HTC Hero Will Receive Android 2.0 'Eclair' Update

If this doesn't come out before Nov. 20th, my Hero goes back. I don't know if Eclair will solve many of the problems either; i.e. Sprint Nav, Peep, Footprints, Stocks opening on their own. It just seems like Sense UI + Android wasn't ready for CDMA prime time. Needing a lil more baking time (Pun intended).

Agreed. I can't even get Exchange to send me an email 'as it arrives.'

Buy touchdown from the market. Works like a charm with exchange!

ummm.. which hero are they talking about.. i sure hope CDMA... but for some reason i think they are referring to the GSM Hero

I'm disturbed that this is news. Why can't Google roll out EVERy software update to EVERY device? Why do we have to get the blessings of the phone manufacturer or carrier? This is one thing I'm envious of the iphone about. Every software update is available to every iphone, and at the same time too. None of this waiting for your phone to let you download it. You can do it whenever you want. When will Google do this for Android? I hate worrying that my device will no longer receive updates and I'll have to buy a whole new phone.

Well considering there are only three different iphones with no keyboards and such this will take so time

Its called mis-management. Google could have easily had major competition for the iPhone with Android. Hell, they could have cornered the market. Instead they've created confusion and frustration, and ultimately an inferior user experience. Its like Microsoft but worse. Want the new option? Buy a new phone. Oh, sure, we'll support you for two or three OS updates... but those updates come every two months. lol. Buy a new android every six months to stay current. heh. Income over respect.

I'm not a part of the Android development team, but I suspect your summary of Google's motives are misconstrued.
As I understand it, Android runs on essentially a Linux kernel. That means that while they can develop a new and improved kernel, and write apps that interface with it, it's up to /anyone/ else to compile the kernel into a distribution which works with a given hardware set.
If, for example, the G1 has limited memory, the kernel will need to be trimmed so nifty features are excluded. If it has an added piece of hardware that other phones may not, the drivers for that need to be compiled in.
Google could compile a kernel for each phone out there.. but that's not really their roll. Their time and effort is better spent developing, bug-testing, improving the base code, and making it available for others to implement. I suspect they are doing the driver development as requested by the phone companies. So... look to the phone companies. If you poke around the web you'll find people compiling their own versions of Android and implementing them on G1s and such.. if the multi-billion dollar phone companies can't beat a techie with a bit of spare time on his hands to the punch, it's not really Google's fault ;-)
(Of course, they should be making sure their kernel release is reliable and has been thoroughly tested before they release it to the masses) Contact your phone company, and try to become part of their Beta community.. someone's gotta be testing the new versions they'll be releasing.

It would NEVER make sense for Apple to have to wait for a hardware manufacturer's blessing, since they make the hardware AND the software. I guess this is an Apple benefit, but I don't think any of their benefits outweigh the high recurring cost of the inferior AT&T service plan you get saddled with. 100's of fart apps don't win me over either!

@Shane With every carrier offering different customisations (Sense UI for example), its impossible for an update to be release across the board to all phones. It's down to the carriers and manufacturers to get together and plan their roll-out with custom bits and pieces. You can't possibly expect every phone to have a life long guarantee of updates as the hardware cannot continue to support it. It would be like saying Windows 7 should be able to still run on 1995 hardware perfectly smoothly. They can only support a device so long as it can handle the software for newer phones with improved hardware. I'm happy waiting personally, probably due to me owning a Hero and now knowing I'm getting Eclair.

The hardware on your Hero is virtually identical to the G1, down to the processor. Only difference is that the Hero has more RAM.

No, the G1 does not need to get 2.0 beacause why should it getr something it cannot hangle i agree that it would indeed suck that the phone you bought cant recieve the newest update but, it will not run smooth on 2.0 it will choke up and you will wish your phone never had it. i have the mytouch and it slow as shit i hope if i get 2.0 it helps but i dont think it will i wish i waited for a newer google phone. i hope they perfect it. tmobile was so carzy on promoting this phone it good i guess but its no iphone!

Yes but those updates happen over years for computer OS's, Android is updating over months. If you sign a 2 year contract, you should get updates for those 2 years since you are locked into that phone. Therefor, the G1 needs to get 2.0 along with all the other phones out there. Google should start coming out with yearly updates like Apple is doing with success. They have time to perfect the OS and test it. It's just too bad that all the phone manufacturers are putting their own twist of the OS which keeps everyone from getting updates right away. I'd much rather have rock'n hardware with an unmodified version of Android than what manufacturers are coming out with which slow things down. Hey, it would save money for them too since they won't have to keep modifying their version of android.

maybe all i phones get updates at the same time because of how many different phones on different carriers run apples OS- "1", the iphone, how many different phones on different carriers run android. in the US theres now gonna be 3 carriers with what, 6 phones now? and from what I heard its up to the manufacturer to prepare the update, but it has to be approved by the carrier before it can be rolled out to the public.

Sweet.... This just make me decide to buy the Hero. I was on the fence that I wouldn't and will not be worth it. As soon as I get confirmation that is for the HTC sprint hero and not the european and is already in customers hands I will go to the sprint store and upgrade.

if that's your reason for holding back i wouldn't hold back. we will definitely get it.. the question is when.

Yeah I want to get it. I was in the fence about it since it ship with 1.5 android OS. Most likely I will get it in a couple weeks. As long as i don't hear about another android phone coming.

I just spoke to an HTC rep at a Verizon store and he confirmed that the newly soon to be released HTC Eris will come with 2.0 and that the release date is a week after the Motorola Droid.

It's already been confirmed by Sprint we're getting the update. http://www.droidtalk.net/2009/10/sprint-android-blackberry-windows.html

It's been confirmed its getting updated, but not confirmed as 1.6 or 2.0. :(

This is good news. The Hero, Eris and the Droid are all good phones. Not everyone will have the same phone according to individual tastes.

htc rep does not know what he is talking about...eris is coming but not with eclair. not yet. the droid by motorola screams. you will want one.

OK, I'm a little confused, I have a 'myTouch', with OS ver. 1.6. Is the 'myTouch' considered a 'Hero', as the title of this story says, "the myTouch also", and I do not see it mentioned anywhere else? And does anyone know if ver. 2.0 is going to have Flash Player support? I certainly hope so, as some of the websites I use for finance require Flash 9, or higher. I guess a lot of the banks are using it for security?
Thanks

The "MyTouch" is a magic, and it appears your not getting any significant updates without rooting and hacking.

Flash has always been something phones have problems with. Nevertheless with the Eclair release they have made some major inroads as flash is concerned, what I've heard and seen so far: http://www.htc-hero.nl/specificaties.htm . Motorola Milestone looks nice as well but I'm really wondering whether Motorala will be able to get a foot on the ground in Europe.

I completely agree with everyone else, if Sprint or HTC do not release a serious commitment to put out a 2.0 release in the next few days I WILL BE RETURNING MY HERO's.... Sorry Sprint but I will not get stuck by your tardiness. I have 4 on my account all were purchased at BestBuy on presale.... and all 4 will be going back. I have 2 friends that bought as well and they are in the same boat as I am. Come on Sprint! Let's get some traction here. Verizon is "Once Again" making us look like ***** for our allegiance to Sprint. You guys need a Snapdragon, Android 2.0 device with some serious RAM to step up and say. Hey Sprint is fighting the fight, no offense but the Moment is exactly that a flash in the pan, I picked one up at the Sprint store and was bored within 1 min. I think that's how that phone is going to be remembered... one Moment it was here and the next it was gone... What do we have to do Dan to get your attention? We don't care about cheap, we want fast, quality hardware. If you NEVER put out another Qualcomm Arm 11 processed phone it will be too soon. Stop being cheap obviously the users have spoken and we want Horsepower, if given the choice to save $50 or get a Snapdragon 1GHz processor trust me we will all choose the later. Shoot if you spend 1/1000th of the money you spend advertizing that bomb of a phone the "Instinct" on developing a high quality Android product we would be wiping Verizon off the bottom of our shoes. How about a 2.0 update TODAY the 9th is right around the corner (BestBuy Presale Date) and you don't want to see the UPS guy pull up with a truckload of used Hero's.... trust me.

Verizon hasn't done shit yet... the hero was just released give sprint some time. They are the most advanced wireless company out there. and if you want 2.0 so much then dev it yourself and root your phone, Verizon (for those of you talking shit on sprint and saying Verizon has a step up) is the shittiest wireless provider out there... next to metro pcs. everyone needs to give it time. Its not like google is in charge of rolling eclair out to use, nor is it sprints responsibility, it is HTC's they are the one that needs to update the sense UI. You can always get rid of the sense UI on the hero and root the phone then install it yourself. there are SDK's out there for eclair....

@previous comment You are clueless ... Verizon. Next to metro ? Lol.... why does Verizon have best customer base oh bc cove4age and speed and reliability ... Sprint has old customers who are too proud or cheap to make the move. Trust me Sprint has no hope. Dan is doing what he should... going after t mobiles customers ha ha

Alright i just got this phone today, how long does it need to charge when you first get it to get it started at full battery, and how long do i have to charge it every day.

Isn't the HTC one that should release the update and not Sprint? If you want to complain, complain to HTC.

im about to get a cdma Hero with cellular south heres hopin the 2.0 update will reach us if not i will probably be buying a phone that has it as soon as one is released for cdma

HTC is responsible for the update guys, not Sprint. My Speeds doubled moving to the Sprint network from Verizon, not to mention you CANT beat the plan prices for Sprint. NO COMPANY OFFERS A BETTER DEAL WITH BETTER HARDWARE. I Personally think the Moto Droid is ugly, clunky and feels like a Tank. CDMA Hero is definetly the PlayBoy Bunny of the Android Phones. Slim and Sexy, and once the Market Place/Developers get in high gear, it will BLOW AWAY the Iphone. Cheaper, Removable Battery, Expanable Storage, SPELL CHECK ON EMAIL! COME ON! The Iphone is a cool gadget, but has no place in business competeing with the Android or BlackBerry. And the Android phones are less buggy and more powerful than the BB phones. It's a win win, you get sexy and functional. As for the update, it's a cell phone guys, you'll probably not have it before your contract is up anyways. You'll break it or something and have to out right buy a new one. Not to mention that, but it is not a desktop computer, the developer of the OS can't support old hardware as fast as the new BETTER hardware comes out.

this dude's an idiot.

An other computer nerd who believes that saving a buck is going to get him quality. Try sprint's customer service, a long with their drop call logging. Also 1st 4G network in CERTAIN areas only. Go ahead and be happy with your sprint, because sprinting the other direction is what most sane people decide to do when it comes to such an beligerant company. And let me reiterate that this guy is in fact.. an idiot. signing out..

I have a Hero. I like it. I developed custom roms for several of HTC's device on Alltel, Sprint & Verizon and will likely develop for the Hero. However I do remember the simpler days with my SunCom Nokia 5160; all it did was just work. Now with more integration, customization, UI's, personal interest/ preference, speed, mobility, power and upgradability, there is a unending unrest from users across all platforms & carriers. My thoughts? Suck it up. The market moves fast. Technology moves fast. If your phone doesnt get the update then it was obviously not "economically viable" to release it for your particular device. All devices with relevant OS's & functions have a 1-1/2 yr life span anyhow. Buy a walkie-talkie & laptop computer if you want simplicity in pure form for all of your entertainmant & communication needs. But continuing a argument over who/when/what/how it is released and what carrier/manufacturer/developer is doing what is irrelevant. This is a consumer market driven by capitalism in all its glory and its all about making a buck...

Everyone on here is a bunch of friggin nerds, its a phone, get a life! I have the HTC Hero, its great. It's much different than an iPhone so its hard to compare. From what I see the games on the iPhone are much, much better. I contribute that to time, and time alone. As far as 2.0, just be patient my God. It can't be that much better that everyone is so up at arms about it, if you are you need to get a life! I'm out!