We’re only days away from the launch of the HTC Droid Incredible, and while we’ve considered adding it to our list of devices to provide coverage and support for, we have one pretty major concern.  As the rumors of Android 2.2 have already surfaced and many are predicting a May release date to developers with a rollout to consumers in just the few months thereafter, will the Incredible ever see Android 2.2 or any other major update?

The newest member to the “Droid” family hits the market on Thursday and will come pre-loaded with 2.1 which brings it up to par with the Moto Droid and Nexus One, but there is still that one major difference which should leave potential Incredible users hesitant.  SenseUI.

In an email exchange this morning with a fellow blogger concerning the Incredible, it was quickly pointed out that the HTC Hero (running SenseUI) who launched as a top Android device, has now completed its year on the market without a single OS update.  That’s right, the HTC Hero is still stuck on 1.5 after having been passed over by 1.6, 2.0, 2.0.1 and now 2.1.

While HTC hasn’t formally blamed its SenseUI for the delay, they did recently drop this apology to Tech Radar…

The integration of Éclair on the HTC Hero took longer to develop than anticipated and we apologise [sic] for this delay.

It’s all speculation at this point as to the Hero’s OS update delays, but after seeing 2 updates to the Moto Droid in just 6 months while running the standard “Google Experience” you have to point out the one major difference which still remains the Sense interface.

So what do you think?  Should Incredible users be concerned?  Will we look back after a year of Incredible coverage and see nothing but frustrated users watching other devices pass them by?

I seriously hope not.

Update: While I focused all of my writing efforts on the HTC Hero apology and update delays, I completely spaced the fact that the Droid Eris continues to sit at 1.5 and has been passed up for updates as many times as the Hero but in an even shorter amount of time.  A second question should probably be asked:  Is it an Android 1.5 or SenseUI issue?  Stay tuned…

The Google I/O event is happening in exactly one month from now and many believe that this will mark the first release of Froyo or Android 2.2 to developers.  It’s pretty well known that Google is also handing out free Nexus One and Motorola Droid devices to all in attendance which we can hope means they’ll all come pre-loaded with the latest OS plus Flash 10.1.

Here are some of the rumored additions expected to come out at Google I/O…

JIT Compiler
This is huge. With JIT enabled (Just-in-time compilation), applications will run a lot faster — like 3x faster. In addition to speed improvements, it has a positive effect on battery life. This feature is all but confirmed by the session list at Google I/O.

Automatic App Updates (more info)
For both application developers, and users, this feature will make a big difference. As a developer, you want your entire user base to be on the latest version of your software if possible — it gives you a tighter grip on the user experience, and makes supporting your software a bit easier.

FM Radio
This one is cool. It’s one thing to have a giant collection of MP3s that you listen to on the way to work — but what if you wanted to hear the morning show, or your local community radio station for the latest in the local independent music scene? You would have to pull out your Walkman.

New Linux kernel
New versions of things like this are good for several reasons — Security, stability, performance, etc. This latest version of the kernel actually uses less RAM — freeing it up for applications to use. This will have an all-around positive impact on your phone.

Flash 10.1 Support
Apple has been ignoring flash like it doesn’t exist. Google is taking another approach, and giving users what they actually want here. People have been clamoring for Flash support on their mobile devices, and thanks to Froyo, they will have it.

I’ve heard that the Motorola Droid has hardware issues which will not allow the FM Radio feature to ever work so if that functionality is added, it could be for the Nexus One only.  And while Flash 10.1 could be released to most of the developers in attendance at this event, it will likely come separate from a 2.2 OTA rollout.

The new kernel, JIT and auto-app updates are definitely huge news though.  Anything to make the system run smoother and faster right?

Source: ZDNet

Made sure to pre-order your Droid Incredible?  “Cheers!” as it appears you will be receiving a free 2GB SD card along with your phone courtesy of VZDub.  This also means that those of you who pre-ordered through Best Buy and couldn’t wait that extra day, will likely not see this freebie.  No word on how long this promo will last and also no word on whether or not this offer stands in stores.  Like I said the other day though, order online and you bypass that awful rebate process.

At the same time, adding a 2GB card onto the formatted 8GB internal storage is still not anywhere close to the 16GB we have on our Moto Droid.  +1 Moto!

Via: Engadget and Phandroid

Seriously…huh?  Motorola and location guru, Skyhook Wireless, announced a partnership today that will strip Google location services from many of its Android-based devices going forward.  Does this also mean that the much anticipated Droid 2 and Shadow devices will likely lose some of that “Google Experience” feel?

Some pieces from the presser…

Skyhook Wireless, the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence, today announced that Motorola, Inc. will deploy its Core Location across much of the company’s portfolio of Android-based mobile devices. Skyhook-enabled Motorola smartphones, which will begin shipping later this year, will have the ability to better support a new wave of location-aware applications by leveraging Skyhook’s precise, reliable, and fast-performing location engine.

And a little more on who Skyhook is…

Skyhook is the recognized leader in mobile location technology and produces over three hundred million location requests every day over tens of millions of mobile devices. The ground-breaking Core Location uses a combination of Wi-Fi, cellular and GPS readings in order to produce a single, accurate location quickly and in all environments.

Update: I should point out that this could mean we’ll still have all Google functionality and that Skyhook will simply run the location services on the phone, which as many of you have pointed out in the comments already, might not be such a bad thing.

The more I think about it, I can’t imagine an Android phone not coming stock with Maps and Navigation.  (Sorry if I had you worried for a second there!)

Feelings on this move?

Source: Engadget

Poor Motorola and this 2.1 update; they’ve reported another delay today via Facebook…

We regret to say the UK 2.1 update has suffered further delays and been pushed back at least another 2 weeks. Additional operator approvals are now required which were not planned for originally. As we don’t want to cause any further disappointment, we will now post about the update only once the launch date is 100…% confirmed. Sincere apologies for the frustration caused and thanks for your continued patience.

So still no 2.1 for the UK and Moto Europe is also going into silent mode until they have an official date.  Can you imagine how much they are hating all this 2.2 talk?

And Canada takes down Europe.

Source: Facebook
Via: Android Central

We could be just a few weeks away from removing credit cards from Google Checkout and attaching Paypal accounts to the Android Market on our smartphones for future purchases of apps.  The Next Web is reporting that one of Paypal’s managers made the announcement at the end of last week during a conference in Amsterdam.

Android users will also be able to use Paypal as a payment method in the Android Market, adding an alternative to Google Checkout transactions.

At the time of writing there are very few details explaining how Paypal’s surprising new service will work. It seems incredible that Paypal have managed to gain approval from both Apple and Google to provide a payment method that directly competes with proprietary services on both Android and iPhone devices.

There has been no official confirmation from Paypal at this time with a release date of any sort for Android, but the rumors floating around keep saying “2Q 2010.”  The iPhone deal sounds much more realistic and you can find all sorts of information leaning their direction, so stay tuned for Android news.

While this doesn’t effect me all that much,  I know that many Android users have long awaited this day.

Excited to hear this news?

Source:  The Next Web

Dear Verizon customers, you can stop holding out for the Nexus One.  Google has officially axed it’s plans to launch it on Big Red, instead, pointing you to the Droid Incredible.  Both the Google Phone page and the Nexus One blog have made this as clear as Kevin Durant over Oden.

Pretty much makes sense right?

Source: Google