Android 2.0 is right around the corner, and that's got some people wondering if the T-Mobile G1 will be able to handle it. (Android and Me) You might remember when, a few months back, we had the same worry about Android 1.6. Thankfully, our concerns ended up being unfounded and the Donut update came out for the G1 on time and in full form.

But the fact remains that, eventually, the Android base code will grow too large for the G1's tiny amount of system memory to handle. The G1's system partition is just 69120 kb in size, while Android 1.6 is 68800 kb in size. It's clear that the G1 barely had enough space to handle Donut, which makes the question of whether or not it will have enough space for 2.0 very valid.

Even if 2.0 fits for the G1, we are rapidly approaching the point at which the inaugural Android smartphone will no longer be upgradeable. This isn't hypothetical rumor mongering, it's cold, hard fact. And it's not far away either. T-Mobile has stated that they intend to continue supporting the G1. That said, it's entirely possible that 2.0 and subsequent updates will be 'gimped', cut-down versions of the updates received by other phones in order to save memory.