well just get a free phone since I cannot use any of the fancy stuff G1 has anyways.
At least then I can make phone calls... And after all, it IS a phone, still.
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|This isn't really a reason for alarm. It's just a development build for adding numerous technologies. For all we know, only the mature technologies created in cupcake might be released in a future update, like perhaps just the virtual keyboard, or just the bluetooth stereo, etc. There really isn't a lot of cause for concern...
Cupcake could be a ground for building new technologies and not a release in and of itself.
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|The may not be great reason for alarm, clearly set expectations of the Cupcake update not being release this month. That's not to say the update is never coming, just probably not this month like we all heard and wished for.
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