Hey all,
I have an HTC Hero on Sprint. I bank with USAA, and they have a new app that lets you do the "snap a picture of a check and deposit it instantly" thing. Seems nifty, and I just so happen to have a check I need to deposit.
Here is the issue: The website says I have to have Android OS 1.6 or later. I just looked on my phone, and it says it has 1.5
I clicked to have it check if there is a firmware update, and it says there isn't one. So.....what do I do?
That is kind of ghetto. I wish the USAA programmers had built the app on the lowest level of droid-ness. Oh well. Back to mailing in checks for now.
Thanks though. I am definitely not doing anything to void something, haha.
The Android fragmentation has to do with manufacturers and carriers not providing the device-specific drivers it needs (eg. camera drivers) to fully function because Android itself doesn't provide these drivers. Once these drivers are provided, you can upgrade to newer revisions of Android quite easily. However, the Sense UI (that pretty "Phone" and "Home" button on the bottom of your screen + the general grayed/metallic look) that HTC puts on top of many of their phones makes upgrading Android version quite difficult since the entire home screen needs to be re-written with every revision.
Rooting your phone is actually really simple and not too complex if you're at all tech savvy. It's basically just running a few updates (through a terminal/command line) and then you're up and running a custom ROM. I'm running a rooted Moto Droid and couldn't be happier with my decision to root (custom themes, overclocking, wi-fi and usb tethering, no ads).
The Android fragmentation has to do with manufacturers and carriers not providing the device-specific drivers it needs (eg. camera drivers) to fully function because Android itself doesn't provide these drivers. Once these drivers are provided, you can upgrade to newer revisions of Android quite easily. However, the Sense UI (that pretty "Phone" and "Home" button on the bottom of your screen + the general grayed/metallic look) that HTC puts on top of many of their phones makes upgrading Android version quite difficult since the entire home screen needs to be re-written with every revision.
Rooting your phone is actually really simple and not too complex if you're at all tech savvy. It's basically just running a few updates (through a terminal/command line) and then you're up and running a custom ROM. I'm running a rooted Moto Droid and couldn't be happier with my decision to root (custom themes, overclocking, wi-fi and usb tethering, no ads).
Sadly I'm not
I rarely get checks at all, so it isn't a huge deal. I can wait the few months to upgrade. Thanks for the info though, that is good to know.
I just dont understand why Sense UI tends to be so far behind. It seems like it would be fairly simple to update it when new versions of Android are released.
I just dont understand why Sense UI tends to be so far behind. It seems like it would be fairly simple to update it when new versions of Android are released.
It's because the overlay isn't simply "ported". It's "upgraded" with more "features" as well as reskinning the OS.
Honestly if I'm HTC, what incentive to I really have for pushing out firmware updates?
Little to none, maybe a bit of good PR, but the longer they drag their feet the worse they look. This is where Google needs to step in and put its foot down. But I don't see it Google stomping on their best Android manufacturer.
Another facet to the issue is the rate at which Google is pumping out Android updates. It's going at light speed (although has slowed down in the past month thankfully) from 1.5 to 2.1 there was only a span of 6 months.
Look at iPhone OS there is only a major iteration once a YEAR!
In any case. HOPEFULLY Android 2.2 really starts killing fragmentation. I hope Google is up to the task.
According to Sprint the 2.1 should be pushed out early Q2 2010. So look for a My timeframe. Hopefully that holds true. But again HTC had issued a statemnet not too long ago that the HTC hero porting is taking longer than expected but I don't know if that applied to the Sprint Hero. Only time will tell.
Still, you'd think with a Linux-based OS, upgrades wouldn't be so phone/carrier dependent. Even the WebOS is like that, I have 1.4.0, while Sprint has 1.4.1, mainly because Verizon has to finish testing it or aping it or whatever (probably just adding a new about screen to VZ Navigator).
Although the current fragmentation is one of things that keep me from Android, heck even the SE x10 (that finally came out) is running Android 1.6, yet they are other devices with 2.0 or 2.1. Goofy.
It was one of the main reasons I got an N1. Dont have to root and get updates day of, without having to worry about Rogers, who massively ****s up everything (See Dream and Magic launch and upgrade fiasco).
Anything big coming with 2.2? Ive heard it will give the N1 802.11N
Still, you'd think with a Linux-based OS, upgrades wouldn't be so phone/carrier dependent. Even the WebOS is like that, I have 1.4.0, while Sprint has 1.4.1, mainly because Verizon has to finish testing it or aping it or whatever (probably just adding a new about screen to VZ Navigator).
Although the current fragmentation is one of things that keep me from Android, heck even the SE x10 (that finally came out) is running Android 1.6, yet they are other devices with 2.0 or 2.1. Goofy.
Well, there's quite a bit of fragmentation even in the Linux world: it's up to each of the distributions to incorporate the newest Linux kernel into their own builds (Linux itself is updated more frequently than Android). But Linux is such a small user market, it's not that big of a deal, whereas in Android world, people still don't associate Android is simply the software on the phone, not the phone itself.
The marketing of Android as a whole has been very poor. The Moto Droid was the first Android device to have a legitimate advertising campaign which didn't mask the entire Android platform (unlike the G1 and MyTouch 3G campaigns which T-Mobile has done a poor job with). Microsoft advertises its OS a boat load, why not Google advertise its OS? It would get the name out there, and people love Google.
It was one of the main reasons I got an N1. Dont have to root and get updates day of, without having to worry about Rogers, who massively ****s up everything (See Dream and Magic launch and upgrade fiasco).
Anything big coming with 2.2? Ive heard it will give the N1 802.11N
Wifi-N, Full Flash 10.1 support, automatic updates on apps (It's a good/Bad thing), breaking of core apps into modules that are market updatable (Example: Google Maps). That's what I can recall of the top of my head.
Automatic updates are nice for convenience but expect a lot more "Latest update broke app on X phone" in the comment sections of apps.
Breaking up core modules of Android into apps that can be updated through the Android market is Google first real attack on fragmentation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guinness
Still, you'd think with a Linux-based OS, upgrades wouldn't be so phone/carrier dependent. Even the WebOS is like that, I have 1.4.0, while Sprint has 1.4.1, mainly because Verizon has to finish testing it or aping it or whatever (probably just adding a new about screen to VZ Navigator).
Although the current fragmentation is one of things that keep me from Android, heck even the SE x10 (that finally came out) is running Android 1.6, yet they are other devices with 2.0 or 2.1. Goofy.
I was just going to say just like Stories that Linux is the poster boy for fragmentation.
To be honest though, while Google should take a lot of heat for pumping out so many updates so quickly (who'd ever think about saying that right?) the slowest part of pushing out an update is the wireless carriers giving an update their seal of approval.
Hence the conception of the Nexus One. Without having to answer to any carriers. The N1 will get any and all updates first (see Motorala Droid very much capable of running 2.1 but was one delay after another), until it's product lifecycle ends of course.
If only Google marketed the **** out of the N1.
I mean the other thread on this forum is a testament to the marketing job Verizon has done. OP called the Android phones a 'Droid'. And In the mindset of the average American I think that's how they perceive Android phones. Being Droids.
How are these firmware upgrades typically delivered? Is it over the network? We have a Hero purchased from Telus, but we're on the Rogers network, will there be a way to upgrade it?
How are these firmware upgrades typically delivered? Is it over the network? We have a Hero purchased from Telus, but we're on the Rogers network, will there be a way to upgrade it?
Probably not until June/July. And it's a wired upgrade that will probably require a data wipe.
How are these firmware upgrades typically delivered? Is it over the network? We have a Hero purchased from Telus, but we're on the Rogers network, will there be a way to upgrade it?
I imagine you'll have to hook it up to a computer to upgrade.
Hey invictus, a 2.1+Sense UI update for the Sprint HTC Hero has been leaked (This is a Sprint ONLY update to other reading this thread).
Remember it's not official and I'm not saying you should use it, just giving you a heads up that an official release should be coming VERY soon. OR if you're really impatient, feeling brave and can't wait, try it out at your own risk.
Hence the conception of the Nexus One. Without having to answer to any carriers. The N1 will get any and all updates first (see Motorala Droid very much capable of running 2.1 but was one delay after another), until it's product lifecycle ends of course.
If only Google marketed the **** out of the N1.
I mean the other thread on this forum is a testament to the marketing job Verizon has done. OP called the Android phones a 'Droid'. And In the mindset of the average American I think that's how they perceive Android phones. Being Droids.
Well, now that Google is closing the online store, things should change for the N1, which will be at brick and mortars everywhere.
Funny, one of the main customer complaints was that they wanted more carrier and plan choices when purchasing an N1. Guess it shows that the average North American just isnt ready for the concept of an unlocked phone yet, as they dont understand it.
Still amazes me that there wasnt a single commericial for the N1 though.
Still amazes me that there wasnt a single commericial for the N1 though.
They did do some advertising through popular Youtube personalities.
Wrong demographic though. Those were either current iPhone users or feature phone users.
Hey invictus, a 2.1+Sense UI update for the Sprint HTC Hero has been leaked (This is a Sprint ONLY update to other reading this thread).
Remember it's not official and I'm not saying you should use it, just giving you a heads up that an official release should be coming VERY soon. OR if you're really impatient, feeling brave and can't wait, try it out at your own risk.
