Android Phones
HTC Hero ready for some Eclair
October 29, 2009 | by Evan Selleck
HTC
At this point, there’s a lot of news about Android. It’s picking up speed to say the least, and if Verizon has anything to say about it, it won’t be dying down any time soon. With that in mind, where do the phones that have already been released come into play? Do they have a spot in this transition from Android 1, to the next stage in the evolutionary ladder? As we get ready for the official launch of the DROID, some light was shed on how phones like the HTC Hero (the European model) are going to be pulled into the fold.
When the HTC Hero was launched, HTC Sense was all the rage. The implementation was fantastic, and although there was some standard griping about the lag that the device had, the Hero was welcomed with open arms. Well, as with many phone launches, the Hero has come and gone, and although people with the device are plenty happy (this writer included), there are some scary things going on. First off, we didn’t get Android 1.6, or Donut. The only update that the Hero has seen, outside a common update for the HTC Sync, was for the lag problems. That’s fixed and it’s all well and good. But what happened to Donut? Apparently, HTC didn’t consider it a major update, and therefore the time needed to optimize it for their custom User Interface wasn’t necessary. So, HTC Hero users didn’t get their fill of a digital pastry.
So what about Eclair, that evolutionary update set to launch with Verizon’s DROID? As of yesterday, during the afternoon, the rumors have now been confirmed via HTC’s Twitter account. “The rumors are true! Hero will be getting an Eclair update. We ask for your patience as we update Sense for the fancy new Android OS.” There are two things disturbing about this. The first is quite apparent: rumor? It was a rumor that HTC’s flagship Android device is getting a huge update like Eclair? And second, which isn’t nearly as bad, is that Sense needs to be optimized for the update. That’s obvious. But it’s also a problem. We’ve seen that updates to the Hero take time, as the Sense UI needs to be optimized for the updated content. We’ve seen that changes made can potentially “break” existing content, leaving developers of applications stumbling to make updates for their own content to keep up with the devices. Should Hero users expect the Eclair update on or around November 6, along with the launch of the first Android 2.0 device? Or will it be weeks after? And let’s face it, if there’s only been one major update since the Hero’s release and its subsequent release on the device was a rumor, that should cause some concern for Sense UI users as to the speed of future updates to the Android platform. Or should we expect them at all? Is it even worth having a customized User Interface, if Operating System updates are questioned?
HTC did update Sense for 1.6. They just didn't bring it to the Hero.
http://www.htc.com/uk/product/tattoo/specificatio…
You're absolutely right, but the Tattoo was meant to launch with 1.6. And the same goes for the Hero released in the United States, via Sprint. It's running 1.6, Donut, to work on the CDMA network, but the features that are seen on the Tattoo are missing. So it seems that the Hero line is meant to update only with major updates. But so far with Android, in some way or another, every update could be considered a major update. (No, not in the scope of features that Eclair has, but an update nonetheless.)
it is indeed a dubious situation: on one hand getting a major improvement on the standard OS features that Sense UI is, on the other hand being totally dependent on the manufacturer's agenda.
I don't see this as a problem as long as HTC follows up closely to new OS releases. But I wonder what will happen over time, when the Hero's hype is over and another device will have taken over: will HTC continue to develop updates and for how long?
@Evan
The Sprint Hero, surprisingly, is only running 1.5. Probably for consistency. HTC put in their own CDMA support. I wouldn't be surprised if a 2.0 update isn't close as the only reason I can think of that the Hero didn't get 1.6 is that they didn't want to put out 2 major updates close together. Either that, or they didn't want to have to do testing on the Hero for 1.6 only to have to repeat it for 2.0 a month later.
I really hope the Magic gets this. Probably won’t get it until December here in Austria, though.
@Michael
You are right, good sir. The HTC Hero on Sprint is indeed running 1.5, and for good reason. As we’ve recently found out, Sprint is about ready to roll out a big update for its Android devices. While it’s possible, and debated at this moment, that Sprint could give the Hero a 1.6 update, that’s not likely, as HTC has already said that they aren’t rolling out that particular Donut-flavored update for the Hero.
And, in the end, it really isn’t a problem right now. The HTC Hero has only been out for one major update, but the fact that it was a rumor up until two days ago is a bit of a cautionary tale in my opinion. Does Sense, while amazing, make it that much more difficult for HTC devs to optimize OS updates? And if it does, is it worth it in the end?
And how about the g1? Will we get the update, too?
Is Not- is there a Chance that cyanogen will make a 2.0 Rom?
@ S
There's a video on YouTube right now of a rooted G1 running a modified version of 2.0, so it's possible. Will there be an official fix? That's up for debate.
I would find it pretty well unfair of HTC to not give us the 2.0 update for ALL the HTC phones. Hell, iPhone users all got 3.0, even the older models! Why can't we get Android 2.0?
@David
And that's the big question. Are the memory limitations on an older phone like the G1, while not huge, but still noticeable, reason enough to keep a standard OS update like Eclair out of its reach? And, can we really blame HTC in the entirety, or are the carriers that offer these phones also to blame?