Sprint/HTC FAILS with Android

[TheSeanTeam]

Originally Posted by dfitzpatrick

After reading the first couple of responses, I looked back at my words and I came to the same conclusion-- it was straight whining. That, itself, was my fault because I failed to illustrate my argument clearly and open it up for discussion. For that, I apologize.

However, the argument I am bringing forth is that of the Android OS's purpose. It is designed to be open source as jbearamus pointed out. My whole issue is that cell phone companies are not adopting to the trending ways of the market. They are taking an open source principle, and adopting closed-source solutions to it. Don't get me wrong, I like HTC Sense UI and an update depending on its upgrade being held back I don't mind (because I can just choose not use use Sense). I am waiting patiently for the update-- I have not rooted the phone etc... but now with the supposed news of a Hero2, it shows the direction that the carrier is going. They are holding back updates, or not expediting them for pushing different product lines.

Cell phone companies need to better adopt these OTA updates and make them part of their business model. That, or come up with a open system that allows the user to update as they please. If Android is to truly expand and get better and better, we need to have hardware be the limiting factor on phones-- not carrier decisions.

What are your thoughts?

If the Eris 2.1 update rolled out to all subscribers and with no problems, I could see you QQ'ing, but you are still whining with really nothing to substantiate your complaint. HTC has given access to their software right on their website. You should have just quit after the first paragraph.

[athlet1c]

I see both sides of the fence , as although many will not say it , they are thriving for an update me included. I am thankful for the many Devs and there hard work to make this Experience a plus. Without it the "Hero" would be just boring . Thank you devs

[MrChainsaw]

What I'm not sure is understood is the process in which a phone goes from a prototype at the manufacturer level to the release by the carrier. there is a long time from beginning to end and stuff gets leaked SO early on these days. you hear about the hero 2 now, but it aint coming out next month! there haven't even been any confirmations that sprint has decided to buy it from htc. there are negotiations, carrier tweaks, etc. When an HTC phone gets leaked, it could be a while before all of this stuff gets ironed out to be released! Sprint isn't abandoning you and your phone. but what do you want them to do? quit developing? quit buying new products? maybe ford should not make a 2011 mustang and should just focus on giving all of the current mustang owners new interiors.

[dfitzpatrick]

None of that stuff, actually. Sprint needs to keep coming up with cool phones-- its why I do still defend them to my friends who are all on Verizon.

In my title I mention Sprint because they are all I know-- and I've come to realize that all carriers are not updating their phones. My premise is that by not adopting to an update model where they design phones that can be easily updated, they are effectively going to split the Android community.

The biggest advantage IPhone has is its a closed system to develop. One device owns all. On Android, there are multiple devices running (as of now) multiple versions. You can't effectively target a wide range of versions like that and keep the community growing larger and stronger.

I firmly believe that going down the road, carriers need to adapt phones that are easily upgradable or if not, at least optional without the need of external source compliling or unauthorized rooting. The only limiting factor when it comes to Android versions should be the hardware.

This time i hope I should have stopped at the 2nd paragraph. Progress!

[bradart]

Originally Posted by dfitzpatrick

None of that stuff, actually. Sprint needs to keep coming up with cool phones-- its why I do still defend them to my friends who are all on Verizon.

In my title I mention Sprint because they are all I know-- and I've come to realize that all carriers are not updating their phones. My premise is that by not adopting to an update model where they design phones that can be easily updated, they are effectively going to split the Android community.

The biggest advantage IPhone has is its a closed system to develop. One device owns all. On Android, there are multiple devices running (as of now) multiple versions. You can't effectively target a wide range of versions like that and keep the community growing larger and stronger.

I firmly believe that going down the road, carriers need to adapt phones that are easily upgradable or if not, at least optional without the need of external source compliling or unauthorized rooting. The only limiting factor when it comes to Android versions should be the hardware.

This time i hope I should have stopped at the 2nd paragraph. Progress!

I can stand behind this post much more than your first one. This one makes sense to me. If this crap with carriers and versions keeps up, people are going to need to keep changing carriers/phones to get updated. It would just be shitty if an open source operating system ended up costing me way more money.

[mconig78]

I dont know if anyone has stated this yet but. Maybe the "2.1 update that Sprint said was coming to the Hero is actually the Hero 2 that they have coming out in a few months. Maybe they will not even release and actual 2.1 update for the Hero that is out.

[bradart]

Originally Posted by mconig78

I dont know if anyone has stated this yet but. Maybe the "2.1 update that Sprint said was coming to the Hero is actually the Hero 2 that they have coming out in a few months. Maybe they will not even release and actual 2.1 update for the Hero that is out.

No. They've stated that an actual software update for the HERO200 will be pushed to the device pending its testing. Way to make the uneducated ones freak out, though

[Harveystyles]

Well hell, for those of you that have been around for a minute, and remember correctly, when I bought my HTC Vogue aka Touch, it was supposed to be released with GPS, but wasn't. On launch, the reps said there would be a soft update for it in the near future. The update didn't occur until AFTER the Mogul was released, and it was released WITH the GPS drivers. Sometimes I think it's in they're business model to not release updates until the next version of that current phones hits the shelves.

And this is NOT a rant/rave response, cause wait or release, I'm still on this boat. And the only way I'll jump ship (from the Hero), is if they release something with a snapdragon running android.

[jbearamus]

Originally Posted by Harveystyles

Well hell, for those of you that have been around for a minute, and remember correctly, when I bought my HTC Vogue aka Touch, it was supposed to be released with GPS, but wasn't. On launch, the reps said there would be a soft update for it in the near future. The update didn't occur until AFTER the Mogul was released, and it was released WITH the GPS drivers. Sometimes I think it's in they're business model to not release updates until the next version of that current phones hits the shelves.

And this is NOT a rant/rave response, cause wait or release, I'm still on this boat. And the only way I'll jump ship (from the Hero), is if they release something with a snapdragon running android.

The Mogul was released BEFORE the Touch was and it wasn't mean to replace the Mogul as this was the first generation of HTC's two pronged one phone with and one phone without keyboard approach
Mogul in July 07
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/18/s...lly-announced/
Touch in Nov 07
http://mobile.engadget.com/2007/10/1...-4-for-249-99/
but yes the Mogul had the GPS drivers because I had the Mogul and my boss got the Touch and as we were comparing them I thought it was weird that the new phone didn't have them anyway we had updates to wait for both of them the Mogul was waiting on the EVDO Rev. A upgrade and the Touch on GPS / Rev. A upgrade, both of which, if I remember correctly, were delivered late, so it doesn't necessarily have anything with replacing the phone then updating the old one, sometimes, phones just have a delayed release scheudle

[notrock]

Originally Posted by Harveystyles

Well hell, for those of you that have been around for a minute, and remember correctly, when I bought my HTC Vogue aka Touch, it was supposed to be released with GPS, but wasn't. On launch, the reps said there would be a soft update for it in the near future.

Aww those where the days. Didn't we use a Telus radio or something for months before the official sprint release? Man was I ever so happy waiting up to three minutes for a satellite lock.