• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Hack allows first generation handsets to upgrade to Android 2.1

By
Seth Weintraub
Seth Weintraub
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Seth Weintraub
Seth Weintraub
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 30, 2010, 3:56 PM ET

The hack proves that Android 2.1 can work on first generation Android phones like the T-Mobile G1.

Called Cyanogen, the upgrade is not for the feint of heart and has the very real potential of bricking your phone.  However, if successful, HTC Dream, Magic and Sapphire (T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G) users could have most of the features of the Nexus One on older, slower Android phones.

What’s NOT included that you’d find on a Nexus One:
* Launcher2 (too clunky for these devices)
* Stock Live Wallpapers (LWP support is there, but may not work with all LWP apps and/or performance may be bad)
* Facebook (install from the Market, contact sync works perfect)
* Google Voice (install from Market, push notify works perfect)

Engadget notes that the upgrade downloads are so popular that the sites that host them are experiencing problems.

Most users should take a pass on this hack but should be happy to know that Android 2.1 can be ported to their phones.

About the Author
By Seth Weintraub
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

ICE
PoliticsImmigration
‘We believe in Allah, but we can’t do anything’: Somali shops reel in Minneapolis because ICE is bad for business
By Sarah Raza and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
17 hours ago
typewriter
Future of Worksubscription economy
Meet a 28-year-old Canadian woman who turned her pen-pal side hustle into a subscription side hustle with over 1,000 members
By Cheyanne Mumphrey and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
17 hours ago
Epstein
LawJeffrey Epstein
Epstein files fight in court heats up as congressmen accuse DOJ of ‘serious misconduct’
By Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
17 hours ago
rummler
LawImmigration
See the face of ICE’s crackdown on normal Americans: a 21-year-old college student permanently blind in one eye
By Amy Taxin and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
18 hours ago
mckibben
Environmentaffordability
Electricity as the new eggs: Affordability concerns will swing the midterms just like the 2024 election, Bill McKibben says
By Seth Borenstein, Amanda Swinhart and The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
18 hours ago
trump
EuropeTariffs and trade
America’s NATO allies erupt in tariff fury: read their rebuke of Trump
By The Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
3 things Trump did in 24 hours to show that he's in control of American business
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 8, 2026
11 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he'd do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
8 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Making billionaires illegal by taxing their wealth wouldn’t even fund the government for a year, budget expert says
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 17, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Ford CEO warns there's a dearth of blue-collar workers able to construct AI data centers and operate factories: 'Nothing to backfill the ambition'
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 18, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
National debt is already killing the American Dream, says top economist—and it might push the U.S. into an outright depression
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 18, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Europe can wield this $8 trillion 'sell America' weapon as Trump reignites a trade war over his Greenland conquest ambitions
By Jason MaJanuary 18, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.