Tue, 14 Jul 2009
Google Latitude is finally available on Android G1 from T-Mobile UK
Go to Marketplace, search for Google Maps
This has been an inconvenience for Android G1 users using T-Mobile phones in UK for a while now - Google Maps application did not have Latitude enabled even after the update that was supposed to unlock it. Other major mobile platforms (Symbian, iPhone, Windows, Blackberry) all had working clients in UK, but of course, not on Google's own flagship phone. T-Mobile did not provide an explanation for this omission, redirecting all queries to Google, and Google were silent for over a month, eventually releasing a short statement placing blame on "legal issues".
As I discovered yesterday it is now possible to get Latitude working on the T-Mobile UK G1 without needing to root the phone or overwrite the OS shipped by T-Mobile. In the Marketplace there is an installable entry for Google Maps. Although the new application replaces the existing Google Maps application it is not marked as an update, and so will not show up on the list of available updates. It needs to be found and installed manually by the user.
Once the new Google Maps app is installed the Latitude dialogue comes up as expected and Latitude starts working. The update has been available for over a month now, but either no one has noticed, or I have been living in a cave.
0 comments | Tags: android, latitude, t-mobile