HTC has posted the long-awaited - and much promised - Android 2.1 update for its Hero smartphone.
Early online reactions suggest the installation process is neither as smooth nor as quick as it might be, but once past the system hangs - real and seemingly so - your Hero will emerge with the latest version of Google's OS.
HTC …
No update has been released for Orange branded Hero's, we are still waiting for the OTA part one which was release 2 weeks ago!
According to the customer services agent I spoke to last week, there is no update for the HTC Hero and if there was they wouldn't release it as the phone works ok as it is....
I must be dreaming about the poor battery life, numerous bugs and lack of bluetooth file transfer...
i cannot abide noisy cameras. the 2.1 on my htc hero has made the camera click mandatory. if the camera is set to silent then it is quiet, but there is no way to make the camera silent like there was on 1.5. so to use the frickin camera i have to keep switching the device to silent, and i hate the walled garden and itunes dependency that is iphone.
also at last the calendar app has an option to change the default time on reminders for new events but there is no way to make the default reminder = off. bloody annoying. i use the reminder alarm on only about 1 in 100 events that i add to my device.
quiet sluggish and has also crashed once in the hour i've had it.
if i knew about the camera stupidity then i wouldn't have updated.
thinking about giving up android over the camera stupidity. i threw away nokia e71, n70 and e61i after those camera started making noise that only leaves iphone which has a simple switch on the side to make it silent.
it may sound trivial but the whole cameras have to make noise debate is just stupid. the video cameras on these phones take far higher res images than the early still image cameras that were first afflicted by these stupid laws but they don't make the video cameras make noise. i could take the device apart and manually eliminate the speaker and just use a bt head set for phone calls but that would require work every time i get a new phone. its nothing but security theatre!
Go into the camera app and grab the tab at the top of the screen. This reveals a menu where you can select Settings / Shutter Sound - set this to off ;-)
The camera is much improved but is still a bit laggy so I find the shutter sound useful as it tells me when I can move again. I used to find that you had to hold the phone impossibly still not to take a blurry picture but this seems to have improved, however I haven't been able to check this properly yet.
I de branded my orange hand set to get the update, which worked fine. The issue is the Network sim lock has kicked in and I can't use my SIM in the bloody phone :(
I bought a cheap white label HTC Tattoo and am using an Orange contract sim originally from a crappy Nokia 6100, also works with 02 and Orange PAYG sims ? I think i might be waiting a while for my update :(
Oh and network branding sucks ass, seriously why to they screw up your nice new phone on purpose. I had it with a Viewty :(
....with the exception that the Bluetooth phonebook access profile doesn't appear to work with my Garmin Nuvi. Reports on the net say that the Desire with the same Android version is generally working with PBAP but I have not had time to try that out yet.
It's definitely faster and smoother and it doesn't forget to sound alarms or run scheduled applications.
A definite win, until the Desire gets 2.2 and I'm behind the missus again :(
...so all my contacts and calendar data are in the cloud. However, there's a free CSV export tool on the marketplace if you have handset based contacts.
The good news is that the update didn't wipe any of my data. Vids, music and database files all stayed intact. All the settings for TwitFace, email, WiFi, etc were preserved too. The only thing that was lost was my screen layout, that reverted to the default.
Some notification settings got borked, but didn't take more than 5 mins to sort that out.
Responding to my earlier post - thanks for the suggestions from the other respondents. I used MyBackup Pro to save apps and contacts etc before running the update. I'm somewhat surprised (and no less pleased) to say that the upgrade kept *everything*, apps, contacts, personal info.
It was a long time coming, but seems that HTC have done a thorough job.
I don't know if it's different in different countries (I'm in Sweden) but the 2.1 update left all data and applications intact on my Hero. The email, contacts and calendar data was wiped but, as already pointed out, these all sync automatically from the cloud again when you connect. The only thing that was lost was the "Scene" data i.e. the layout of of widgets and icons on the 7 virtual home screens. This had to be manually restored.
No, but as always, don't trust ANYTHING you read on the internet, have a decent backup.
You can get a free 30 day trial of MyBackupPro on the marketplace, and it's well worth the asking price.
2.1 running VERY nicely here. They have taken a couple of bits out. (live wallpapers, and friendstream for some reason), but other than that, full satnav and other 2.1 niceties all the way.
Hmm, when I originally installed BT on my XP desktop it had software to go with the driver that handled things like PIM synching between Outlook (contacts, calendar) and my (Sony Ericsson) phone and allowed me to browse my phone's memory card in MS Explorer.
Now I have Windows 7 and there is only a driver available for my dongle. Windows doesn't give me the option to synch my contacts and I can't see the phone in explorer. Boo! Not sure if the necessary profiles are supported in Android 2.1 but this isn't what I was hoping for. More research required...
Hello. When I got the invite to update the Hero I postponed until later (I was low on battery in the middle of Glastonbury). How do I get the option back to install the update?
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HTC posts Android 2.1 update for Hero phone
HTC has posted the long-awaited - and much promised - Android 2.1 update for its Hero smartphone. Early online reactions suggest the installation process is neither as smooth nor as quick as it might be, but once past the system hangs - real and seemingly so - your Hero will emerge with the latest version of Google's OS. HTC …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 10:44 GMT
Mr Brush
Smooth as you like. #
The install progress bar stopped at 75% for a minute, which caused some buttock tightening, but no real snags.
The phone is snappier, has access to loads more stuff on the market and they've included a user dictionary editor!
Big thumbs up from me.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 10:45 GMT
gav_taylor
Orange Fail! #
No update has been released for Orange branded Hero's, we are still waiting for the OTA part one which was release 2 weeks ago!
According to the customer services agent I spoke to last week, there is no update for the HTC Hero and if there was they wouldn't release it as the phone works ok as it is....
I must be dreaming about the poor battery life, numerous bugs and lack of bluetooth file transfer...
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 10:54 GMT
Martin Milan
Finally #
I was just about on the point of installing a Home Brew update. Let's hope Orange get off their arses and get this update moving!
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 10:55 GMT
moylan
disappointing #
i cannot abide noisy cameras. the 2.1 on my htc hero has made the camera click mandatory. if the camera is set to silent then it is quiet, but there is no way to make the camera silent like there was on 1.5. so to use the frickin camera i have to keep switching the device to silent, and i hate the walled garden and itunes dependency that is iphone.
also at last the calendar app has an option to change the default time on reminders for new events but there is no way to make the default reminder = off. bloody annoying. i use the reminder alarm on only about 1 in 100 events that i add to my device.
quiet sluggish and has also crashed once in the hour i've had it.
if i knew about the camera stupidity then i wouldn't have updated.
thinking about giving up android over the camera stupidity. i threw away nokia e71, n70 and e61i after those camera started making noise that only leaves iphone which has a simple switch on the side to make it silent.
it may sound trivial but the whole cameras have to make noise debate is just stupid. the video cameras on these phones take far higher res images than the early still image cameras that were first afflicted by these stupid laws but they don't make the video cameras make noise. i could take the device apart and manually eliminate the speaker and just use a bt head set for phone calls but that would require work every time i get a new phone. its nothing but security theatre!
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 12:24 GMT
Ian Yates
Camera noise #
This isn't a part of Android 2.1, this is probably a HTC limitation.
I've run numerous 2.1 ROMs on my Hero and have never had an issue with turning the camera sound off.
Try installing an alternative camera app and trying again.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 13:16 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Settings.. #
My HTC 2.1 handset has an option for shutter sound. try looking harder.
RTFM
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:05 GMT
Anonymous Coward
This is a Title. #
Start: Camera
Press: Menu
Select: Settings (cogs icon)
Scroll down to: Shutter Sound (third from Bottom)
Uncheck the box!
Simples.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 16:07 GMT
Oliver 7
Try this... #
Go into the camera app and grab the tab at the top of the screen. This reveals a menu where you can select Settings / Shutter Sound - set this to off ;-)
The camera is much improved but is still a bit laggy so I find the shutter sound useful as it tells me when I can move again. I used to find that you had to hold the phone impossibly still not to take a blurry picture but this seems to have improved, however I haven't been able to check this properly yet.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 11:05 GMT
Chris Pearson
Don't try debranding #
I de branded my orange hand set to get the update, which worked fine. The issue is the Network sim lock has kicked in and I can't use my SIM in the bloody phone :(
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 12:31 GMT
Anonymous Coward
small price to pay... #
It's only a small price to pay to unlock, I got my code for £14 from HTCSimUnlock.
(Yes I factored that price in when I was choosing a deal)
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 13:16 GMT
Leeroy
Strange..... #
I bought a cheap white label HTC Tattoo and am using an Orange contract sim originally from a crappy Nokia 6100, also works with 02 and Orange PAYG sims ? I think i might be waiting a while for my update :(
Oh and network branding sucks ass, seriously why to they screw up your nice new phone on purpose. I had it with a Viewty :(
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 12:24 GMT
Tom Simnett
3UK users still waiting too #
I've been waiting for the first part OTA and not had that yet. What gives?
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 12:24 GMT
Brian Morrison
Generally happy.... #
....with the exception that the Bluetooth phonebook access profile doesn't appear to work with my Garmin Nuvi. Reports on the net say that the Desire with the same Android version is generally working with PBAP but I have not had time to try that out yet.
It's definitely faster and smoother and it doesn't forget to sound alarms or run scheduled applications.
A definite win, until the Desire gets 2.2 and I'm behind the missus again :(
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 12:38 GMT
Ropster
@moylan #
there is an option to turn the shutter sound off, works fine and silently for me
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 13:16 GMT
moylan
i sit corrected #
had a look and yes there is. it used to be in the general settings. now it is in the camera app settings. thanks!
woot!
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:03 GMT
bettername
anyone know... #
If I'll be prompted for this upgrade on an unlocked Orange Hero? Now on Vodafone, but with the last Orange rom image still onboard...
Hope so...
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:05 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Contacts and Settings #
Can anyone advise whether this update wipes all contacts, settings, preferences etc? What do people use to back up these things?
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:33 GMT
David Licence
title #
Yes it does.
Google sync for contacts and mail, WaveSecure for SMSs and Titanium Backup (requires root though) for apps and associated data
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:33 GMT
Mr Brush
I've sold my soul to Google... #
...so all my contacts and calendar data are in the cloud. However, there's a free CSV export tool on the marketplace if you have handset based contacts.
The good news is that the update didn't wipe any of my data. Vids, music and database files all stayed intact. All the settings for TwitFace, email, WiFi, etc were preserved too. The only thing that was lost was my screen layout, that reverted to the default.
Some notification settings got borked, but didn't take more than 5 mins to sort that out.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 20:59 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Re: Contacts and Settings #
Responding to my earlier post - thanks for the suggestions from the other respondents. I used MyBackup Pro to save apps and contacts etc before running the update. I'm somewhat surprised (and no less pleased) to say that the upgrade kept *everything*, apps, contacts, personal info.
It was a long time coming, but seems that HTC have done a thorough job.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 21:26 GMT
Steve Brammer
Re. Contacts and Settings #
I don't know if it's different in different countries (I'm in Sweden) but the 2.1 update left all data and applications intact on my Hero. The email, contacts and calendar data was wiped but, as already pointed out, these all sync automatically from the cloud again when you connect. The only thing that was lost was the "Scene" data i.e. the layout of of widgets and icons on the 7 virtual home screens. This had to be manually restored.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 14:33 GMT
Anonymous Coward
re: Contacts and Settings #
No, but as always, don't trust ANYTHING you read on the internet, have a decent backup.
You can get a free 30 day trial of MyBackupPro on the marketplace, and it's well worth the asking price.
2.1 running VERY nicely here. They have taken a couple of bits out. (live wallpapers, and friendstream for some reason), but other than that, full satnav and other 2.1 niceties all the way.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 15:56 GMT
FatFrankie
Wonderful but Unable to send txts after upgrade #
Had to put the Orange service centre number back in after the upgrade.
Posted Tuesday 29th June 2010 16:07 GMT
Oliver 7
Looking good #
Full BT implementation is the highlight for me, file transfers, business cards, etc. Haven't tried syncing Outlook contacts with it yet.
Camera improved, interface slightly slicker, glad it's here at last.
Posted Monday 5th July 2010 14:00 GMT
Oliver 7
Looking not so good #
Hmm, when I originally installed BT on my XP desktop it had software to go with the driver that handled things like PIM synching between Outlook (contacts, calendar) and my (Sony Ericsson) phone and allowed me to browse my phone's memory card in MS Explorer.
Now I have Windows 7 and there is only a driver available for my dongle. Windows doesn't give me the option to synch my contacts and I can't see the phone in explorer. Boo! Not sure if the necessary profiles are supported in Android 2.1 but this isn't what I was hoping for. More research required...
Posted Wednesday 30th June 2010 09:52 GMT
Christopher Rogers
Nah #
Rooted mall the way.
Posted Wednesday 30th June 2010 23:11 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Help. #
Hello. When I got the invite to update the Hero I postponed until later (I was low on battery in the middle of Glastonbury). How do I get the option back to install the update?
Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Cheers,
CB
Posted Thursday 1st July 2010 22:58 GMT
JimND
Force a check #
Someone said for the first stage, if you switch the date forward a month it will do a check for updates.
Works fine, I used that to launch both stages at a time when I could use wifi
This topic is closed for new posts.