Sprint: Android 2.1 update for Hero, Moment coming in early Q2
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 16th 2010 12:34PM
posted February 16th 2010 12:34PM
And there you have it, folks -- word straight from Sprint that the much-anticipated Android 2.1 update will be coming to the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment "early" in the second quarter of this year. As you may recall, Sprint has actually been talking about this update since December, but "early 2Q10" is at least slightly better news than the previous "1H2010" estimate the carrier's been dishing out.
Update: Sprint has posted a follow-up tweet saying that OTA vs. PC-based or in-store upgrades are "still TBD upgrade options."
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Sprint has posted a follow-up tweet saying that OTA vs. PC-based or in-store upgrades are "still TBD upgrade options."
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Yeah, with new phones announced that feature the Sense UI on 2.1 releasing early in Q2, they kinda had to finally give us an update.
We'll probably have to go into a sprint store for the update too..
@Serus According to a Sprint employee over on their forums, they are working on providing down-loadable updates on the Sprint website. Grain of salt not included.
This is my issue with Android. Google needs to lay down some more rules to make it a good experience for the user. Android was supposed to be the OS that makes life for consumers and developers easier, simply working and running on a large amount of phones, but instead it's one of the most divided and confusing OSes I've ever come across or used.
I had a HTC Hero, which I presume is stuck on 1.5 right now. Google releases some new stuff, like Google Goggles. I couldn't get it then, and I still wouldn't be able to download it now.
By the time this update rolls out, who's to say we won't be far off from another Android update...and at what point with carriers and manufacturers decide it's ok to stop dragging your phone along?
It's very messy, and the exact opposite of what we were told Android would be.
@JONNNathannn Agree it's messy, but if the alternative is forcing all manufacturers to adhere to vanilla Android, I'll take messy. If having Sense UI means I have to wait a bit longer than others to get 2.1, I'll live.
@JONNNathannn
the carriers DON'T have to update anything, we all purchase phones as they are and updates are just a bonus.
@derspiess
This!!! Everyone (mostly Droid and N1 users) asks me why I chose the Hero with "inferior" hardware and slower OS upgrades... I just look at their phone and say, "You don't have Sense."
@JONNNathannn
If you really think about it, is it REALLY that bad? Android also has the most upgraded OS that I've seen. Google works really hard to roll out these updates, evidenced by the simple fact that we see some new Android version every couple months! The Hero and Moment came out in the US in October 09. Here we are February-March 2010 and we're already getting an upgrade to 2.1. Compare that to other companies (not trying to flamebait here but just an example) like Apple that get them every year. If this was being handled by Apple, we'd probably be getting 1.6 (or 2.0?) on the Hero in October of 2010.
As someone up there said already, I really enjoy the experience HTC gives me with Sense. Vanilla Android looks alright on the Nexus One but give me some Sense any day. I don't mind waiting a while for the update. I'm only going to have this phone for a year before I upgrade to the newest Android anyway (Supersonic anyone?)
I will believe it when I see it.
@JONNNathannn : It should be as easy as:
1. install android 2.1
2. install sprint updated software.
3. install HTC's updated Sense UI.
but its not. :(
@sfox8 "Android also has the most upgraded OS that I've seen."
Your basic point is well-taken, but you haven't been looking very hard if this is true. WebOS has been updated something like 7 times in the past 7 months.
@MasterCKO
i stand corrected. ONE of the most updated.
@JONNNathannn
You do know that Android OS is basically an open format for all to use? They set no ground rules at all and if they did, less companies would adopt it. They make it easy for companies to use it and it's up to the companies to support it if they want.
@derspiess But the thing is, the Samsung Moment and Motorola Droid run stock as well. What's the excuse for these phones to be so oudated so quickly, and then have to wait so long for an update to be able to use and do things other phones running the same OS can do?
With the Moment I'm guessing it's a Sprint holdup. They want to add their proprietary apps & then test, and I'm sure that is taking a back seat to other projects right now. If that's the case then shame on Sprint.
But I wouldn't consider the Droid very outdated.
@One Love
You forgot one thing: drivers.
If you want to install a new OS like a normal PC you would need drivers (ignoring the fact a phone is not a PC and you can't "install" OSes on it but rather you have to reflash it). I don't think any cell phone makers wants to deal with consumers installing drivers.
@JONNNathannn
i had an Business and Management Internal Assessment paper(packet) due today. i did it on Android and about fragmentation.
it was 17 pages long.
D:
@derspiess
The problem is that CDMA support wasn't included in Android till 1.6, so Samsung rolled their own CDMA stack for Android 1.5, thus the update to 2.x is a much bigger deal than CDMA phones running 1.6+/any GSM phone. That and as I said in a Gizmodo article a few months back:
"There is TONS of incentive for carriers to update their
software. Take a look at Verizon hosting the only Android 2.0 device.
Are you going to tell me that Sprint and T-Mobile wouldn't love to
have their Android devices on 2.0 yesterday?
The truth is, there's very little incentive for the Handset maker to
provide an update. All those phones are already sold and in the
carrier's inventory. Any investment in updating those models will
bring them no additional cash flow. However focusing on their next
model will.
You want to take issue with why the Moment, the Mytouch, or the Hero don't have 2.0 or 2.1? Get mad at the handset providers, because the carriers would LOVE to already have it and to pass it on to their
customers."
@JONNNathannn
I don't know how much work was involved with porting to CDMA, but it can't be much. I was running Android on the Sprint Vogue on CDMA back with Android 1.1 over a year ago, and I'm currently running 2.0 on it now. If XDA developers can set it up on non-approved hardware, the hardware designers and developers shouldn't have this big of a problem.
The problem is hardware manufacturers had it beat into their development methodologies that they had to reskin WinMo because it was embarrassingly ugly and even 6.5 can only stave off the need for a stylus for 3 or 4 screens. And they bloat your device with the crap apps like the unsigned Sprint NFL app, voice controls that are worse than Google's version, a demo version of some shitty game, hacky looking 3rd party apps from people who don't understand touch interfaces, etc. They can't push an official update until those apps get updated as well.
These custom development efforts are the problem. Look at the vanilla Android devices, they get nearly immediate updates. If you want a well supported device, look for the vanilla ones. Unfortunately, only T-Mobile is selling them.
@msgyrd
"These custom development efforts are the problem. Look at the vanilla Android devices, they get nearly immediate updates. If you want a well supported device, look for the vanilla ones. Unfortunately, only T-Mobile is selling them."
I disagree. Where are the 2.0 or 2.1 updates for the Mytouch? Same thing on any of the other 1.5 or 1.6 devices?
Where's the damn WM 6.5 upgrade Sprint???
@Hardcore1
Its right here: http://www.xda-developers.com/
=)
Since I just rooted my Hero, I was expecting 2.1 to come out as soon as this week, forcing me to go through the hassle of unrooting to be able to take the update. It's good to see Sprint at least mentioning 2.1, if still vaguely.
thanks sprint, your always on time with all your updates
(obvious sarcasm)
@lv2bll54
What other carrier has issued a 2.1 update for a launched phone? How about for a phone running SenseUI?
This is not a Sprint issue but rather a device OEM issue.
@COCOViper
i was just pokin a little fun, but yes you are right no carrier has issued a 2.1 update(droid doest count as they're coming from 2.0) as of yet and it its good that sprints finishing up with the update. Its well worth the wait to skip 1.6 all together. Good play sprint and how bout' that Supersonic?
@lv2bll54 Supersonic. I want to go to there.
Wake me when it's ready for my eris.
@Showbiz
ummmmm? Do I have to tell him?
@lv2bll54 Nah!
So, okay, they can tweet about the Android update...grate.
Now, could they tweet about the WebOS update?
How about some new Android handsets Sprint?
T-mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all have a far nicer selection of Android handsets...
@giesen
What Android handsets does Att have that are nicer than Sprint's? How about what Android handsets does Att have at all?
And on T-mobile- really? I mean are you talking about the MyTouch Fender edition?
@COCOViper T-Mo = Nexus
@giesen
att has none out now
verizon has two out now
sprint has two out now
tmobile(the 1st carrier to hop on the wagon) has 4
its not like sprint is falling behind as only 1 carrier has more phones and the only 1 with 2.1 is the droid. And plus i love the 70 dollar everything plan(that no 1 else has) im getting soooo?????
@COCOViper
T-Mobile: Nexus One
Verizon: Motorola Droid. Nexus One coming very soon
AT&T: Motorola Milestone (just launched v2.1).
Sprint has the Hero which is *way* lower spec than those other handsets. I'd be happy with the HTC Legend (upgraded Hero), but that is not even scheduled for US release yet.
@giesen
I can see where you're coming from but I still don't see it as a huge issue.
T-Mo: not even gonna bother with this one. We all know they're beating everyone to a pulp in Android numbers.
Verizon: At the moment only the Droid is higher spec. Droid Eris is a rehashed Hero. Nexus One is only announced.
ATT: ...yeah.. right.
Sprint: Hero and Moment. Supersonic is rumored. If the rumors are true, Supersonic is a Nexus One-style beast.
Sprint is definitely lagging behind with some announcements (come on, at least two new high end Android devices!) but they're not too far behind. Not as bad as AT&T
Id like it if i had a choice to get any android phone, and have access to use either stock android, or a custom UI made by any handset maker.
Because twitter and facebook announcements are to always be trusted!
*cough*droid*cough*
really android is not that great already had the moment and the phone was buggy as hell. Took the hero it was ok but quite frankly i don't see where all this hype about android is all about it seems after vzw introduced the droid name to the audience now everyone is riding on that hype. If im not mistaken not to long ago everybody bashed android now is really great? i mean its so confusing so how many versions are there and how many apps are incompatible with different devices not to mention the app store has a bunch of junk apps.
After experiencing android I am so glad i returned to my pre with webos. The os is just smoother and nicer than android specially multitasking you don't realize how often you use multitasking until you don't have it anymore.
@periks19 agree!!!
@periks19 Except part of the reason people want this is because of bug fixes and such. And, from what I've heard, the original ROM was utter crap on the Moment.
@periks19
Everyone bashed Android before the Droid? Really? Source!
I got a hero... and the amount of time this update took, im actually gettin sick of how sluggish my phone been getting. Next step is snapdragon at a minimun
@ComboBreaker Have you tried putting some of the custom kernels on your Hero? I've done so with my Moment and the phone is more responsive.
@ComboBreaker
Time to root and update your ROM
@ComboBreaker I was in the same place as you, so I rooted with Fresh 1.1 and Gumbo Kernel. I can't imagine it getting any faster and it's saving a ton on battery life.
@brown like dookie
I gotta agree with the others. I was in the same boat for a while. Getting fed up with my slow Hero and finally decided to root to Fresh 1.1 ROM. The last time I saw my Hero flying this fast was the day I got it!
@brown like dookie I agree completely. All my thoughts in your little paragraph right there.
Im a bit paranoid when it comes to rooting my phone when it comes to warranty or completely bricking it :-/ ...
Correct me if im wrong but isnt the definition of Q2 2010: January 1, 2010 - March 31, 2010? So hasn't early 2Q10 all ready come and gone??