iPhone Hacked to Run Android 2.2

If you are stuck with an old iPhone but wish you had an Android device, there’s a way to combine the two, creating a smartphone with the body of the former and the brains of the latter.

A�recent hack shows how to run the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, Android 2.2 aka FroYo, on Apple’s iPhone 3G.�The mod still has a few bugs and isn’t stable enough for everyday use, but it’s a first step towards creating a hacked Android operating system for the iPhone.

Android 2.2 isn’t widely available on devices yet. Google made the operating system official last month, and while it’s available to developers, it hasn’t made it to many customers. A few Nexus One users are the only ones to have gotten the upgrade.

This is not the first time someone has attempted to port the Google-designed Android operating system onto an iPhone. Last month, a PC World editor documented his progress in getting the Android OS onto his Apple phone.

DIYers are now boldly modding phones so they are not limited by what smartphone makers offer. For instance, some intrepid smartphone users have hacked their Windows Mobile phones to run Android, giving them a new OS without any expense. It also offers access to new features and to applications in the Android Market.

The latest Android-iPhone isn’t as sophisticated. It only allows the modified iPhone to send text messages and make calls. It does not support Wi-Fi and the phone can get hot in just a few minutes of use.

And as the video makes it clear, it is really not to be attempted at this point unless you are a developer or a curious tinkerer. But as a proof of concept, it’s pretty amazing.

The Gadgets DNA site had instructions on how you can do it, but the site is inaccessible now. Count on a more stable version of the mod coming out in a few days.

Photo: Closari/Flickr

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