Someone claiming to work for HTC in China has leaked the Android 2.1 firmware for the Verizon Droid Eris on the XDA-developers forum. There were some issues with the initial dump that was posted, but the devs were able to repair it and successfully flash it to their phone.
The ROM appears to be fully functional and includes the new version of Sense UI. Like we predicted, some Android 2.1 features were not included (no live wallpapers).
Instructions for flashing the ROM are available on XDA, but only expert users should attempt it at this point. Several other devs are also working to port some of the code over to the CDMA HTC Hero.
Even though we now have proof an Android 2.1 firmware is available, it could still be several months before Verizon actually rolls this out. All we know at this point is to look for it in Q2 2010. Part of me thinks Google is working with the carriers to have a coordinated release of Android 2.1 across multiple handsets at the same time.
Now the waiting game begins.
Android 2.1 running on the Droid Eris.
