T-Mobile is reportedly investigating potential problems that have caused some phones to quickly exhaust their batteries. The company posted a note on its support site acknowledging concerns from many subscribers. Although the memo does not point to a specific device, the subsequent posts are overwhelmingly dominated by users reporting problems with the G2.
T-Mobile has continued to bring a string of Gingerbread updates this week, as the carrier begins to roll out the software for the G2. A memo posted on the company's support site confirms that Android 2.3.3 will arrive for the G2 as an over-the-air update. The software arrives just one day after Gingerbread was released for the G2's successor, the G2x.
After being introduced last October as the latest Google phone successor to the T-Mobile G1, the flagship T-Mobile G2 has quietly been phased out just eight months later. As of June 6, it will be off the market. The phone is manufactured by HTC and suffered build quality issues on launch with some users reporting a loose hinge that allowed the slider to release its keyboard to easily. The G2 was one of the first smartphones to arrive on T-Mobile’s network with 4G capabilities.
T-Mobile's HSPA+ network has just expanded to ten new cities, the carrier announced on Tuesday. The country's largest such network is now available in Ames, Iowa; Anderson, Indiana; Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and Jackson, Michigan; Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado; Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas; Springfield, Illinois and Wichita Falls, Texas. Devices capable of supporting the higher speeds at T-Mobile include the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, T-Mobile G2 and myTouch 4G smartphones as well as the Dell Streak 7.
A new HTC commercial has given a quick glimpse of the likely sequel to the HTC Wildfire. The new phone has a very similar appearance to the current model, but is missing the optical trackpad. The ad, embedded below, is aimed at boosting the image that HTC is an innovator and features several of its Android-based smartphones including the T-Mobile G2, HTC Evo 4G and the Droid Incredible.
Two forthcoming HTC Android flagships have reportedly failed last minute Google Type Approval testing and will be delayed until at least the "mid to end of October." Type approval testing typically refers to the requirements for a product to meet particular set of minimum standards. This follows recent reports that the T-Mobile G2 Google phone, which is manufactured by HTC, is suffering from a significant hinge looseness problem.
It appears that Apple may not be the only phone manufacturer facing design issues with its flagship phone. HTC, the manufacturer of the T-Mobile G2 Google phone flagship appears to be facing an emerging loose hinge problem plaguing some of its users. A video (below) circulating the net shows a G2 with a hinge so loose that merely picking it up by the top half of the hinge causes the keyboard on the bottom hinge to slip straight out.
While most Android handsets have proven relatively easy for hackers to gain root access for software modification, T-Mobile's G2 appears to integrate unique hardware aimed at preventing such customization. The device reportedly reinstalls the stock firmware and automatically erases modification attempts, according to user reports posted at XDA-Developers.
T-Mobile's G2 handset has already arrived at certain retail stores, slightly ahead of its official launch. Although the device is not scheduled to be released until October 6, store employees have taken the opportunity to check out the new inventory.
