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2.1 has been a disaster!

Powellae

Lurker
May 15, 2010
6
0
Upgrading my Sprint Hero to 2.1 has been a complete disaster. The one improvement is that the browsers work faster. Oh...and the menus are prettier and perhaps more intuitive.

The phone and just about every other function hangs, the phone locks up constantly - especially when entering and leaving email - and generally is unusable. I've been doing battery pulls 4+ times a day just to get the phone re-started when it locks up.

I work for a university and they got me a warranty replacement, which I've had for all of 8 hours. I can already tell that it's not as responsive as the previous Hero before I "upgraded" it. I'm just hoping it won't be as consistently laggy and non-responsive as the upgraded one.

My advice to anyone reading this thread - if your phone has not been upgraded to OS 2.1, DO NOT DO IT. Wait until a couple more updates are available...my experience has been completely bad.

Right now I can't wait for another update, hoping that it will resolve all the lag and hangup problems created by 2.1.

From scanning this forum, it doesn't appear that this has been the case for everyone, which is good - I'd hate to see everyone having the problems I am.
 
Upgrading my Sprint Hero to 2.1 has been a complete disaster. The one improvement is that the browsers work faster. Oh...and the menus are prettier and perhaps more intuitive.

The phone and just about every other function hangs, the phone locks up constantly - especially when entering and leaving email - and generally is unusable. I've been doing battery pulls 4+ times a day just to get the phone re-started when it locks up.

I work for a university and they got me a warranty replacement, which I've had for all of 8 hours. I can already tell that it's not as responsive as the previous Hero before I "upgraded" it. I'm just hoping it won't be as consistently laggy and non-responsive as the upgraded one.

My advice to anyone reading this thread - if your phone has not been upgraded to OS 2.1, DO NOT DO IT. Wait until a couple more updates are available...my experience has been completely bad.

Right now I can't wait for another update, hoping that it will resolve all the lag and hangup problems created by 2.1.

From scanning this forum, it doesn't appear that this has been the case for everyone, which is good - I'd hate to see everyone having the problems I am.

Unfortunately, I don't believe there will be any other updates for the Sprint Hero:(
 
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Unfortunately, I don't believe there will be any other updates for the Sprint Hero:(

He's right. The likelihood of any further significant upgrades for the Hero isn't likely to happen. I've had many frustrating moments when I upgraded mine to the 2.1 updates... my phone and I had a love-hate relationship, and I was desperate for the time to pass by in order for me to get a new phone (if I hadn't already thrown it in the ocean).

Trying to configure your 2.1 applications and settings can become a daily maintenance. I decided put 30 minutes aside and root my phone about two months ago, and installed the CyanogenMod 6 ROM on there.. this is running Android 2.2 Operating System, which Sprint will never released to the HTC Hero simply because it's becoming an outdated phone. The results? It's fast, hardly lags, and feels like a brand new. I'm not so much in a hurry anymore to upgrade to the EVO or Epic 4G, and I'm extremely content with the speed and what my phone can do!

Bottom line: if you want the best HTC Hero experience, you should probably start looking in the All Things Root section of the forums and begin a little research. The forum members have always helped.

FYI, I'm a tech-saavy guy. My brother is not at all. If he could do it, I'm sure you can too ;)
 
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Ironically, another maintenance release is on the horizon for the Sprint HTC Hero: http://androidforums.com/sprint-htc-hero/182494-hero-maintenance-release.html .

Of course, I cannot verify that this would fix all of the issues that the original poster is experiencing. I really had no major issues following the update to Android 2.1 on my Sprint HTC Hero. I did do a factory reset before applying the update. I am not sure that is why it went so smoothly, but many people said it also helped them when they were performing the installation of Android 2.1.
 
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rssolo, I think you've finally convinced me to root this P.O.S. I have come dangerously close to smashing the phone a couple of times. I don't want to abuse my little buddy. I want to fix it.

Together with my kind nurturing we will explore the world together, rooted.

I shouldn't have to do this. I should have paid $175 for a WORKING operating system. It's me, the lowly consumer, however, that made the mistake of purchasing a phone that would fall victim to its scrawny .5GHz processor ineligible for the 2.2 upgrade.
 
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Just make sure you do your homework before doing so, as there seems to be many thoughts on rooting or not, so make sure you understand the process, and read up on the proper files, I would suggest you post in the rooted section, and explain what your main issues are and what rooted Rom would be good for you ti install for your issues. There are also many videos out there on you tube that will walk you step by step, good luck and report back if you decide to go to the dark side, but don't be shy to ask any questions if you are not sure before you root, will save you a lot of headaches


rssolo, I think you've finally convinced me to root this P.O.S. I have come dangerously close to smashing the phone a couple of times. I don't want to abuse my little buddy. I want to fix it.

Together with my kind nurturing we will explore the world together, rooted.

I shouldn't have to do this. I should have paid $175 for a WORKING operating system. It's me, the lowly consumer, however, that made the mistake of purchasing a phone that would fall victim to its scrawny .5GHz processor ineligible for the 2.2 upgrade.
 
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Ironically, another maintenance release is on the horizon for the Sprint HTC Hero: http://androidforums.com/sprint-htc-hero/182494-hero-maintenance-release.html .

Of course, I cannot verify that this would fix all of the issues that the original poster is experiencing. I really had no major issues following the update to Android 2.1 on my Sprint HTC Hero. I did do a factory reset before applying the update. I am not sure that is why it went so smoothly, but many people said it also helped them when they were performing the installation of Android 2.1.


So, you must just look at your homescreen all day, cause everything I do takes longer than it should. 20 seconds to call, 15 seconds to pull up my contact list, texts are missing, GMail app crashes every 30 minutes. Deleted emails attached to old threads are lost in the deleted items folder. The phone will flicker from screen to screen as the internal memory continues to eat itself every 2 weeks from the internet cache piling up. What else... there's no built in video software or file manager (idiotic), the camera software is awkwardly designed...

Anyway...
 
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So, you must just look at your homescreen all day, cause everything I do takes longer than it should. 20 seconds to call, 15 seconds to pull up my contact list, texts are missing, GMail app crashes every 30 minutes. Deleted emails attached to old threads are lost in the deleted items folder. The phone will flicker from screen to screen as the internal memory continues to eat itself every 2 weeks from the internet cache piling up. What else... there's no built in video software or file manager (idiotic), the camera software is awkwardly designed...

Anyway...

I am sorry you are having issues with Sprint HTC Hero. I only stated my personal experience because it was a contrast to the original poster. It was not meant to be a personal shot at anyone because they are suffering through a difficult time with their handsets. I empathize with the people who are having a tough time getting what they want out of their smartphone purchase. :)

By the way, I do way more than just "look at my home screen" as you put it. My Sprint HTC Hero is my computer away from my computer, so to speak. I run a lot of apps and several widgets and I have had a good experience performance and battery wise with it. As for your issues with a lack of file manager and the camera, that can be easily remedied by visiting the Android Market and doing a quick search. ;)
 
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After three days with the replacement Hero, I can attest that it's no better than the "upgraded one". It's typical for it to take 20-30 seconds to open a mailbox, and another 20-30 seconds to open an email. If to respond to an email, I often get a black screen for 20+ seconds before it opens the screen for a response.

I've called our telecom unit and told them they're getting the Hero back. Suggesting that I take time to set up a phone every day is ludicrous - and I have no use for a device that doesn't perform as designed. Rooting a phone is something I have no interest in or time for. If it were my OWN phone and I were stuck with this situation, I'd certainly try it rather than eat the cost of a replacement - but it's not.

I realize that I'm very fortunate in two ways: first, this phone isn't on a personal contract, it's with a university. That university has enough clout with Sprint that they can pretty much tell them to eat a phone if it's not working.

Second, I'm a tech specialist with the university and I have an absolute requirement for a phone that works dependably and immediately. I also have plenty of budget to deal with this, and I can't screw around with something that's not working. If the phone company wants a penalty for taking the Hero back, I'll just sign the purchase order and pick up the new phone. I care about the money I spend, but in my business, I have no tolerance for a malfunctioning electronic device. I don't tolerate them - I have them repaired or replaced immediately.

I thought the Hero was a first class device with its original OS - I liked it better than any phone I've ever used. With the 2.1 OS, it's useless. HTC ought to take every one of them back and give the owners different devices.
 
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Perhaps you should wait and try out the new maintenance release that Sprint and HTC are pushing? It says it eliminates dialer lag and it could also fix other lag issues too. :)

It is too bad you have had such a lousy experience with your Sprint HTC Hero. Honestly though, I think a lot of the people, on these forums at least, are fairly happy with their purchase, especially if they are rooted. :D
 
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I'm sure that many people are very happy or there would be more threads like this one. However, to say that a phone is acceptable after it has been rooted is not acceptable to me. Average users cannot do that - and they should not be stuck with phones that do not perform as designed.

It also is not acceptable to wait days or weeks until HTC patches this. I and my university depend on this phone as a lifeline to keep hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment working....it has to work NOW. At least four times today, it locked up for a minute or longer when trying to open or reply to emails - one such lockup required a battery pull to restore function. Completely unacceptable.

I worked a deal with our Telecom department today to ditch the Hero and get an Evo, as I like the form factor and Droid system. I am also making it a point to tell all the Hero users I know NOT TO UPGRADE their OS. The fact that it made one phone unusable and the replacement with the same OS is also unusable makes it clear to me that the OS is the problem.

I do very much appreciate the thoughtful responses, and hope that all of you continue to experience great functioning. I'm not sure whether my experience is an outlier or not, but since it has happened to two phones I suspect it's not.
 
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I'm sure that many people are very happy or there would be more threads like this one. However, to say that a phone is acceptable after it has been rooted is not acceptable to me. Average users cannot do that - and they should not be stuck with phones that do not perform as designed.

I just suggested rooting as a possible alternative since you seem to have a major problem with the stock build of Android 2.1. I was not suggesting that it is a requirement for enjoying the user experience of this handset. :)

I am living proof of someone who is actually happy with the stock Android 2.1 build. I have had nothing but only the smallest of quirks to contend with since day one and after the Android 2.1 update. I am not bragging here, but I just wanted to report how my experience with my Sprint HTC Hero has been since February. That being said, I am interested in rooting my handset, but only for the possibilities that it opens up for me, not because I am dissatisfied with the product. Again, I am sorry your experience has been so utterly disappointing, but that is why I suggested rooting because it really is so easy now that even a novice can do it in under fifteen minutes and, not to mention, the support on these forums is phenomenal. It was just a thought. ;)
 
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It's awful your experience has been what it has, Powellae. I don't get it, especially when a replacement phone suffers the same fate. My wife and I have had 2.1 Heroes (2.1 originally from Sprint) for a few months and like them a lot. They have slowed down over time, but nothing at all like your experience, I'm happy to say. E-mail loading is nearly instant, messages are never lost, etc. We do run a program killer to close out all the stuff that loads when booting, but that's about all we've done to massage the phones. I can't imagine why you've had so many troubles with multiple devices. I hope the Evo works out for you.
 
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I just suggested rooting as a possible alternative since you seem to have a major problem with the stock build of Android 2.1. I was not suggesting that it is a requirement for enjoying the user experience of this handset. :)


AH! I misunderstood. Sorry about that. Good clarification. I'm not going to worry about it because I'll have an Evo by next Tuesday. Today I had numerous lock-ups that required me to sit the phone down for 5+ minutes, but I only had to do one battery pull when it completely refused to respond. I'll be able to put up with it over the weekend when I'm using it very little.
 
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AH! I misunderstood. Sorry about that. Good clarification. I'm not going to worry about it because I'll have an Evo by next Tuesday. Today I had numerous lock-ups that required me to sit the phone down for 5+ minutes, but I only had to do one battery pull when it completely refused to respond. I'll be able to put up with it over the weekend when I'm using it very little.

Well, since your giving up on the Hero, root it;)
 
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