Vodafone has started pushing out the Android 2.2 Froyo update to the HTC Legend -- and amazingly, it seems to have appeared before HTC has updated unlocked handsets.
In a surprising turn of events, the Vodafone and XDA Developers boards have lit up with delighted Vodafone users expressing their surprise at receiving the Legend update, as well as unlocked Legend owners wondering what the hell has happened.
Poster Johnny Truant (we're guessing it's not his real name) wrote on the Vodafone board, "Confirmed here too, [Android] 2.2 running on my Legend right now. Pleased as I am to have 2.2 -- and it does all appear to be working -- this smells all wrong. Since when did the branded firmwares come out first?"
Mr Truant added that the release seemed to be only for Vodafone-branded phones in the UK, France and Germany. He also wrote on the XDA Developers' board that Vodafone seems to have learned a lesson on sticking its branded junkware on the update, which many people had been complaining about.
"There isn't any. Well, there isn't any more than before. There are the pointless Vodafone apps like 'Music' and so on (which obviously don't work), plus the start-up animation, but apart from that -- it's very clean. I was expecting some kind of Desire/Galaxy S style branding spamathon, but it seems Vodafone have learnt a lesson on that front."
Mr Truant believes the release was accidental on Voda's part. We don't think this is the case, as HTC already said it would be rolling it out around this time. But we're stunned that Vodafone got the update out first. This is something of a coup for the firm, and will mean owners with unbranded handsets will look at contract owners with much less smugness.
At a guess, Vodafone may have noticed and listened to the very vocal complaints about the length of time it took for owners with locked handsets to receive updates, compared to people with unbranded phones. A quiet word in HTC's ear may be why Vodafone HTC Legend contract owners are feeling so happy today, and could well be something we see again in the future.
Virgin Media HTC Desire owners also received their Android 2.2 update today, according to Eurodroid, well behind customers of other networks.
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Comments 6
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Anonymous 15 November, 2010 16:53
balls.
thats one of the few reasons I went and got it from play.com
Anonymous 15 November, 2010 19:02
wow, pretty nice new 2.2 adds live wallpapers, app sharing and wifi hotspot to the HTC Legend.
Robin Merrett 15 November, 2010 19:03
My new Desire HD on Vodafone contract arrived last week and I am amazed to find that there is absolutly zero Vodafone branding or garbage on the phone at all! Its just Froyo & HTC Sense only! Well pleased. My last phone, a Sony, was full of Vodafone junk I could not get rid of. It seems that Vodafone have listened to their customers at last. Well pleased.
ekinlock 15 November, 2010 23:33
Well thats a poke in the eye!! i have a sim free Legend and have been checking every morning for the last week for froyo with no luck, Lo and behold it pops up on voda handsets, this sucks sucks sucks...
weaz1981 16 November, 2010 09:57
Well I was all ready to jump ship after the Magic never even got 2.1 but if they have revised their strategy with updates I might just stick with them.
The question now is do I upgrade at the start of Dec (earliest opportunity) or stick with my ye olde Magic until Feb when I might have some more bargaining power and the chance of some Gingerbread phones?
Anonymous 19 November, 2010 07:13
Yes Vodafone have given us the 2.2 update for the legend but my phone is worse now than before, I have no privacy settings now, no screen lock wallpaper, no 10.1 flash player. Basically it looks like Vodafone have approved this without fully testing, my phone seems worse now than before the update, it looks like it does not have any of the froyo benefits, I will be paying vodafone a visit.