The long-awaited ROM upgrade for the HTC Hero looks like it’s coming to an end. HTC has made the latest update (v 2.73.405.5) available across Norway, Denmark and Sweden earlier today. The update is said to increase performance of the handset as well as offering touch focus for the 5MP camera.
We did try to download the update ourselves, but it seems that the serial number verification process blocks handsets outside the region. This could be a blessing in disguise as HTC support (from Swedish forum, Swedroid) has said that users from outside the region should not download this update it “misses an important piece in the ROM”. Apparently, updates for other regions will be released tomorrow.
As over-the-air (OTA) updates aren’t yet in use for firmware updates, the only way to update the firmware is by connecting your HTC Hero to your PC. This has caused Linux/MAC users to be up in arms as HTC Sync currently only supports Windows. Hopefully, HTC is on the case to sort this out quickly. The last thing it wants to do is alienate a large group of users from firmware updates.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in Sweden and I have installed the update. The Hero is now much faster, I had no problem what so ever with the update. For some strange reason the download link is now gone and I really don’t know why. Here is a short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm0O7hWXsaY
Im in Denmark and it took me a while to manage to install it. HTC sync is not working on my PC, never shows “Connected”. But usb drive is installed correctly, and then I installed anyway. Approves that im quite lucky. The update is really awesome, most of all, it doesnt need ROOT to flash the device (that’s the biggest reason prevent me doing this before).
Boby, I guess you have to go through htc support page http://www.htc.com/dk/support.aspx to get the download page and link.
Not only MAC users, also Linux users are really upset about this… if it goes life of course!
How the hell can somethings like this even happen? My Linux operating system even natively supports the Heros filesystem out of the box! We simply has to be able to update a Linux powered phone with that.
They can’t be serious about this.
@ M1AU – Don’t know why I missed the Linux part, I was meant to include it!
I bumped into a weird bug with the new ROM yesterday. In Home screen, keep pressing down on an icon: normal behaviour would allow you to move the icon or drag’n'drop it over the Remove text, but this bug causes the program in question to launch. Makes it pretty damn hard to move program icons around or to remove them. Restoring normal behaviour required switching the phone off and on again.
Bumped into another issue while updating the ROM: I used MyBackup to make & restore complete backups of all data and installed applications. Restored applications do not register in Android Market, so you won’t get an “Update Available” notice for them in the “My downloads” screen.
This seems a bit weird. As a linux user, I’m really keen on getting an android phone and the HTC Hero seems like a good candidate. However, if I’m unable to update the firmware, just because my computer doesn’t run windows, then I simply can’t buy it.
Three days on from this release and I still don’t see it for any other region. It seems the 12/09/09 releases have been put on hold.
I am picking up my pre-ordered Hero tomorrow (Bangkok, Thailand) and was hoping to have the new ROM in before I started filling the phone up. If the tedium of backing up, upgrade and replacing the contents of the phone wasn’t enough to put me off, the possibility of something getting corrupt during the process just fills me with joy. To me, it’s like watching paint dry…on a mine field.
UK ROM is now available from HTC UK Site
Sadly although I can now see the download from the HTC UK site, after entering my phone’s serial number it still prevents me downloading the image with the following message
“Sorry, this software download is not suitable for your device.”
Guessing that my phone is from t-mobile (G2 Touch) could be a factor. Interested to hear if other UK folks can get to it.
Update will not work with my SN. I get the message Sorry, this software download is not suitable for your device. Its a T-Mobile branded Touch G2 not HTC Hero. Anyone else having this issue?
Unable to update my Hero. Doesn’t accept my S/N saying it is not suitable for my device! I’m with Orange.
Same issue here. I’m with Orange (Hero), and after entering my serial number, it informs me the ROM is not suitable for my device….
Same issue as other T-Mobile users. Not suitable for my device… T-Mobile were no help. Either it will be available on their website, although there aren’t even any updates for the G1 and that must have had one in its lifetime. Waiting for a call back from T-Mobile or a response from HTC. As the majority of UK Hero owners will be either with Orange or T-Mobile (I couldn’t afford an unlocked Hero) they will surely rectify this. Or am I kidding myself?
same issue – Htc hero graphite – enter the SN and get told its not for me :\ – the HTC update process does seem a bit long winded – my last phone was a sony erricson, download the software updater connect the phone and job done. no risk – all info is kept. hmmmm
never mind – its so awsome I can wait a bit longer for a new rom – best phone ever !!
Same issue here guys. I’m also with Orange.
Going to ring them tomorrow and ‘go mental’ if I don’t get a satisfactory answer. Sick of these big corporations taking the piss. We should all ring Orange/T-mobile every day until they sort it out for us.
All branded handsets are not compatible with the HTC update.
T-mobile or Orange must release their own update.
I tried yesterday to install the update on my HTC Hero (well…G2 Touch from T-Mobile) and the update stops at the beginning calling an Error ID…
So there’s no hope but waiting for a release from the official carriers.
I suggest everybody to start calling their own provider and as someone already suggested, to “go mental” at customer service.
The only solution to speed up things is to complain or eventually to revoke the contract…and surely…never ever, evr again I will buy a branded device.
Hey guys. First of all let me say that as a Mac user, I’m really disappointed with the lack of compatibility with the phone.
I just got off the phone with UK T-mobile technical support and I could not believe what they told me. They say, that whenever there is an update for a T-mobile branded phone (eg. HTC Hero—> G2 Touch) this update has to be tested in order to confirm that it is compatible with the T-mobile operating system. This process could take upto 6 months from the day of the update release!!! Their words not mine!
Just spoke to a customer service drone at Orange. He was either incredibly stupid or being delibrately vague.
Said that Orange seem to know very little about the problem and knew nothing of an update. Going to call Tech Support in a bit and see how I get on. If no answers, the phone is going back, still within my 14 day period.
I love the phone and the lag is barely noticable but I’m not giving my money to Orange for an inferior service to unbranded Hero owners, principle!
Orange are definitely fending people off with the standard – ‘I don’t know anything about an update’. I’ve been waiting 3 hours for a response from customer service, apparently tech support was having a ‘Fire drill’ when I rang.
This is all pretty poor from a company who prides itself on it’s customer service – right now they are on a par with the Carphone Warehouse…
After sending Orange an e-mail last night, I got a call from an Orange employee. They said the same as a lot of you have spoken about, the fact that they need to test the updates and see if it is compatible with the branded headsets etc, never mentioned it taking 6 months! And he just told me to keep on checking the Orange website for updates, which is hard enough trying to find the page within the Orange website anyway. I just think it is ridiculous that the customers who choose to use a branded phone have to wait the longest to get an update, surely we should be number one priority?
This is ridiculous. I paid $600 for an HTC hero on ebay. I get the phone and it is branded to Orange, no problem… WRONG! Now I can’t do any updates without going through Orange. I called Orange, told them I’m calling from overseas. Lady was like “Would you like to start service with Orange?” I live in the US, of course not! I haven’t been in the UK for 10 years, so why would I need Orange. Some idiot took over the phone, and I just hung up because I got sick of his stupidity. He was trying to give me the serial number, I have it man!! Dang it. I also called HTC in the US, the lady was really nice but told me the upgrade is not compatible with the phone and my lock it. Not sure if that is correct. She was too nice to me for me to get frustrated at, unfortunately.
Gonna call HTC again and try to get them to take my serial number off the list. This totally sucks, I hate Orange.
I emailed HTC and they just said to phone up Orange (or T-Mobile) and ask to speak to a supervisor, which will then hopefully speed up the time it takes to be released. They said that the update had been provided to Orange already, and if enough people say that they want it, it should be released quicker. So I say everyone phone Orange and T-Mobile!
I spent a fruitless half hour on the telephone to T-Mobile Technical Support this afternoon. The first guy I was put through to didn’t seem to be aware of a ROM update. He was obviously annoyed that I knew more about it than him, as he cut me off.
Phoning again, and being more shirty this time, I insisted on speaking to someone who at least knew the update existed. I told him that HTC had confirmed to me that T-Mobile had been issued the update, so he couldn’t deny he knew about it. He says he was only told that day. He then went on to say that it needed extensive testing before they would let it near their phones.
I reiterated that HTC had released it on their website and did he think they would release a firmware that would brick their phones. He said they might do!
I then asked how long the update would take, as all they needed to do was add the
T-Mobile ’splash’ screen and play around with the build on a G2 for a few hours to make sure it did nothing odd. He said there was more to it than that, but wouldn’t say what. He was also adamant that the upgrade would be done over the air, which I wasn’t sure was possible, due to the relative size of the RAM and ROM. Anyone know?
He was arrogant throughout the conversation, and the underlying message was ‘we have the upgrade, but we will release it when we want to, if we want to’.
I then told him he had wasted my time and I had been given no information I didn’t have before the call. He then asked me what I found wrong with his answer and seemed to think the problem was with me wanting the upgrade in the first place.
As T-Mobile and Orange are going to merge, they will only get more complacent and disregarding of their customers. If anyone can think of a way we can pressure T-Mobile and Orange into releasing this upgrade – I’m in. My phone works quite well and isn’t particularly laggy, if I keep killing apps, but I’m damned sure I’m not gonna let T-Mobile keep me from a better phone that is within my grasp.
I have just downloaded the upgrade tonight on my unlocked Hero and OMG the performance difference is phenomonal!!!
Tell us more LM. Do you get the touchscreen focus camera and/or a higher res camcorder?
Of course, even if you do get that direct from HTC, T-Mobile might take that away from us in their version if and when it arrives..
Just got of the phone to orange. Explained the usual of keeping an eye on the update page and were unwilling to give an eta. As has been stated before they tried to insist that there was nothing wrong, however I have a friend with an unbranded phone with the update. As an experiment he reset his phone and uploaded the same apps as mine and even my contact list, which is large. Low and behold my phone would lag from time to time and his didn’t. It pisses me off as I was going to get an iPhone but I prefer the open source id android. Key word there orange is
Just got of the phone to orange. Explained the usual of keeping an eye on the update page and were unwilling to give an eta. As has been stated before they tried to insist that there was nothing wrong, however I have a friend with an unbranded phone with the update. As an experiment he reset his phone and uploaded the same apps as mine and even my contact list, which is large. Low and behold my phone would lag from time to time and his didn’t. It pisses me off as I was going to get an iPhone but I prefer the open source id android. Key word there orange is ……..sorry phone glitches lol………”OPEN”. We neeb to keep the pressure up here….I’m off to Twitter and speaking to the god of gadgetry Jason bradbury take this to the next level guys
Spoke to Orange last night, they say there Tech guys are working on it now and should be released between 1 & 3 weeks.
IT’S HERE (for Orange)!!
Dave you sure Orange have the new rom out? You know where to get it :p?
The updated Orange ROM is on the HTC Support Site.
Can somebody let me know when is this upgraded ROM will be available onINDIA site.
Downloaded the Orange ROM update from HTC UK and it works – phone is far more responsive now. I still think the browser is a bit slow, even on WiFi.
Has anyone managed to speak to T-Mobile about this? I just spoke to Technical Support and a woman who seemed to know nothing tried to get me to contact HTC. I will try again later but I have lost faith with them.