HTC Hero to finally get Android 2.1 update

Users of the HTC Hero on Orange's network have been waiting for an update to Google's mobile operating system for a very long time.

Now HTC has finally confirmed it will be updating the current 1.6 Android OS to 2.1 codenamed clair within a matter of weeks and has apologised for the wait.

"Testing the [2.1] update across European markets took longer than anticipated," claimed the Taiwanese manufacturer.

"We hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week."

However, some Android customers already have version 2.2 of the OS codenamed Froyo and users of other HTC devices, such as the HTC Desire, are expecting the update from 2.1 in the third quarter of this year, still leaving Hero users behind.

But delays have not stopped Android's popularity growing in the UK.

A report released yesterday by GfK Retail and Technology (GfK) showed market share for the phones had quadrupled in the past year, whilst sales of the phones grew by a massive 350 per cent.

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.