Sprint's Hero finally gets official Android 2.1 upgrade
By Vlad Savov 
posted May 19th 2010 6:06AM
posted May 19th 2010 6:06AM
Assuming you resisted the temptation to either root your Hero or update it with the recently leaked 2.1 firmware, this is your very first chance to finally slap a dash of Android future on your senescent device. Sprint has at long last made the update available, though it isn't quite yet ready to download from its site. Fear not, the good folks behind the yellow network have put together a guide on upgrading through your phone and we'll link up the download as soon as it's ready for consumption. Time to start enjoying that Google Maps Navigation magic and all the other goodies constituting Eclair's delectable filling.Update: It's now available direct from HTC's website, as well as Sprint's own site. Thanks, all!
[Thanks, Jonathan]
if Sprint can get a lot more HTC or Android phones then they can do a lot better...
@account5
*sigh*
@account5
I would actually say BlackBerry OS is the most fragmented, there's loads more versions currently in use and people are less likely to update their BB to the latest.
Anyways, the Hero update will further decrease the fragmentation and increase 2.1s lead.
@account5 Hey idiot. I know you're jealous of Android and all. So stop posting negative comments on all of the Android articals. Just because there is more news about Android than iPhone overall, doesn't mean you have to push all your biased views on all us Android users. Anyway, be informed, this means there is less fragmentation.....
@benthe1 your wrong that account5 troll is a Microsoft lover. He goes into every non Microsoft post and bashes what ever the article talks about
@benthe1 @benthe1 your wrong that account5 troll is a Microsoft lover. He goes into every non Microsoft post and bashes what ever the article talks about
"Sprint has at long last made the update available, though it isn't quite yet ready to download from its site."
What a confusing statement.
@Antiapple : I just used the leaked rom last night. Arghhhhh!
@Antiapple
Sorry to thread jack, but here's the actual download link.
http://www.htc.com/us/support/hero-sprint/downloads/
@Mike10010100 if only i could do this with my HD2... anyone happen to know a way of replacing 6.5 with Android 2.2 on my HD2? i still want to play with Android before the Mondrian arrives
@One Love As did I! Though I think I preferred my DarchVanilla ROM, even with its few quirks. SenseUI is rather poo.
Probably root again once this release make it around the circuit.
@Antiapple
FINAL-F*CKING-LY!!!!!!
i'm still getting an evo though....but thats what sprint wanted me to do all along. Yeah thats right sprint i'm hip to ur strategy.
@One Love
The leaked version has the same SW version as the "official" one. Everyone is agreeing that they're the same thing.
@thatdude Same here. Even though they finally updated it to 2.1, I'm still getting that Evo lol
@chefp The setup says it's the same version. I had installed the leaked version, I had two issues with it. Battery life sucked and Sprint Tv didn't work,it always says "guide could not be retrieved. Please try again later". Over all, it felt more responsive... while it does nothing, the weather app now shows animations in the whole mail screen. When it's cloudy you see "clouds" go over the whole screen on the main widget... cool.
And the GSM Hero?????????
@redmamoth
Not the same hardware, but I'm also patiently waiting official the 2.1 upgrade for my rogers htc magic :|
Too bad I just sold my hero. :(
@liljon619 Oh well I would've only enjoyed it for a couple of weeks since I'm buying the Evo 4g. \o/ \o/ \o/
Wow, that didn't take long at all.
/sarcasm
Still waiting on 2.1 for my European Hero
@Hydraulics
Hey HTC! Me too!
@Hydraulics From the Related Articles over there >>>
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/21/htc-hero-wont-see-upgrade-to-android-2-1-until-june-at-least-i/
@Hydraulics
+1 on that!
nice to see,that the european version was the first one out,and the last one to get the update.if it's getting it...
@tmahu
Yea I know. This is a piss take. I love Android and my Hero (SlideVillain) is a great phone, but if HTC continue do this with the Desire then that's it. I'll go elsewhere for my Android phones.
The fact that 2.2 (which is a massive update) will probably be out before GSM Hero non-rooters see 2.1 is an absolute joke on HTC's part.
If they could spruce up Sense for a load of other similar spec phones in quick-time why not the Hero? Do they bury their heads in the sand when they get all this negative feedback? Surely they must have caught on with all the 'when is the hero getting 2.1' support emails they've been receiving...ok I'm getting pissed-off now
>:(
samsung, take heed
@mrqs
? The Moment got its update last week...
@JimmyJimJim
and the galaxy is never getting one
Hmm, I am going to attempt to pick up an Incredible today. I guess when Froyo is released sometime next month I shouldn't hold my breath for it. Or is Verizon any better at pushing OTA updates than Sprint?
@DBG
Its not necessarily the carriers who are entirely at fault. When a new version of Android is released, carriers who use custom skins like HTC's SenseUI need to port that skin and all its custom widgets and apps to the new version of Android and then test everything.
All of Verizon's Android devices have 2.1 now, and they were relatively quick getting them out.
But good luck trying to find an Incredible on the shelves. Everywhere it's backordered.
@DBG It took HTC a while to get Sense UI in combination with 2.1 to work well on the Eris and Sprint Hero. There were quite a few bugs with the first 2.1 Rom leaks on the Eris. took them a while to finally get everything figured out exactly how it needed to be. Eris on Verizon just got its 2.1 update shortly after the release of the Incredible. It is safe to assume that HTC didn't want to release 2.1 too early despite the demand. I'm glad they waited. It would have been a customer service nightmare for Verizon if they released it earlier.
I'm upgrading my palm pre to the htc evo come June 4th. My friend on my plan uses the hero and wants the evo, but isn't eligible for upgrade and doesn't want to pay full price or evo, so she will be glad to hear that 2.1 is finally here for her hero. Come on, sprint... Pick up the pace!
I was forced to root and I love it!
Slowly but surely these phones are getting updated. Hopefully Froyo fixes fragmentation issues and hopefully the upgrade to it is quicker.
@DJ I wouldn't count on the Hero getting 2.2... I think this is the end of the road as far as updates are concerned
@vidoardes
Thank god for XDA.
Not sure why I can't see the dowload. I followed the link Sprint provided... http://shop.sprint.com/en/software_downloads/pda_smartphone/htc_hero.shtml
Hopefully the transition from 2.1 to 2.2 will be less challenging than 1.5 to 2.1 was.
FRAGMENTATION! Ima give it another year for android. Maybe 2011 or 2012, I'm not going to buy a new android and wait monthes b4 I can update to the newest firmware. No thanks inceredible and evo, u guys are sexy but this fragmentation is to much to bare. I'm looking forward to see 2.2!
@Megazine The phones are good enough on their own (read: without downloading every single application in the app store) that fragmentation isn't nearly as terrible a factor as it's made out to be.
Seriously: give me the Evo over here in England and I'll snatch it up.
As an aside, in the UK and here in Australia, the term "root" is a slang term meaning "to fornicate".
...Just thought you should know your opening sentence resulted in the funniest unintentional mental image I've had in years.
@Gekko71 In Australia maybe... but never heard that in the UK.
@Gekko71 I take it back... according to Urban Dictionary it is used in Northern Ireland, never heard it in England though.
@Gekko71 Root you HTC , because they didn't upgrade the GSM Hero .
finally...but nexus one users will soon get froyo. good job htc!
Well I tip my hat to those who waited but I will remain rooted, this just means a better custom rom will be out soon, hope google has some goodies today
Ok well I rooted and am currently using damageless. What benefits will I get from this official update
@rei234
More likely than not this official release will be more bug free (hopefully) than Damage's or Fresh's ROMs - so no audio bug. I don't think live wallpapers are included here, either (need to apply fix for that to stick on rooted ROMs, which kills navigation animation).
I'm not even going to bother. I've been running Fresh 2.0d & am getting the EVO in 2 wks. Not worth the time or effort of maybe losing root & resetting up for only 2 wks.
@rei234 damageless is arguably the moat complete Rom available. You are better off staying rooted.