Sprint to release Android 2.1 update for Hero and Moment 'over the coming weeks'
By Richard Lai 
posted March 20th 2010 1:27PM
posted March 20th 2010 1:27PM
If you recall, about a month ago Sprint tweeted that it was working on delivering Android 2.1 upgrade for its HTC Hero and Samsung Moment in early Q2 this year. An optimistic guess would be April, right? Funnily enough, Techie Buzz has heard that two eager customers managed to squeeze a more precise date out of Sprint over a phone call -- end of March or even March 26th. Don't go reaching for that champagne just yet, though -- a self-proclaimed Sprint employee shared a recent internal memo on XDA-Developers forum, revealing that it's "actively working on having the Android 2.1 platform available to our Hero and Moment customers over the coming weeks," and that "more information coming in April." Oh Sprint, you do love playing with our little minds, don't you?
Glad to see this coming. The more devices we see upgraded to 2.1, the better.
Sprint really has a great lineup of Android devices, and they don't cripple them like AT&T did with the Backflip.
@ScienceProUSAcom I honestly wish that they wouldnt even tell us that it's coming until 2 weeks before release. They have been hinting at an upgrade since the Moment came out. 5 months ago!!! They just want to string us along with this false hope. By the time this happens the N1 will be released. Oh wait, they just confirmed it, so we've got another 5 months.
"two eager customers managed to squeeze a more precise date out of Sprint over a phone call"
I know people want to believe what reps tell them, but here's an FYI - first and second tier people have no idea what's really going on with release dates.
Nexus One and Supersonic with 2.1 coming 'over the coming weeks'?
These waits for updates are unbearable. I feel like a spoiled child, "GIVE IT TO ME GIVE IT TO ME NOWWWW!"
@Proverb
I've had it for over two months now and it's already been updated once. Perhaps next time you should make a wiser decision in your smartphone purchase.
@nubbily I'm guessing he purchased his phone before the N1 was even announced. Hell, even the droid only has 2.0.1 or whatever and it came out like 4 months ago. So shut up and don't tell other people what they should or should not do.
@Proverb Nothing stopping you from getting 2.1 from XDA.
@nubbily
Just because newer phones were announced AFTER he purchased his doesn't make it a stupid decision to buy it. If everyone lived by your logic nobody would ever own any piece of technology. I bought the Hero which was the best at the time. Then the Droid was announced, people bought it. Then the Nexus One was announced, people bought it. Supersonic is announced and guess what? People will buy that too and something better will be announced after that. These are the consequences of keeping up to date with tech blogs. Most average consumers still believe the Droid is the best Android device.
@mattcoz Unless you're using the Samsung Moment. That will very easily stop you from getting any updates from XDA. Because, you know, they're sort of HTC-only.
But hey, you only have to be half on-topic on the interwebs.
Android fragmentation FAIL.
@goatlover
I am starting to think this open stuff is more of a headache than it is worth.
@goatlover @awalk I'm with you on that, guys. Seems like Android's trying to directly replace WM, with all possible downsides :)
@goatlover / awalk
While i agree fragmentation is not good for anyone, i think you guys may be inapprpriately placing the blame for that on Android due to being open sourced.
You do understand that fragmentation has absolutely nothing to do with the source code but rather more to do with things such as carriers and device specs? A perfect example of this would be the HTC TP2/Tilt 2 (depending on CDMA/GSM). This phone launched on ATT with WinMo 6.5 but the same device with the exact same specs launched on Sprint with 6.1. This was due to the drivers, shell (manufacturer UI), and carrier specific details. Sprint this week launched winmo 6.5 for the TP2. My point being that Windows is fragmented as well and its not open source.
I think Google can and should be doing more to curb this fragmentation, i also think the Nexus one is a step in the right direction to do this.
@awalk I'm beginning to feel the same way. Actually just took my samsung moment back today.
@krosref this "fragmentation" stuff is ridiculous. can i use google nav yet? no, but it's not like a 2g iphone can use GPS or a 3g can run the same games as a 3GS. considering the vast majority of programs work across all versions it really isnt a big deal. i love my moment and think it's one of the more underrated android phones
@goatlover
Moments and Heros came with 1.5 and people were fine with that and bought it with no upgrade date in sight. It's taking a while to get them upgraded to the latest Android version, but it's not like that hurts the value of what you currently have. I doubt most of the complainers here even know what has changed between 1.5 and 2.1.
I have a Moment on 1.5 and I ran 2.1 on a Vogue before switching. Other than pointless eyecandy and a tiny amount of apps, you're not missing anything important or fundamental. They both run pretty much the same. Google Nav is nice, but Sprint's nav app gets the job done for now. Stop being jealous little crybabies because you're not sporting the absolute latest and greatest (or go waste your money switching to it for no actual gains).
With the nexus one coming, and apparently a Supersonic in short order after that, the window in which I would have really enjoyed and appreciated the upgrade is mostly gone.
@INsano
Now THIS I do agree with. I loved my Hero for the time but it stayed on 1.6 FAR too long. I've actually been running the newer Sense build for a while but still on 1.6. You can say "get the 2.1 root" all you want but it doesn't beat -real- functionality with every feature working as it should, and unfortunately, this is coming a little too late. I'm ready to update to an N1 or Supersonic..
@sfox8 1.5 I mean (which is even more fail than before).
@INsano
It's still nice to have the update. If Supersonic doesn't come until summer, it makes the wait a little more bearable. Plus, some may like the option and stick with a Moment for the hard keyboard. I won't, but it'll make me not "settle" for the N1 over the Supersonic, if you can call getting an N1 settling...
If they put 2.1 on a device with Sense before they get stock 2.1 on my Droid, I'm probably just going to start crying.
Congrats to Sprint, though. At least somebody will get the update! :-/
@Zachdamac
Quit complaining and do something about it. Installing 2.1 is easy these days. I've had 2.1 on my phone for several weeks because of these two sites:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/hacking-help/20395-how-easily-install-bugless-beast-using-only-sprecovery-terminal-emulator-zip.html
http://alldroid.org/forums/896-Droid
@Steve B I think I have a bit of a right to complain, after all of the junk VZ has pulled with this update. And if I wanted some hacked out 2.1 ROM, I'd put it on there, but I'd rather have a legit, tested ROM from the source. More than that though, I'd like it to show up when they say that it will, not months later.
@Zachdamac hacked up rom? whats to make androids dev's any better than dev's that made cyanogen etc..... this is what open source is for and your bashing it....
@patp Drivers.
@Steve B
I owned a Sprint Touch/Vogue before getting the Moment. Android 2.1 unofficially ran on *that* phone better than 1.5 officially runs on my Moment (CDMA data connection is a little flaky). I prefer the Moment due to the superior hardware, but as soon as 2.1 is released and it gets rooted/hacked, I'm doing it.
I'll take the hacked up ROMs please. I don't want preinstalled, irremovable Bejeweled demos and crappy 3rd party voice control apps that don't measure up. I want control of my phone.
@Zachdamac
This just solidifies that Supersonic will be released with 2.1. Nice!
That is a shame they can't get this updating stuff right
Wasn't one of the benefits of having a "Google phone" like the Moment supposed to be quicker updates?
@nichts
One of the negatives of being tied to a carrier. Even if you have stock Android, you still have to wait for the carrier to release the update for you. I guess that's why it's good that Google is selling the N1 without having to be locked into a carrier.
i don't understand why the carrier has to release this update shouldnt the manufacturer release these updates?
@tomaskn I've started to suspect that the manufacturer sends a build to carriers, who then add in their apps. Those changes are then tested.
Though it's depressing to think Hero/Moment updates are being delayed because they can't get their stupid Nascar program working correctly.
At this point.........I'll believe it when I see it!
Can the hero and the moment handle the 2.1 stuff like the nexus one? I bet those live wallapers will kill that hero chip while trying to keep up with all the other apps it has to run. That is why I'm uncertain about buying a android phone. How long will it last before u have to go and upgrde it? Think G1 vs nexus1
@cell128
The 2.1 upgrade for the hero and moment will most likely exclude the live wallpapers. I read it somewhere can't find it again...
@cell128 the moment has a significantly faster processor than the hero so it can probably handle it. in any case im sure custom roms will add it so people can try for themselves
@cell128 I've been running 2.1 on the Hero and I can honestly say the the device FLIES. 2.1 runs so much better than 1.5
@barkerja
that sounds good. I have an iPhone 3gs and if it wasn't for my jailbreak I would have already bought the nexus one.
lets hope they dont follow verizon's timeline...
Great news! Now if Google would enforce that all android phones be developed under the most current firmware! Also, to make sure that any variations of its OS don't delay a firmware upgrade for more than 30days after release would be great!
@jroman28
Google forcing something like that goes completely against the open paradigm of Android. Google can't force phone companies to do anything since the OS is open to whatever.
What I really don't understand is why people care so much. Most people buying these phones aren't aware that there is an update coming. They are just fine with the phone that they bought. For people who do know that an update is coming, I would think they would be capable enough to start updating their phones themselves since it is so easy. Yes, Google should have done a better job of getting updates out, but I really don't think that the current situation is much of a problem.
@Steve B Try telling that to Android devs. These kinds of shenanigans are what keeps me from any serious efforts to port my iPhone app over.
@Cromagazine funny, plenty of other devs don't seem to have a problem considering the rate of expansion of the android marketplace
@Steve B People are caring because being stuck on 1.5 limits what you can get from the Market. After a while, a lot of really good apps will simply be invisible to us.
It will be interesting to see how it works with 2.1
Android fragmentation + SPRINT = legendary fail......good luck waiting on sprint, they're probably just trying to cram some sprint crap-apps on it
@west10r XDA to the rescue!
@west10r
Actually... the delay was due to HTC porting over sense UI to 1.5. Hence why the Droid Eris on Verizon has not received the 2.1 update either.
Misinformed and assuming= legendary fail
IMHO Sprint has given me the least dropped calls, faster service and better customer support from the my last 3 providers which included AT&T and T-mobile... oh and not to mention far better pricing