14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwan-based mobile phone maker HTC Corporation has already started the roll-out of the long-awaited Android 2.1 update for the HTC Hero currently selling on the European market. According to the company, the update will be performed in two stages, and only the first part has started now, with the second one, the actual Android 2.1 solution, set for deployment by the end of June.
The first stage of the operating system upgrade for HTC Hero consists of the roll-out of a minor software update, one that would bring the firmware on the device up to build number 2.73.405.93; 2.73.405.94 for the Nordic countries, and to 2.73.405.95 for Greece/ Ireland. The update will be sent over the air, and users will be notified when it is made available for their devices.
The build number on the device can be checked by going to Menu from the Homescreen, Settings> About Phone> Build number. When it comes to information on the update, HTC notes the following: “Firmware over-the-air (FOTA) client update & YouTube player Update.” All that users need to do to install it is to press OK to accept it via a data connection, such as Wi-Fi or GPRS/3G, when the notification arrives.
This firmware update will be followed by the actual Android 2.1 software solution, the mobile phone maker announced. According to a recent article on Gizmodo, the company confirmed that the upgrade to the new OS flavor would be performed in two stages and that the first of them already kicked off. Here's what the company stated on the matter:
“Android Éclair update for HTC Hero will be released by the end of June. The upgrade will come in two parts, the first of which will roll out from this week and will be detected when the Hero next automatically checks for software updates. The second part of the update will follow towards the end of the month. As the second part of the upgrade will wipe all data on the handset, Hero users should ensure any important data has been backed up before proceeding with the installation. Due to the size of the update, wherever possible, we would advise using a WiFi connection for this download to avoid additional data charges.”