A post from Rogers PR over on AndroidForums gives new hope to owners of the HTC Magic that an Android 2.1 rollout could be right around the corner.  Apparently, the Android 2.1 update for the Rogers HTC Magic has been floating around for some time.  The update is now in Google’s hands, awaiting final approval.  Once Google give the official signoff on the new build, HTC will start rolling out the OTA update to the Rogers HTC Magic. 

Rogers has noted that customers will not lose any data on their phones when they install the Android 2.1 update.  However, in order to get the update over the air, you will need to have the Android 1.5 update which includes HTC Sense.  This leads up to believe that the Android 2.1 update will essentially be identical to the Android 2.1 build on the HTC Hero.  Those who do not have the HTC Sense build currently installed will be able to download the update and install in manually or can get installation assistance at Rogers retail locations.  We don’t have an exact date for the rollout, but we’re hoping it will start hitting handsets within the next few weeks. 

News of the Android 2.1 rollout for the Rogers HTC Magic should give myTouch 3G and other HTC Magic owners hope that they will be seeing an update to their handsets as well.   Back in June, leaked documents from T-Mobile indicated that the myTouch 3G would be receiving another Android update, though there has been no new news on the T-Mobile front since then.

Source: AndoridForums

HTC’s September 15 press event is still about four weeks out, but that does not mean we’ll have to wait until then to get more details on HTC’s upcoming lineup.  The British online phone store mobiles.co.uk has just put up a page on their site for the HTC Desire Z.  While the Desire Z is a new name for us, the handset’s details page notes that the Desire Z is also known as the HTC Vision.  Other details on the HTC Desire Z include a 3.7 inch 480 x 800 TFT capacitive touchscreen, Bluetooth 2.1, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Wi-Fi, AGPS, accelerometer, QWERTY keyboard, digital camera, HTC Sense, and Android 2.1. 

From the sounds of it, the HTC Desire Z will be pretty much identical to the T-Mobile G2 that should be launching in about a month in the U.S.  While the hardware specs are pretty much exactly what we have been expecting, we’re hoping that the reference to Android 2.1 is a mistake.  HTC has already rolled out Android 2.2 to the HTC EVO 4G and the HTC Desire in Europe.  I’m sure most Android fans would be a little hesitant to buy a new HTC phone that does not feature the latest version of Android.

Source: mobiles.co.uk

The HTC Hero is nothing new, but Cellular South has just introduced a new color option for those looking to pick up an Android phone on the cheap.  The new black version of the HTC Hero 6250 will be identical to the original CDMA handset in every way besides its black exterior shell. 

The HTC Hero may not be as powerful at the upcoming HTC Desire which should be landing on Cellular South’s network within the next month or so, but at $79.99 with a buy one get one free offer, it’s pretty hard for anyone not to think twice about jumping on to the Android bandwagon. 

Source: Cellular South

The HTC Hero is nothing new, but Cellular South has just introduced a new color option for those looking to pick up an Android phone on the cheap.  The new black version of the HTC Hero 6250 will be identical to the original CDMA handset in every way besides its black exterior shell. 

The HTC Hero may not be as powerful at the upcoming HTC Desire which should be landing on Cellular South’s network within the next month or so, but at $79.99 with a buy one get one free offer, it’s pretty hard for anyone not to think twice about jumping on to the Android bandwagon. 

Source: Cellular South

T-Mobile fans who still can’t seem to part with their original G1 may want to start putting aside some extra cash.  We have known about the HTC Vision for quite some time, but some new information gives us a lot more assurance that the phone will be making its way to T-Mobile. A new image has surface on Engadget with T-Mobile branding and a body that matched up pretty likely with other images we have seen.  According the T-Mobile’s leaked roadmap, the HTC Vision will be making its debut on September 9^th, though Engadget is claiming that the new handset will actually be named the G1 Blaze when it finally hits store shelves.  Anyone in the market for a new QWERTY equipped Android phone running a 1GHz processor with a 3.7 inch display will most likely find the G1 Blaze to be a suitable option. 

Oh, and if anyone was wondering if this phone was coming to T-Mobile U.S.A. ot t-Mobile Europe, we’d like to remind you that the “T” only has one dot in front of it (T-Mobile U.S.A. branding) not three (T-Mobile Europe).

Source: Engadget

By now, we’re all used to spotting the occasional commercial for HTC phones.  The myTouch Slide and the DROID Incredible have some great spots, but neither of them can boast about making a 60 second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.  Earlier this week, the HTC Aria was featured as an in-show ad with Jimmy Kimmel, Guillermo, and Little Guillermo in an attempt to prove that bigger isn’t always better.  

It’s nice to see HTC expanding their reach, testing out new ways to get their products in front of potential customers.  The Aria is a pretty descent phone, but now has some direct competition on At&t from the new Samsung Captivate. 

We’re pretty sure that HTC ads are here to stay, though it would be nice to see some of our favorite HTC phones get some strategic product placement in TV shows or some big budget movies.

The DROID Eris may no longer be available from Verizon, but that doesn’t mean that HTC or Verizon are no longer supporting the phone.  Verizon is expected to roll out an OTA update to the DROID Eris on July 16^th.  Before you get all excited, this is not Android 2.2, but a mere maintenance update which should fix some of the issues the phone has been having since Verizon pushed out the Android 2.1 update to the phone back in May.  The new 2.37.605.4 build for the HTC Eris will also include a few updates and enhancements to the contacts application which will allow better Facebook and Gmail syncing along with improved audio quality and Bluetooth accessory support. 

Check out the full list of new and improved features below. 

Enhancements:

• Improved audio – The audio controls on your Droid Eris have been updated.
• Enhanced speed dial – Save and add contacts to your speed-dial with ease.
• Improved text, video, and picture messaging functionality

Improvements:

• Your contacts now sync with Backup Assistant, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and Facebook
• The Weather app/widget has been enhanced and stabilized
• Your Droid Eris will now pair with a Jabra Bluetooth headset
• Your Gmail contacts will easily sync with your Droid Eris

Source: DROID-Life

A few hours ago, Engadget started getting reports that the white HTC EVO 4G was making appearances at select Best Buy locations a few days early.  Now, we have a few confirmed reports of our own and images of a purchased white HTC EVO 4G have made it on to the web.  Best Buy has the exclusive selling rights on the white EVO until August, but we’re not so sure how many customers are really interested in the white version.  As we originally suspected, the white EVO isn’t fully white.  The front panel surrounding the touch screen and part of the handset’s side cover are still in the original black, making the white EVO 4G look more like a zebra than anything else.  If you asked us, we would suggest just sticking with the original black unless someone at HTC or Sprint realizes that a “white” phone needs to have more white than black on it.

Source: Engadget

In the spirit of openness that surrounds the Android ecosystem, HTC has just released the kernel source code for the HTC EVO 4G.  While hackers and modders will have a heyday with the new code, HTC’s real intent in releasing it to the world is so application developers can take a peek at the changes that HTC has made to Android so that their applications run smoothly on HTC’s phones.   There has been a fair share of app developers who have complained about HTC’s customization of the Android platform since their changes don’t always play nice to a vanilla Android build.  Most manufacturers developing phones running Android have been making their own tweaks to the system over the past year or so, but HTC is the only one releasing their course code to the developer’s community. 

Source: HTC Developer Center

Those looking to get their hands on a Snapdragon equipped QWERTY Android phone may have something to look forward to. It appears as though the HTC Vision has finally been spotted in the wild. The HTC Vision features a four row QWERTY keyboard, 3.7 inch display, capacitive buttons, and an optical track-pad. We assume that the HTC Vision will be equipped with HTC Sense, but for now it looks like the handset it still sporting the standard Android 2.1 UI. For now, we’re still not sure which carrier the HTC Vision will end up on, but it’s likely to make its debut in European markets. This phone may not be the prettiest QWERTY handset from HTC, but we may finally have a worthy replacement for the original HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1).

Source: Engadget

Many HTC EVO 4G owners may have noticed an OTA update for their handsets yesterday.  The new update (version 1.47.651.1) that Sprint is pushing out to the phone includes improved Wi-Fi performance, a fix to the integrated Facebook Sync feature which should help improve battery life, and a few tweaks to the Exchange Active Sync client.  It may not be the Android 2.2 update that many EVO 4G owners are looking forward to, but that should be the least of your worries.  Apparently, reports of bricked phones has forced HTC and Sprint to pull the update from rolling out to all HTC EVO 4G owners.  Some EVO owners reported that the update would still show up after the installation process and that installing it again would brick their handset.  Also, keep in mind that if you have a rooted HTC EVO 4G, the update would most likely turn your phone into a very fancy paper weight. 

While the vast majority of consumers successfully downloaded and installed the most recent HTC EVO 4G software update, we have received a handful of reports from customers having some issues with the update. In light of this, HTC and Sprint have decided to temporarily halt distribution of this software release until we can investigate further. We expect to be able to resume software updates shortly.

 Source: Mobile Crunch

As more and more consumers turn to Android as their smartphone OS of choice, Verizon has silently removed one option for consumers to choose from.  Verizon’s DROID Eris is no longer available on the company’s website.  The HTC made DROID Eris has only been on sale for about eight months and many thought it would stay around a bit longer due to its recent Android 2.1 firmware update.  We called a few local Verizon stores last night and they confirmed that they still have the DROID Eris in stock but were unaware that the phone had been removed from the website.  If you were really fond of the HTC Hero variant, you better head on over to your local Verizon store before their supplies run out.  It’s no surprise that Verizon is looking to clean up their Android selection before the launch of the DROID X and DROID 2 next month, but no one thought that the Eris would be leaving the Android scene before T-Mobile’s G1. 

There have been quite a few rumors flying around in regards to HTC’s Android phones on At&t.  Fortunately, At&t has finally moved one of those rumors over to the fact list by unveiling the HTC Aria.  Dante Martin, At&t’s product manager for Android phones gives us a short tour of the HTC Aria in a new YouTube clip posted up by At&t.  While it’s nothing mind shattering, the HTC Aria will be a huge step in the right direction for At&t after their rather boring introduction of the Motorola Backflip a few months back.  The video didn’t give us any additional details on the HTC Aria in regards to specs, launch date, or pricing, but we are able to deduce that the device does sport a Android 2.1, HTC Sense, 3.2 inch screen, four capacitive buttons, and an optical joystick. 

Initial speculation was that the HTC Aria would have a small screen, similar to the HTC Wildfire which was just released in Europe.  Fortunately, it looks like we might have an HTC Legend variant with a slightly shorter body.  As much as we all love black phones, I wish HTC would stick to their original designs for many of their handsets. 

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

HTC and Android fan in Canada will most likely be glad to hear that the HTC Legend has just landed on Virgin Mobile.  The HTC Legend’s sleek unibody aluminum design, Android 2.1, and 5MP camera  will be a true winner among Virgin Mobile’s smartphone lineup which includes a handful of Blackberry devices and outdated iPhones.  Virgin Mobile’s HTC Legend can be picked up for $79.99 with a three year commitment or for $349.99 for those looking to take advantage of Virgin Mobile’s low pre-paid monthly rates.  The HTC Legend may not be packing a 1GHz Snapdragon processor or a large 3.7 inch display, but HTC has already promised an Android 2.2 update for all their 2010 Android phone which should give the HTC Legend a significant performance boost. 

HTC Legend Key features

• Android 2.1 (Éclair) with HTC Sense
• Auto focus and flash
• 5 megapixel color camera
• Geotagging
• 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
• Standard micro-USB
• Wi-Fi
• Expandable Memory – up to 32 GB
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Music Player
• FM radio
• Download speeds up to 7.2 Mbps
• Android Google Mobile Service Applications – Gmail – Google Maps – Google Talk – Android Market – Street View
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Compatible with the HSPA network
• Widescreen photo capture

Source: Virgin Mobile

Verizon DROID Eris owners, your Android 2.1 update is here. Two days ago, we reported that Verizon was going to start releasing the OTA update for the handset on May 11th. The date has passed and a lot of Eris owners have been able to download and successfully update their phones to the latest firmware. Verizon’s support Twitter account has been keeping users up to date on how the OTA rollout will take place.

“The roll out will begin 5/11 and can take up to 2 weeks to receive for all phones.”
“No way to force it the release is random and once you receive it you will receive a notification.”
“No it can only be installed through the ota.”

It’s clear that Android 2.1 for the Eris has finally arrived! If the update has not hit your handset yet, be patient. From what we know, Verizon has over 500,000 DROID Eris customers so don’t be surprised if it takes them a week to push the update to your phone.

Sprint Hero owners… you’re update is coming… we hope.

Source: @VZWSupport

So for any of our readers that have a European/GSM Hero, it looks like you will have to wait until June to receive your 2.1 update. This was announced at a Google event marking the launch of Google Maps in the UK. There was no reason given for this delay, and the only details given were that users will receive a patch to prepare the device for the update, followed by the actual update shortly after.

The only questions I have are these: Why such a long wait, if the CDMA/Sprint Hero is supposedly getting the update within a few weeks? And why will the phone require two updates? I’m not sure, but most of the comments I’ve seen shows users that haven’t already resorted to other versions of Android or gotten different phones aren’t very happy about this. Even the bloggers’ negative attitudes can be found in their posts. Do any of our readers want to provide their opinions?

Sources: Phandroid, IntoMobile