Okay, the official HTC statement from yesterday suggested that Orange users will see the Android 2.1 update from next week. However, it seems they’ve got over all of there QA issues and the final Android 2.1 update is rolling out as we speak. Check your phone for the update now.

Thanks Stu!

Orange has given official word that the Android 2.1 HTC Hero update will be landing for its customers from the beginning of next week. The company apologised for the delay and said that testing had taken longer than anticipated. We started to see the preparatory update hit Orange phones yesterday. See the official statement from Orange below:

“We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their Éclair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.”

Update: A point of clarification. As pointed out in the comments, this statement is from HTC and not Orange. Either way, the Android 2.1 update should be hitting Orange HTC Hero handsets next week.

Android 2.1 may finally be hitting Orange HTC Hero users very soon as the preliminary update is rolling out to all handsets as we speak. This follows many angry Orange customers complaining about how long this update has taken.

This preliminary update basically gets the Hero ready to receive the full Android 2.1 firmware. We don’t know when the latter part of the update will come through, however sit tight, it can’t be too long now.

Orange UK owners of the HTC Hero have set up a group on Facebook to highlight their frustration in still not having received the Android 2.1 update. T-Mobile pushed their update over a week ago. As of writing, 596 members have joined the group and a number of letters have been written to Orange’s CEO to highlight their concern.

The group is called “Orange UK – Give HTC Hero owners the 2.1 Update – NOW“. The group’s founder, Geoffrey Mansfield, says that Orange UK Customer Service department will not give any definitive answers to questions posed by numerous customers on various android forums. “Please use this group to register your disapproval, and I will forward the group link to Orange UK, for consideration,” he goes on to say. Have you been affected? If so, you may as well join the group and add your voice. Whether Orange will bring the update any quicker is another story.

A couple of weeks after the GSM HTC Hero received the Android 2.1 update, it looks like those with branded phones are finally starting to see the update coming through. T-Mobile is pushing the update as we speak, so if you’re on the network check your phone right now!

The first details of Android’s next major revamp, codenamed Gingerbread, has reportedly been leaked by Eldar Murtazin of Mobile-Review.com fame. He revealed some juicy details in a Russian podcast. None of this can be verified as we don’t speak Russian, so we’ll have to trust unwiredview on this one!

They say that Android Gingerbread will be targeted at high-end devices and will therefore have a number of minimum specs. This includes a 1GHZ CPU, 512MB or RAM and a display larger than 3.5-inches. Interestingly, a new 1280×760 pixel resolution will also be supported for devices larger than 4-inches. It will also come with a completely revamped user interface. The arrival of Gingerbread should also mean the end of customised UI skins like HTC Sense. Apparently, Gingerbread will launch in mid-October and the first handsets shipping with the new OS will appear in November/December. Just in time to retire the HTC Hero…

In a blow to those on the Three network in the UK, it looks as if the Android 2.1 update will not be hitting the handset until “Mid to late July” according to Pocket-Lint.

It’s unclear whether a similar delay will be hitting Orange and T-Mobile, although it’s looking increasingly likely. T-Mobile remain quiet on their official forums which could mean the update will release post the end of the month. We’ll keep you posted.

Okay Europe, this is the day you’ve been waiting for. It looks like HTC has just about managed to stick to its H1 2010 deadline and is now releasing the Android 2.1 update for the HTC Hero across Europe as we speak. I haven’t noticed anything appear on HTC’s support site, but according to people commenting in this thread it’s definitely rolling out. Happy days!

Have you received the update? What are your impressions? Let us know in the comments below.

Update: Apparently the Orange and T-Mobile UK updates are not rolling out today but will appear by the end of the month i.e. in the next two days.

Sprint today confirmed that the Sprint HTC Hero will not be getting the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update later in the year. Only newly released handsets such as the HTC EVO 4G will be getting the Froyo update.

Whilst the news is hardly surprising, it probably doesn’t give much confidence that a phone less than a year old has already been abandoned. However, given how long it has taken HTC to deliver the Android 2.1 update, it could be a long wait before Android 2.2 turns up. I imagine that given this news, HTC is unlikely to provide a v2.2 update for GSM HTC Hero’s either.

Sprint blog post:

Sprint expects to launch Android 2.2 in near future

As work on finalizing the software is under way, Sprint expects to launch Android 2.2 in the near future.

Sorry for any confusion created when we initially made this announcement. HTC EVO 4G will receive the 2.2 update, Samsung Moment and HTC Hero will not. Future devices launching with 2.1 also will be updated to 2.2

With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improvements to include the following benefits: updates to user interface, improved EAS Support, improved browser performance, including Flash 10x Support, voice dialling over Bluetooth and application storage on external memory.

The HTC Hero Android 2.1 update is due in two parts, the first was a preparatory update for the main course, the full Éclair update. The company has said that this will hit by the end of the month, although here in Europe we’re still waiting.

Hopefully, though there’s not to long to wait now as the “second package” of the update is now rolling out in South East Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia). The update has already been release in Taiwan and seems to be spreading. Can’t be too long now before it hits Europe!

Update – HTC Hero Android 2.1 Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) update (Second Package)

In our commitment to providing you with the best user experience, we are pushing out a new firmware update to your HTC Hero. Your phone will receive a notification of this update when it is made available. Simply press OK to accept the update via a data connection such as Wi-Fi or GPRS/3G. After installing the update, you can confirm a successful update by confirming the Firmware version (From the Home Screen go to MENU> Settings> About Phone> Firmware version). The new Firmware version will be 2.1.
Update Information: Android 2.1 Platform Upgrade
Note：Please back up your data first, and you have to upgrade your phone with the first FOTA package to be able to get the Android 2.1 FOTA upgrade. We recommend using a free Wi-Fi hotspot or an unlimited data plan to apply this update. If not, standard data connection charges may apply. For any questions, please contact us via http://www.htc.com/www/CA_Hotline.aspx