Vodafone suspends HTC Desire update

HTC Desire owners with Vodafone have reported serious post-update problems

Vodafone has temporarily suspended its 2.1-Update1 for the HTC Desire after users continued to vent their frustration 48 hours after the release of the branded update.

Customers have complained on the Vodafone Forums that the phone has become slow to boot, that SMS notification sounds have disappeared and that messages are being duplicated.

"Vodafone has temporarily suspended the rollout of the upgrades and is looking into customer reports into the possible impact of the software on device performance," a Vodafone spokesman told V3.co.uk.

"At the same time we are continuing to work with Google and HTC to make the Android 2.2 update available as soon as possible."

Customers also seem to have confused the update for the latest Android 2.2 Froyo version.

Other complaints concerned the changing of the web homepage, and the addition of bookmarks to sites including Flirtomatic, Match.com and MySpace, all of which cannot be removed.

However, the update was always going to come, as Vodafone announced at Mobile World Congress that the HTC Legend and Desire would both ship with its 360 services preloaded.

The Legend was shipped with the 360 software, but there was a delay in making it available on the Desire.

Users can choose whether or not to upgrade to the Vodafone 360 apps, but once updated they cannot be removed.

Some customers are stating that 'rooting' the device will remove the apps. However, Vodafone advised against this, stating that any warranties may be void if this step is taken.

Rooting the device may prove futile in the long run anyway, as Vodafone is planning to incorporate its 360 platform into the Android 2.2 Froyo update.

"The 360 service has been created to provide additional functionality and give customers choice. It is not designed to replace any features of Android 2.2," the spokesman said.

There is no concrete release date for the Android 2.2 OS, but it is likely to be in the next few weeks.

HTC announced last week that the Android 2.2 upgrade would be rolled out over the weekend, and it appears that Vodafone's timing for its own upgrade could not have been worse, and that the content may have to be reviewed.