We first spotted Android 2.1 about a month ago and now the first screens have appeared. Surprisingly, the screens come from a HTC Hero and not the Motorola Droid. This is an overwhelmingly good sign for anyone with a first generation Android phone. The Android 2.0 release date for 1st generation phones had been in question, but it now appears to be right around the corner. If Android 2.x is coming to the HTC Hero, then it should be able to be ported to other 1st gen Android phones that feature the same Qualcomm 528 MHz processor.
Gallery
[via begeek.fr]
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Taylor Wimberly
Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He loves playing with all kinds of gadgets, but most importantly cell phones. His other hobbies include cooking (BBQ hero!), politics, football, and watching every MMA event possible.
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The G1 is the main phone we have concerns with when it comes to ROM size. It is limited to a 70 MB partition which is the smallest of any Android phone. Most other phones (like the MT3G) have at least 90 MB for the system partition. The CLIQ even has a 140 MB system partition.
Taylor, what is the system partition on the droid. just curious about its limits. thanks
Very true. That’s why I don’t understand the reference to the 528MHz processor being an issue. I was under the impression that there has never been a processor issue with regards to updates (at least talked about). And if the idea is the porting can happen because this version of 2.x is being built for the 528MHz hardware, then you still run into the problem of limited ROM on similar Android hardware.
The reason is that we’re missing drivers for the system-on-a-chip used in those devices. That system on a chip (or, more commonly just referred to as the processor with mobile phones) is made by qualcomm. Right now, people have 2.0 running on the G1 with a hack to increase the system partition (same thing that allowed Hero firmware to run on the G1), but the media components don’t work due to messed up (missing) drivers. Since this ROM is running on Hero, it leads us to believe that Qualcomm IS, in fact, working on making new drivers, and we’ll likely see other 1st gen phones running 2.0. Hope that helps answer your question, but please refrain from automatically attacking the author if you don’t quite understand.
Consider my statement retracted
Yeah, natively the g1 has around 70 mb’s of system storage.
The “hack” is a firmware update to the phone’s bootloader (secondary program loader) which repartitions the phone’s internal memory, increasing system memory by stripping the phone of it’s “update” partition used for OTA updates (your rooted phone won’t be getting OTA updates anyways, so it’s not necessary that you have it)
OOOH! gooood news!! I wanted the hero for christmas!
D
Aww yeah I can’t wait for this.
Totally forgot about the whole update fiasco with the Hero until now. Hopefully we can have 2.1 on our Heros before the end of the year.
I’m running an AOSP 2.0 ROM right now that only clocks in at 57MB. It runs great on the MT3G and G1.
@Mr Fry – Maybe you should research what you’re talking about before criticizing.
There is a picture missing, and that picture makes me think that this is nothing more than a rumor
http://www.androidspin.com/home/3-latest-news/315-hero-android-21-hero-build-screenshot
the fourth pic just looks dumb!
To me it says that the home screen can now be rotated horizontally which is great, as atm it doesn’t support this.
the bottom menu looks fake
Ya it looks messed up but this could be from the hero software being beta and not adapting to the screen rotation the right way. This happens in some applications when its not designed right to handle screen changes.
How much of this is Android and how much of it is Sense?
What you are looking at is the HTC Sense UI.
Can’t wait for a root guide to put this on my Droid.
how do u make an google account bcoz i’ve tried this could be a temporary problem or your sim card may not be provisoned for data services.please try again when you are connected.if it continues,call customer care
hey felas, if you didnt notice, and again im the first one, Android 2.1 has the ability(look at the pics)to go on landscape mode on the home screens!!!
look! tilt the phone and wa la!
Android(Google), thank you:]
VOILA. It’s spelled “VOILA.” Thank you.
oops heres the complete list of pics(look at the 2nd one down on the right side)
http://www.androidspin.com/component/content/article/3-latest-news/315-hero-android-21-hero-build-screenshot
that pic looks made up! notice the menu inconsistency
If this is true, it’s great news. A bit of a tactical masterstroke from HTC too, don’t just give ‘em what they want, give ‘em more than they want.
when will it be out in Singapore??? I want it!!
I’m an Android newbie pretty much. Have an HTC Hero on Orange (UK). Currently have 1.5. How do I get 1.6 let alone 2.0 or later. Is the impression I get from threads that 2.0 won’t run on the Hero correct. Thanks for any advice.
To all who claim these screenshots are fake you are wrong, as to the reference to the processor, the problem that devs were having is we are missing qualcomm drivers for cameera and media gallery and cpu, since the hero and the g1 are similar in hardware we are able to take these drivers and impliment them into asop. We are also working on that exact hero dump on our g1s and mt3gs, the htc confidential watermmarks have been removed.
“yah ull have hero 2.1 before the year end… no landscape rosie in tattoo. landscape rosie in 2.1″
http://twitter.com/kingklick92
great news. but why don’t the sell a touch hd with android? or did MS pay money to “get” their top model?
Is it still usefull to think about buying a Hero with all the other phones having the snapdragon processor?