News - HTC catches flack as Gingerbread for Desire is cancelled

[HEXUS]

The Desire can’t support Android 2.3 apparently, users are not amused.

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[directhex]

They're lying.

I've got 2.3 on my HTC Hero, courtesy of CyanogenMod. The Hero can run it, but not the Desire? Gimmie a break!

[d3fiant]

made me chuckle, I've been running one of many available GB roms on my Desire from XDA with no hiccups at all for several weeks. Granted 2.3 gives very little over 2.2 perhaps HTC should hire some of the custom rom developers from XDA, or just admit that they are releasing too many models too quick and do not have the resource or the will to upgrade older phones

[Brewster0101]

or just admit that they are releasing too many models too quick and do not have the resource or the will to upgrade older phones

Partially the real case for HTC, but I suspect they want to end the shelve life the Desire sooner than later so people invest in a new device - but also so they can conclude and end software support for what is an old product for them now.

Not sure why Desire owners are really upset. The Desire functions perfectly well as it should with 2.2. If it ain't broken - why try to fix it.

Would be interesting to hear what benefits people with Desire's think they are loosing from not having 2.3.

[HSK]

They're lying.

I've got 2.3 on my HTC Hero, courtesy of CyanogenMod. The Hero can run it, but not the Desire? Gimmie a break!

But CM 2.3, is a vanilla android (from what I've seen on my Blade) - what I think HTC is saying, a version of 2.3 with Sense is not happening because of the internal memory in the Desire.

But I also think it's tosh!

[iworrall]

Apparently, the official story is that they didn't install enough RAM for both Gingerbread & their "Sense" UI.

Workaround:-
1: Install "ROM Manager" from marketplace to root phone.
2: Use it to load latest CyanogenMod 7.
3: ????
4: Profit!!!

[d3fiant]

But CM 2.3, is a vanilla android (from what I've seen on my Blade) - what I think HTC is saying, a version of 2.3 with Sense is not happening because of the internal memory in the Desire.

But I also think it's tosh!

My desire runs a GB ROM with Sense 2.1 so it is possible, however like mentioned above, this is simply a cost thing and putting the good but now old Desire out to pasture

I personally dont have any issues with HTC doing this, the ROM scene is more than compensating for this decision and in all fairness I have yet to see anything bar the asthetics in 2.3 that warrant the upgrade from 2.2

[kingpotnoodle]

Why should HTC continue upgrading the software FOR FREE on an EOL handset? They have to draw a line and say no more upgrades at some point... otherwise where do they stop, Android 5 + Sense 5!?

Would have been better to be honest and simply say "sorry folks, no more updates for Desire - it's EOL, we're running a business here!".

The phone market moves on quickly, people are going to have to get used to it. Android 2.2 & Sense 2.1 works fine on the Desire, it's not like owners are missing out on much!

[directhex]

Why should HTC continue upgrading the software FOR FREE on an EOL handset? They have to draw a line and say no more upgrades at some point... otherwise where do they stop, Android 5 + Sense 5!?

Would have been better to be honest and simply say "sorry folks, no more updates for Desire - it's EOL, we're running a business here!".

The phone market moves on quickly, people are going to have to get used to it. Android 2.2 & Sense 2.1 works fine on the Desire, it's not like owners are missing out on much!

The iPhone 3GS has access to iOS 5. The 3GS came out 2 years ago. The Desire came out 16 months ago

[Hicks12]

i think the they are making it up but you can understand it, they want to move on as its a fairly old handset how and also 2.2 is still good, 2.3 really brings in multicore support(power management etc) so itsnt needed. However HTC really have gone the wrong way about this, they said they would bring it so they should have done and then said thats it, no more updates but no they just went back on what they said .

My Optimus 2x has 512mb ram and can run htc sense 3.0 skin, ram really isnt a problem unless its <400..

[funke_munke]

I don't know... It must sting when you are pretty much forced to sign up for a two year contract and your phone isn't updated for the length of it (at least when the tech has been shown to work, and you said you would bring said tech). And I know you aren't owed anything technically, but it would be nice eh?

Christ, Windows 7 cost me £35 and I'm getting a longer period of updates than on my Galaxy S which costs me £20 a month.

[HSK]

Ahhh! They've caved in!

Contrary to what we said earlier, we are going to bring Gingerbread to HTC Desire.

Link:- https://www.facebook.com/htcuk/posts/225857300777092

[Hicks12]

i thought the desire was 2 years old now, my bad . It should really last until 2 years but if it aint broke then it doesnt need fixing.

[kingpotnoodle]

The iPhone 3GS has access to iOS 5. The 3GS came out 2 years ago. The Desire came out 16 months ago

iOS 5 isn't out yet... so I wouldn't count those chickens yet, and also it might run like a dog or be feature limited on the older handsets, so does it count?

And don't Apple charge a fee for some of these version upgrades anyway?

[kingpotnoodle]

I don't know... It must sting when you are pretty much forced to sign up for a two year contract and your phone isn't updated for the length of it (at least when the tech has been shown to work, and you said you would bring said tech). And I know you aren't owed anything technically, but it would be nice eh?

Christ, Windows 7 cost me £35 and I'm getting a longer period of updates than on my Galaxy S which costs me £20 a month.

Windows = software you buy.

Phone = Handset hardware, service provision and small % of cost is software.

Also most of MS fixes are for security, or to enhance the OS so people keep buying it off the shelf, and funded by business subscriptions and ongoing support contracts.

So basically you're comparing apples to trees.

You aren't owed anything, of course it would be nice - a free lunch is always nice, but you shouldn't complain about not getting one! I think the moral of the story here for phone makers is not to promise anything publicly until it's actually on the verge of release, and then release it.

Fact is though 95% or so of Desire users won't give a fig or understand the whole idea of an OS update anyway, and of the few % who do understand many will use custom ROMs or have already bought new handsets... so probably it's a tiny tiny problem.

[Scott B]

Ahhh! They've caved in!



Link:- https://www.facebook.com/htcuk/posts/225857300777092

Just saw that myself and updated.