We’re going to do it. We’re going to sit here for the next couple of hours and update our HTC Desire with the new 2.3 update that’s just been released by HTC today. Here’s what happens. The update may contain swearing as we’re not particularly technical when it comes to things like this.
Here’s what you need:
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HTC’s Desire 2.3 bundle from the HTC Dev site
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HTC Sync for the Desire
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A PC, USB cable and some precious time
Also, just so you know, our HTC Desire is a standard O2 branded model complete with O2 boot screen and the original, untouched, official 2.2 release. Oh yes, we like to keep things official.
To explain the process for anyone unsure what to do – this update comes as an executable PC file, which updates your HTC Desire over a USB connection. You download the stuff, open it on a PC, then run the “RUU_HTC Desire Android 2.3 Upgrade (Gingerbread).exe” file while your Desire is connected via USB.
AGGGHHHHH. So be prepared for this to take quite a long time. You need HTC Sync installed on your PC as well as HTC’s RUU file, which is another huge 150MB+ download, plus your HTC Desire needs to have at least 30% of battery power to initiate the update process.
Meet the criteria, though, and it’s an easy task. The updater tool walks you through the steps and it’s entirely automated. Just try not to panic.
And this is it. Version 3.14.405.1 according to the updater. As mentioned by HTC, the big omission here is the Facebook app, which you now have to install yourself if you have nothing better to do with your phone’s memory.
The O2 branding has been removed as well, leaving us with a generic HTC Desire that features the HTC boot screen. HTC’s Peep Twitter client is still on here, as it HTC’s App Sharing tool, plus Footprints and its Friend Stream social aggregator.
Fast boot! That’s a new thing. Gmail, YouTube and the Maps suite remain, although HTC’s Flashlight app has been removed – but the APK is supplied in the update file if you want to install it yourself.
Given the absence of a detailed changelog from HTC, we’re not entirely sure what else has been chopped. Flash Player support is still in, which is good news – although the 10.3 update that’s on the Android Market will need to be installed if you want the latest version, which will significantly eat into your available memory.
There are no newer HTC Sense features. The Notifications panel is unchanged, as is the boring old HTC Sense lock screen. Those hoping for any of the jazzy newer Sense tools or apps will be disappointed.
Phone performance is as solid as ever. We never had any issues with the HTC Desire on 2.2 and it seems as fast and robust as ever. But bear in mind we’re literally tearing through it as fast as possible and have only had it for about an hour…
We’re showing 117MB of app storage space available, that’s with only Quadrant installed to take the above benchmark and iPlayer to see if Flash content works. Any questions?
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HTC is very much B-A-C-K at the top of the Android world with this, its quad-core flagship for 2012. Great camera, huge 4.7″ display and Android 4.0 running beautifully well.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
Thomas S
/ August 3, 2011Can’t go back on 2.2 :/
Simon Baynes
/ August 3, 2011Does wireless tethering work? The reason I went to Cyanogen was because Orange crippled it.
KTP
/ August 3, 2011The one thing that makes this whole upgrade worth while: FACEBOOK App removal.
I’m not sure since when, but now I can’t uninstall that ZuckerShit app (which I may add, stupidly installed a while bback from the marked (not the built in stuff).. which takes large amounts of precious space and just plainly sucks. Now the only option is to nuke the last update, with best regards from, Mark “all your base is belong to us” Zuckerfocker.
Google+ all the way.
Chris
/ August 4, 2011Newbie upgrader.
I am really keen for this upgrade from 2.2 specifically to fix the Bluetooth reboot issue.
Instructions in the post state: “You need HTC Sense installed on your PC as well as HTC’s RUU file, which is another huge 150MB+ download,..”
I do not quite understand this as Sense is loaded on the Phone only. Where do I get HTC sense to install on the PC? Or is this not quite correct & a cut down sense is actually part of the EXE install? There is no reference to Sense in the PDF within the download.
Can someone kindly point me in the right direction?
RP
/ August 4, 2011I’m assuming it should say HTC SYNC
Gary C
/ August 4, 2011Yes, yes it should :(
Chris
/ August 5, 2011Thanks Guys, I hadn’t thought of that!
Once I have checked & noted my T-Mobile Settings, I may go ahead this weekend.
vince
/ August 6, 2011just want to ask if its true that if you install an app and you used a App2SD to transfer it to phone memory, all will be transferred to MMC and the only thing that will be left on the phone memory is the image of the app.
Phil
/ August 22, 2011I have just updated my Desire A8183 (frequency 855/2100) to gingerbread 2.3 (previously it was and Australian Telstra phone), all went super smoothly except when I looked at the new phone identity on the phone it says it is a A8181 (900/1900 bandwidth).
Previously I read that a firmware upgrade couldn’t change the frequency so I am a little worried.
I am using in New Zealand with Telcom which works on frequenct 850/2100. The phone is working but I’m not sure if it is just picking up 2100 frequency shared by Telecom NZ and Vodafone or ir I have actually changed the phones frequency or whether the identity has just incorrectly changed without the phones frequency changing?
Does that make sense?
Has anyone else had the same experience?
Pete
/ August 30, 2011Beware using HTC Sync to backup your contacts. I did it before updating, tried to sync back and it just gives me an error but does not say what the problem is. I still have everything on my SIM card, but now comes the monotonous job of re-entering all those contacts as the full-featured Android ones.
Pete
/ August 30, 2011Turns out everything WASN’T on my SIM (forgot I changed providers a short while back), but HTC Sync did at least copy my contacts across to the PC because I found them in the Windows Contacts folder. Had to export them to my MicroSD as vCards and import them using the phone contact manager. Annoying but got the job done.
Nat
/ October 19, 2011The easiest way to keep your contacts is to have your gmail account synced. After the upgrade, all your contacts etc with be sent back to your phone.
georgia
/ October 30, 2011might be a silly question but is there anyway to update the phone without it being on? my desire keeps constantly rebooting itself and it cannot get to the home screen so i have to take the battery out for it to stop rebooting. i have been told that if i update the system it should work again?