HTC: European HTC Hero Android 2.1 update now coming in… June

Has anyone got an MP3 of the Benny Hill theme tune?

Speaking to esteemed UK tech site TechRadar today, HTC confirmed earlier rumours that its long-awaited HTC Hero Android update would arrive later than thought – giving the “Eclair” Android ROM update a new launch date of JUNE.

They’ve completely skipped May and gone straight for June. Brave move. Here’s what HTC told TechRadar today:

“HTC will be providing a free update to Eclair for European HTC Hero variants. Starting in June, anyone owning an HTC Hero will receive an initial preparatory update, shortly followed by the full Eclair update.

“For the full update, we would recommend using a free Wi-Fi hotspot or an unlimited data plan, otherwise standard data charges may apply”

That’s amazing. Before the proper update, there’s an “initial preparatory update” to get out of the way as well? Something tells us there’s a lot more to this story/debacle than is being publicly acknowledged. Here’s a photo from the archives:

htc hero android 2 may

We need to create a “stock” news story about the Hero ROM situation in which we simply change the month and republish it once a week. This is a bit of a global embarrassment now, HTC, to be honest – how hard can it be to shuffle Android 2.1 files onto the Hero?

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26 Comments
April 21, 2010 by Gary C in Firmware, Handsets, News, Operators

26 Comments

  1. Reply
    Mark
    April 21, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    It’s rather shocking how HTC have handled this mess.

    I bought my HTC Hero based on NTC telling us 2.1 was coming in March, this clearly was never the case, and it got put on the backburner to focus on Desire and Legend.

    I am now finding there are more and more apps I can’t use because they require Android 1.6 or later.

    HTC should have just done a simple port to 1.6 a LONG time back, to take the pressure of for a 2.1 update. That would mean users would be able to use at least Google Navigation and the like.

    I’m now decided to root my phone, as I can’t wait anymore on HTC’s endless false promises.

  2. Reply
    Dave
    April 21, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    This is getting utterly ridiculous. Like Mark says, clearly software updates for their older phones are being left in the dust because of their new handsets, the Desire in particular.

    The thing that really annoys me though, is that I actually phoned HTC customer services about 4 days ago, who proceeded to quote the previous “end of April” date to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Hero, it’s a great device, but it’s not like it’s incapable of handling 2.1. Like the article says, it can’t be that hard to get it running properly on a Hero.

    Sort it out HTC.

  3. Reply
    cokey
    April 21, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    the htc hero is the first and last htc phone i will buy, simply because it has took them that long to inform the public of when this update is going to come out and for not telling people why its took this long to role the update out. think its time to go back to a more basic handset so issues like this arent going to boil my blood, really not happy with this company :-(

  4. Reply
    albert
    April 22, 2010 at 12:56 am

    If this is true this s*** is seriously ridiculous (agree with y people) I would root my phone but I m a bit scared I will screw something up!!!! Really pissing

  5. Reply
    albert
    April 22, 2010 at 1:01 am

    One more thing. How come can HTC legend, desire and incredible have the new sense with android 2.1 ?!!! Is really so hard to pack this into the hero, huh?!!!!!!

  6. Reply
    Daniel Owen
    April 22, 2010 at 8:38 am

    Clearly not that hard as the homebrew boys have been making it look easy! VillainRom on my hero is much better than anything HTC have produced (whilst I appreciate they actually produced a lot of it), 2.1 with working navigation in UK, tested this morning.

    Personally I got tired of waiting!

  7. Reply
    Mark
    April 22, 2010 at 9:00 am

    Rooted my T-Mobile G2 Touch last night, running “Sense 2.1″ ROM, and it’s working quite nicely. No downsides so far, I can get protected apps from the store, and everything I have tried so far appears to be working correctly.

    It also seems far less buggy than T-Mobiles current firmware.

    I find it utterly bizarre that in one hand phone manufacturers don’t want people rooting phones, and in the other they are driving people there by their lax attitude to maintaining their products.

    I no longer care if/when the update arrives. If it turns in in June, and is good, then I may unroot it a and put it back to stock HTC firmware (no way am I letting it near T-Mobiles offering).

  8. Reply
    Anonymous
    April 22, 2010 at 11:16 am

    HTC can now kiss my ass.
    I tried holding on and being dedicated to what looked like an up-and-coming underdog, but this is disgusting.
    I’m sure someone on eBay will enjoy my old phone.

  9. Reply
    Edu
    April 24, 2010 at 6:21 pm

    CHECK THE “HTC! Stop lying to us!” ONLINE PETITION!
    http://www.PetitionOnline.com/a6262/petition.html

  10. Reply
    angela
    April 26, 2010 at 5:45 am

    Boo to HTC.
    I am tempted to root my phone now but stupid T-mobile has made it more difficult to do that.

  11. Reply
    Ben
    May 12, 2010 at 2:15 am

    Calm down people, you’ll all soon forget this saga the second the update comes out, better HTC take their time and get it right than rush and release a glitchy update, I’m no programmer but I imagine updating these phones is harder than it looks

  12. Reply
    Dubya
    June 2, 2010 at 9:44 am

    Well its now JUNE so let’s see if HTC has since grown a backbone…

  13. Reply
    Gary C
    June 2, 2010 at 10:54 am

    The problem surely is even if HTC does stick to this date, it’ll then take the individual networks MONTHS to then stick on all their crap we always remove and release it?

    I reckon Hero owners on some networks are simply never going to get it.

  14. Reply
    spidev
    June 5, 2010 at 7:07 am

    Frm the bottom of my heart – the delay is a conspiracy frm the first annoucement promising us HTC hero of the update ft took embarrassingly long! A ploy to tire us out to go buy other ’2.1 HTC’ sets… only tt many woe hv jumped ship to other brand!

  15. Reply
    Stu
    June 14, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    In HTC’s defence….want it bad, get it bad.

  16. Reply
    Nick
    June 18, 2010 at 11:07 pm

    Did receive the rom-update, by temporarily advancing the date to 2011. After applying it the phone reboots, does takes some time, no data loss. Now waiting for the real thing.

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