Manual T-Mobile G1 Firmware Update

I have been waiting for the RC29 firmware update for my G1 and it hasn't made it yet- I so much hate waiting for the carrier to decide when to push out an update to me. 

Luckily, someone over at the Android Community found a way to download the firmware update and install it via MicroSD card.  Basic instructions:

• Download the update, rename it to 'update.zip'
• Copy update.zip into the root of the MicroSD. 
• Power the phone off, power up while holding down the 'Home' button to go into maintenance mode.
• Type ALT-L to bring up a menu, ATL-S to 'apply sdcard:update.zip'
• After update, press Home+Back to reboot.

 

 

Another interesting feature is that you can create a shortcut to 'Device Info' with the AnyCut app.  When you execute the shortcut, there is a 'check for upgrade' option at the bottom of the list.  It appears to check in but didn't initiate an update when I tested (prior to installing the above).

Now I just need a beta version of the firmware that supports A2DP or  I will be returning the phone on Tuesday (i.e. just before my contract loop-hole expires).  I love the phone, but it is senseless for me to carry around 2 devices when I go to the Gym (i.e. a Samsung P2 and the G1); currently I use a Treo 800w for this task.

Now my rant:

I know that Google is 'working on' A2DP support, but I have also been reading that T-Mobile will not support A2DP (so, will they allow it on one of their devices?) and the Android SDK does not allow direct access to the BT stack- so I will be screwed if T-Mobile decides A2DP is not something their phone needs!  This was the down fall (at least for me) for the iPhone- and it is one of the primary things I look for in a phone/MP3 player (I would rather sacrifice WiFi over A2DP- at least on a 3G network).

Add into that the fact that HTC is crippling their phones with a lack of a headphone jack in lieu of their 'USB-Ext' crap connection and this phone is entirely useless as a media device without A2DP.

C'mon Google and T-Mobile; I really want to keep this phone but lack of A2DP is tainting my view of an otherwise very awesome device!