DISQUS

Jon · 2 weeks ago

There's so much wrong with the logic here, I don't know where to start.

Did it occur to you that Google worked directly and closely with HTC on Android 1.0 because they were the ONLY device maker that wanted to invest time and money in making the first Android device?

There's no such rush to get Android 2.0 out. 95% of the features that are used on the Droid were implemented in Android 1.6.
Social Networking integration? HTC had that in the Hero using Android 1.5. Motorola themselves already built their own System using Blur and Android 1.5.
CDMA support? Android 1.6. HTC had support in Android 1.5
Multitouch (which isnt even used on the Droid) was on HTC's Hero also - using Android 1.5.

The complaints I saw about 2.0 were all hardware-based. Gizmodo, Engadget, etc... all stated precisely that. How you deduced that Android 2.0 is pre-release failure perplexes me. Either you know nothing about Android development, or you're a fanboi of one of the competing platforms. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that it's the former.

Staska · 2 weeks ago

Well, maybe, and I admit I may be wrong. But...

Motorola and Google has stated that they worked together a lot to make a
Droid. Why would Google spend time working exclusively on a single handset
from a single vendor, for general OS release? Did they do the same for
Samsung Galaxy, Moment, LG GW620, HTC Eris, Hero, SE Xperia X10?

And where are other phones with Android 2.0? I don't see many of them coming
before Q1 2010. Kind of strange, if a final OS of 2.0 is available and
running on a device in the market (should have been available for months to
do that) .

Micah · 2 weeks ago

simple.

Google worked closely with a vendor so that they could be assured that the hardware would be lacking. They want android to be seen as the best mobile OS available, and when all it gets put on is cheap hardware, you don't see that. They chose to work with motorola, because motorola was basically dieing in the mobile phone sector and they needed a hit to survive. Verizon was losing alot of customers to the iphone and AT&T, so they needed a good competing product. thats how those 3 companies got together to work so tightly integrated on a single device.

As far as where the other phones are, its simple. 2.0 is very new. 1.5 and 1.6 are better known. You don't just last minute throw a new version of an OS on your phone, you go with what you know works.

Micah · 2 weeks ago

sorry, typo. assured that hardware would NOT be lacking.

Staska · 2 weeks ago

Agreed with all of it.

And it only reaffirms my point, that the version of Android 2.0 that is on Droid/Milestone was and is not yet ready for general release. That's why I called pre-release/beta.

readmoreandroidnews · 2 weeks ago

It was already announced HTC will be making 2.0 available for the Hero.

Staska · 2 weeks ago

Yes, it was. The only question is when. Probably not this year, I guess.

----- Original message -----

Vale · 2 weeks ago

You said "And there won't be soon, if ever." But it was announced by HTC last week that Eclair, or Android 2.0, will be made available for the Hero along with an optimized version of Sense UI for the OS update. So, I'm guessing this post might be unfounded.

Nick · 2 weeks ago

We obviously know that you blog post is based on your own personal knowledge of the situation, but there are a lot of key points that you have left out. First off, HTC has had Android 2.0 in house for a while and is already working to release an upgrade for HTC Hero owners. I have spoke to HTC personally on this regard and they made their official announcement last Thursday: http://htcsource.com/index.php?option=com_conte...

If other manufacturers shipped their latest phones with Android 1.6 it is because they chose to do so. Several inside sources have confirmed to me that members of the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) do have access to Android 2.0 already.

Unfortunately, many of the new handsets that have been released have a custom UI and social networking integration that do not allow you to simply install the new version of Android on top of it. They have to go back to the drawing board with Android 2.0 and then rebuilt their custom UI on top of it. This takes time. You'll notice that Motorola's new Blur UI that ships on the T-Mobile Cliq is absent from the Droid. Motorola didn't have enough time to rebuild it in time for the launch. Also the Droid Eris is simply an HTC Hero. If the Hero doesn't have 2.0, why would the Eris?

Staska · 2 weeks ago

Agreed on most of it.

I knew about the Eclair update announcement by HTC, and am not surprised that OHA members have access to Android Eclair/2.0 now, and had it for a few weeks. Just as, probably, they had the access to Android 1.0 last year. Still, not in time to make any 2.0 handset releases this year.

And agree that HTC will release Eclair update for Hero and other handsets. But probably not this year. And I'm still on the fence whether it will be Android 2.0 or some higher iteration like 2.1.

But I still stand by my original point that Android 2.0 version that is running on Droid was not what you'd call final X.0 release of any software product. It was the version heavily optimized by Google and Motorola to run on a single device from from a single company.

Deepak NR · 2 weeks ago

Brilliant Stuff Unwired, you seem to be absolutely right here! Thank you..

stynkfysh · 2 weeks ago

I have been thinking something similar. I think a lot of the Android 2.0 stuff is for marketing purposes. All I have seen that is significant are prettier icons. Other than that, not much else out of Android 2.0. The fact that they have not fixed that darn slow slow camera is a big disappointment... and the same old music player... LAME. I am still getting the Droid because I want to be on Verizon and have a Google phone to run all my Google services... and because it has the greatest potential to not have the lag that plagued me on the MyTouch...