Rogers Magic to get SenseUI & 2.1

[mjschmidt]

Ladies & Gentlemen, we have some great news, and some bad news.
This evening I received an email from HTC regarding the Rogers Android HTC Magic & Dream phones, and Android 1.6. This same information was posted to some other blogs, and in the forum we frequent. I can confirm it to be true, as RogersMary told me earlier this afternoon that the email/announcement would be coming. (She made me swear to secrecy!)


Below is the email, but to summarize, Rogers HTC Magic will get an update to Android 1.5 with Sense UI (yup!) and later this year, the Magic will get Android 2.1!!!

Now the bad news, HTC claims that (because of the customizations) there will be no updates for the HTC Dream beyond 1.5.

CORRECTION: I originally posted that the Dream would be getting Sense UI, however that is NOT CORRECT. I misread the post. The HTC Dream will NOT get Sense UI! I apologise for any confusion.

This is a bad blow for our HTC Dream brothers and sisters.
I would suggest that Rogers needs to seriously consider offering owners of HTC Dreams an opportunity to exchange their Dream phones for Magic phones so they can get the full benefit of the updates. Seems only fair to me since many of us were told by Rogers clerks (and Best Buy clerks) that we would be able to get 1.6 when we bought the phones.


I will post more when I have time. Here is the email:

 

[GreatBigDog]

Ladies & Gentlemen, we have some great news, and some bad news.
<Snip>
First, we will be implementing an update for the 1.5 OS to both the HTC Dream and HTC Magic in the upcoming weeks. These will offer a number of benefits for these devices, including bringing the HTC Sense experience to the HTC Magic, although the OS version will remain 1.5.
<Snip>

According to this paragraph it is the HTC Magic that is getting Sense UI not the HTC Dream. Kind of ironic that just before Christmas you could get the Magic for $0.99 while the Dream was at $49.99.

gbd

 

[mjschmidt]

@GBD: You are correct. I misread that line in the email/post. I have corrected the post on my blog, and above.

 

[porky1981]

mid year huh... and then mid-year rolls by and we get nothing. Can Mary from Rogers post something to confirm this, we need something official from rogers as well to confirm.

 

[MoreYummy]

Wondering when is "mid year".
So it sounds like update from htc, rather from rogers.

 

[GreatBigDog]

Wondering when is "mid year".
So it sounds like update from htc, rather from rogers.

HTC makes the phone, Rogers doesn't, so until HTC creates their version of Android 2.1 Rogers will just have to wait for it. As a matter of fact HTC does not currently have any devices that are running anything newer than Android 1.5, the exception being the Google branded G1 and MyTouch 3G that are running Google's version of Android not HTC's. When the update is available you will probably be able to get it from the web site of either company.

gbd

 

[RogersMary]

mid year huh... and then mid-year rolls by and we get nothing. Can Mary from Rogers post something to confirm this, we need something official from rogers as well to confirm.

Hi There. Yes, Rogers did push for an upgrade and HTC has agreed to release a 2.1 OS upgrade for the HTC Magic by mid-year. In the coming weeks, they'll also be a 1.5 update for Magic that includes the Sense experience. There will also be an 1.5 update for HTC Dream.

As soon as I have more details to share, I'll definitely post them here. If you have any direct or immediate questions, you can always reach out to me at @RogersMary.

Thanks!
Mary

 

[EvilGuyWhoEatsBrains]

This isn't good enough, I feel like I've been left out to dry.

I bought 2 Dreams when they were first available from rogers and I'm paying $140/month. I choose this phone because I felt Android would be the future OS for smart phones, I wanted to be on the cutting edge of technology. 6 months into my 3yr contract and the phone is already out-dated. What's going to happen in 2.5yrs when my contract ends?

If rogers does offer some sort of phone exchange, I don't want the Magic. The reason my wife and I choose the Dream was for the physical keyboard. The screen is just too small for touch typing (I've since added the soft keyboard for certain situations, so I know it just doesn't cut it).

I just find it very sad that modders and the community provide better support then the large companies whom we are paying a lot of money too. Rooting my phone at this point is my only option.

 

[vikingisson]

I just find it very sad that modders and the community provide better support then the large companies whom we are paying a lot of money too. Rooting my phone at this point is my only option.

It is odd isn't it? However that works for me. We know that 1.6 works on both phones.
When they push Sense out to the phones that will calm people down for a while. It is very cute. Been there done that, now running 1.6 without Sense. happy

 

[Sharkonwheels]

As a matter of fact HTC does not currently have any devices that are running anything newer than Android 1.5, the exception being the Google branded G1 and MyTouch 3G that are running Google's version of Android not HTC's.
gbd

Who do you think built the Nexus One?

Not having, is a lame excuse - home developers have compiled the source (available freely at source.android.com) and made ROMs that run on the Dream.

I would REALLY hate to hear HTC say that they cannot do it, but John Doe Developer at home can. That would be a bit embarrassing for them!

There's a difference between WANTING to do it, and HAVING to do it.

Apparently, they do NOT WANT to do it, and think they DO NOT HAVE to do it.

Only our wallets will change their minds.
I have asked everyone I know where I work (11,000+ employees) to put HTC on their "to avoid" list, and mentioned it to everyone I know.

That is just pure BS. If they are NOT going to update the android phones, then they need to leave android alone, and continue with WinMo. All they are going to do is give android a bad name, and rip a bunch of people off.

By this time next year, how many 1.5 compatible apps do you REALLY think will be in the App Market?

T

 

[GreatBigDog]

It doesn't matter if HTC built the Nexus one or not. It's not HTC's device it's a Google device just like the G1 or the MT3G. Thus HTC does not currently have any of it's OWN devices that are operating at above version 1.5

Google supplied it's version of Android 2.1 to HTC to install on these devices, just because HTC has Google's version doesn't mean that they can take it and install in on other devices. They would have to take the open 2.1 source code and develop their own UI from it.

And you are correct, it is not that HTC doesn't have access to 1.6, it's just that they don't want to go through the effort to make it fit on the Dream.

gbd

 

[Sharkonwheels]

It doesn't matter if HTC built the Nexus one or not. It's not HTC's device it's a Google device just like the G1 or the MT3G. Thus HTC does not currently have any of it's OWN devices that are operating at above version 1.5
gbd

Semantics - it was (mostly) designed by HTC, as Mario from Google said during the press conference Tuesday, when speaking with HTC's head. Video is out there... That's the part where they also acknowledged they are not "hardware guys" and the looked over to Peter Chou from HTC to talk about the hardware design.

in the end, it's hardware, and YOU can build an OS to flash onto it.

Android 2.0/2.0.1 source has been available for MONTHS already, so there is absolutely no excuse for no 1.6 or 2.0/2.0.1, and now 2.1 upcoming. People have ported the 2.1 Droid ROM to run on a G1, so if an independent dev can do it, I KNOW HTC can do it.

 

[zortoflaven]

Semantics - it was (mostly) designed by HTC, as Mario from Google said during the press conference Tuesday, when speaking with HTC's head. Video is out there... That's the part where they also acknowledged they are not "hardware guys" and the looked over to Peter Chou from HTC to talk about the hardware design.

in the end, it's hardware, and YOU can build an OS to flash onto it.

Android 2.0/2.0.1 source has been available for MONTHS already, so there is absolutely no excuse for no 1.6 or 2.0/2.0.1, and now 2.1 upcoming. People have ported the 2.1 Droid ROM to run on a G1, so if an independent dev can do it, I KNOW HTC can do it.

I agree with your point, but look at the common problems that plague those ROMs. HTC needs to work to overcome them. Small problems sure, but maybe the fix they make breaks other things? They need to ensure it all works the first time. Unlike home dev's, they can't be pushing a new image to the masses every day (as much as we would like them too ).

 

[Sharkonwheels]

Agreed. But look how far behind they are - THAT is unacceptable. There's folks in Canada who've been TOTALLY screwed on 1.5 for well over a year. I wouldn't expect a daily release, but a 1.6 would've been nice - been done, G1 has it, so it IS possible.

As I've been saying - they're still working on the old model - make a handset, push it out, start working on the next. Android phones are NOT like that. They are a dynamic, evolving gadget, such as new features, new market apps that will remove older version compatibility, etc...

They need to change the way they thing and perceive them, or they will doom the android platform. They really don't care, as if they bury the android platform, they'll just use another one. THey have NO personal vested interest in the OS, whether it's WinMo, Symbian, Android, etc... They could probably care less, as they do right now.

I'd say one release per valid version upgrade, that actually adds something, ie, if they would've done 1.6, skip 2.0/2.0.1, as it is being pretty much eclipsed by 2.1, so it would make logical and financial sense to skip the 2.0/2.0.1, and concentrate on 2.1

I'm not so blind, that I'd expect EVERY release to be done, and with daily builds...

Only thing required after the build on the subversions that are worth working on, is if any patches/security/major bugs need to be corrected.

In my eyes, and most who want/have them, these are computers with telephony capability, not the other way around. There are now tablets/netbooks being released/announced with the same CPU as the Nexus One, so look at it from that perspective.

T

 

[mjschmidt]

You know, I don't think we'll have to wait too many more years for the model to change.

As many of us keep saying, these aren't just "web phones" as Rogers is marketing them. These are mini-computers that are capable of making phone calls.

I really don't think it will be too much longer before _computer_ companies start making mini-computers in the same form factor with or without the radios necessary to get on to cellphone networks. Dell has already done this, just without the cell radio.

Eventually... eventually, there will be WiFi everywhere, or almost everywhere. And you will be able to make VOIP calls.

For now, HTC makes these "phones" by the "old" model... but computer manufacturers will change things soon enough. Just watch.