It looks as if Éclair will finally be making its way to all HTC Hero handsets by the end of the month.  Nearly two weeks ago, we reported that HTC had started the Android 2.1 rollout for the Hero in Taiwan.  Now, we have gotten a few reports from our readers and from HTC, stating that the OTA update has initiated.   Hero owners in Europe will be getting a two phased Android 2.1 update.  The first update will be hitting all the Hero handsets the next time the phone checks for an update (HINT: try restarting your phone pushing the date one year forward).  Once the first update is installed, the device will have to wait a little longer to get the full Android 2.1 installation which should ping the HTC Hero before the end of June. 

Android Éclair update for HTC Hero will be released by the end of June. The upgrade will come in two parts, the first of which will roll out from this week and will be detected when the Hero next automatically checks for software updates. The second part of the update will follow towards the end of the month. As the second part of the upgrade will wipe all data on the handset, Hero users should ensure any important data has been backed up before proceeding with the installation. Due to the size of the update, wherever possible, we would advise using a WiFi connection for this download to avoid additional data charges.

To be clear, the update will most likely only be hitting unlocked HTC Hero phones.  If you have a T-Mobile of Vodafone branded handset, your Android 2.1 update may be a little further out.  We would suggest bugging your carrier’s customer service lines to see if they have any news on when they plan to roll the Android 2.1 update out to their customers.  If you have already downloaded and installed the first part of the update from HTC, let us know if there are any changes to your device.  HTC is being pretty vague about what the first installation actually does to the HTC Hero.

Source: Androinica

For those of us with the Sprint Hero who have been waiting for an update, sweet relief is finally here. Two different sources have come up today with news on the 2.1 update we’ve been waiting for. One source is a screenshot of what appears to be an internal Sprint page stating that the 2.1 update for the Hero (and the Moment) are to be expected in “early May”.

The other source seems to confirm this. This source is a transcript of a support chat where one impatient user went straight to Sprint asking about the update that was “supposed to” come today. In the chat, the agent says that the internal updates say that users can expect a notification of the availability of an OTA update beginning the first week in May. So sit tight guys, it’s on the way.

Sources: Phandroid, AndroidGuys

For those of us with the Sprint Hero who have been waiting for an update, sweet relief is finally here. Two different sources have come up today with news on the 2.1 update we’ve been waiting for. One source is a screenshot of what appears to be an internal Sprint page stating that the 2.1 update for the Hero (and the Moment) are to be expected in “early May”.

The other source seems to confirm this. This source is a transcript of a support chat where one impatient user went straight to Sprint asking about the update that was “supposed to” come today. In the chat, the agent says that the internal updates say that users can expect a notification of the availability of an OTA update beginning the first week in May. So sit tight guys, it’s on the way.

Sources: Phandroid, AndroidGuys

This week, CTIA kicks off in sunny Las Vegas.  We’re expecting to hear some official news on the upcoming Verizon HTC Incredible and the Sprint HTC Supersonic, but for now all we have are some more rumors surrounding the release of Android 2.1 for the Sprint HTC Hero.  Late last week, we heard that the Sprint Hero 2.1 update was to be released in “the coming weeks.” Though the news sounds hopeful, it was a bit vague and didn’t offer any more specifics.  Today, we just got wind that the Hero’s 2.1 update is scheduled for release in March 26.  For those of you trying to figure out that math, that’s one week from today. 

Androinica is quoting two different sources to back up these claims.

I kept on asking about the firmware release and they finally released a date for the 2.1 firmware. He stated and confirm that this update will come on 03/26/2010.

Called sprint to find out when 2.1 update was coming. After being transferred several times I ended up talking to a sprint HTC hero tech specialist. He said it will be released end of March and can be downloaded athttp://www.sprint.com/downloads or over the air by accessing the firmware update feature on your hero.

Here at HTC Source, we can’t attest to the accuracy of these claims.  I placed a call into Sprint’s support line and was able to talk with one of their Android tech specialists.  He was not able to give me a specific date, but he did mention “end of March.”  Hearing this right from Sprint is a little comforting, though I’m sure most of you have heard of the Motorola DROID’s Android 2.1 update fiasco.  Verizon made an official announcement about the update and even gave details of what it would be included.  Unfortunately, the launch date came, but no update.  Rumors are that there are issues with the OTA update infrastructure from Motorola.  Let’s just home that the same thing does not happen once we finally get an official date from HTC or Sprint.