You'll notice that one of the shots is in landscape mode. Be Geek, who scored the images, suggests that Sense with Android 2.1 will either support accelerometer-controlled landscape rotation, or HTC might have another landscape-slider planned. Time will tell. [Be Geek via SlashGear]

Sprint will also make you grab a data package: either the Everything plan with data (which now has free calls to any mobile number), or the Business Advantage message and data plan. Off contract, the HTC Hero $480.

It may not be as polished as the iPhone or Pre, but the Hero's HTC Touch UI supports beautiful multiple desktops, social networking, and variety of Android enhancements. See our full review: Sprint Hero: Faster, Stronger, Uglier. [Sprint]

• The 160GB Archos 5 tablet is leaving Amazon's warehouses now, but you'll have to wait if you want to pick up other capacities. The guys at T3 posted a review that out own Joanna Stern summarized. T3 called the Archos "pocketable" and "well-built," but the lack of a real app marketplace is a bummer. If that doesn't bother you, go ahead and grab one now for $390. [I4U]

• Garmin's nuvi 1690 is shipping, and comes bundled with 2 years of nuLink service. That gets you access to traffic, weather, and other internet connected goodies through AT&T's network. After the two years are up, though, you'll have to start paying $5 per month for the service. Keep that in mind as you stare down the 1690's steep $500 asking price. [GPS Track Log via Ubergizmo]

• A quick note to Best Buy Rewards Zone members: you can grab an HTC Hero on Sprint two days before the wide launch. (Thanks Charles!)

So nice of Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam to keep them warm until we get our hands on them. [Verizon via Boy Genius]

Update: Boy Genius is reporting double confirmation that the HTC phone is in fact the Verizon edition of the HTC Hero, and that it will be out in November.

I said the original version of the Hero was "daring" and "ambitious, but tragically flawed." (Read that review first.) If it was Batman, the Sprint Hero is Superman: Nearly perfect, but goddamn boring. HTC has taken the striking, aggressive angles of Hero v1 and flattened them out into a rounded, far more generic looking phone. It's not hideous, but it's lost its power to captivate as a geek fetish object.

Everything else about this version of the phone is better: The software, which is exactly the same content-wise on the HTC front as the first Hero, has been seriously optimized, so it doesn't suffer show-stopping slowdowns anymore, even with a full set of HTC's widgets running. Speedwise overall, it's about the same as a G1 running the stock Android OS—bearable, but not exactly a blitzkrieg. (The iPhone 3GS is way faster, to compare.)

Interestingly, while HTC says the hardware is exactly the same—except for the CDMA chips to get it on Sprint's network, obviously—there are some differences we noticed. The screen, while the same size, actually seems to look a little bit better on the Sprint model. Not worlds better, but if you look close, the difference is there. The colors are a bit more saturated, the viewing angle a little wider. Also, it's got a bigger battery: 1500 mAh, compared to 1350 before. The bigger trackball is a plus, since it takes less thumb movement to get around, meaning less carpal tunnel problems in the future.

And, while it's very possibly firmware at play, the 5MP camera shoots, on average, about twice as fast as the first Hero, and the metering in low light seems to be way better, too. Both of the shots above were taken using the same settings on each phone, with the old Hero running the original firmware it shipped with. (Still not great, but better.)

The only real new bits, software-wise, are a handful of pretty standard Sprint apps: Sprint Navigation, NFL Mobile Live, Nascar, SprintTV and Device Self-Service. Everything else, from the keyboard to the multitouch browser looks the same, just faster (and in the case of Flash in the browser, more reliable too, since we could actually watch videos this time around). Which is dandy, since HTC's Sense UI, with its multiple desktops, social networking integration, widgets for weather, Twitter, settings and other enhancements, made Android great.

The real power of this Hero is that the best Android phone you can buy—it's everything good we said about the first Hero, but with our biggest complaint, speed, fixed—is on Sprint and its solid 3G network—making it the first U.S. Android phone outside of T-Mobile—and it's $180. Plus, the required Sprint Everything now has free calling to any mobile number, not a bad perk.

The princess might not kiss this Hero because it's kinda ugly, but at least it'll actually get the job done now. If you've been waiting for an Android phone not on T-Mobile, or one that's finally just about ready for primetime, this is it.

HTC's Sense UI makes Android way more usable and adds useful features like social networking integration

Almost all of original Hero's problems are fixed

Android kinks, like no easy way to update all apps, meh store interface aren't polished over

Jumbo trackball and more logical front placement marred by cheap front plate

Hardware blobbified into something boring and dull, not daring and awesome

Still not as polished as iPhone or Palm Pre
[Sprint]

News of this magical speed salve got Hero users, current and prospective, a wee bit excited last week, but the lack of a firm release date beyond "soon" kept us all on edge. Well, the update is making its way out as we speak across HTC's international sites. A direct link isn't yet live on HTC's British site, but rest assured: Someone over at XDA has already cobbled together a custom, English language ROM based on the new update, available now.

Or, you know, you could also wait a little while—probably just a few hours—for the official English update to go live on HTC's site. [XDA Developers]

They've also confirmed that they're the only non-Sprint-store retailer that'll have the Hero. Aaaaand Sprint stores will be handing you a rebate form to take home, so, well, you've got a pretty obvious choice to make here.

Sprint's Hero is a bit blobbier than HTC's original, but it also looks less chinny—an HTC design quirk that's starting to get on some people's nerves—and at any rate, there isn't a whole lot of the Hero that isn't the screen, so aside from the shuffled hard buttons, this redesign shouldn't change too much in terms of usability.

Wisely, Sprint left the Hero's guts—hardware and software—intact. That's the same 3.2-inch multitouch capacitive screen, the same 5-megapixel camera, the same microSD slot (Sprint throws in a 2GB card for free), the same 3.5mm headphone jack, the same multitouch browser (no mention of Flash support though) and the same Sense UI, which converts Android into something unexpectedly beautiful, but tragically sluggish. And since this thing obviously supports EV-DO, we'll finally get to play with it on proper 3G.

Whether or not they'll be able to load HTC's latest Sense update—the one that fixes basically every complaint we had with the original Hero, including slowdown—before the handsets ship is still up in the air, but in any case, it's coming eventually.

The $180 price assumes a 2-year agreement at a minimum of $70 a month, and that you've got the initiative to mail in a rebate form, though just like with the Pre, there's a good chance retailers like Best Buy'll just take care of this for you. Like the Pre, the Hero is eligible for the $100 Everything plan, which is just about the best deal going for obnoxiously talky/texty types.

So, uh, Sprint's kind of killing it these days, no? They've got their iron grip on the only two smartphone underdogs anyone really cares about: the first of which made all the other carriers' Palm phones look pathetically lame; and the second of which looks like it'll sucker-punch a complacent T-Mobile right off its Android throne—especially considering the fact that Sprint's priced this thing a few bucks below T-Mo's categorically less good MyTouch 3G. It may have taken a year, but this whole Android thing is finally getting interesting.

The best bits of press release below. [Sprint]

The Innovation and Openness of a True Mobile Internet Experience Coming Soon to America's Most Dependable 3G Network from Sprint on HTC Hero with Google

Sprint's first device with the Android™ platform available Oct. 11;
Pre-register for HTC Hero today at www.sprint.com/hero

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sept. 3, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and HTC Corporation today announced the upcoming arrival of the first wireless device offering the combination of the open and innovative Android platform with the high-speed connectivity of America's most dependable 3G network1 (EVDO Rev. A), HTC Hero™ with Google™. Offering a rich mobile Internet experience, the much-anticipated HTC Hero offers synchronization for built-in Google mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, and YouTube™ as well as access to thousands of applications built on the Android platform.

Beginning on Oct. 11, customers will be able to purchase HTC Hero through all Sprint retail channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partner Best Buy for $179.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/hero.

Access to countless applications
As a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance™, Sprint is actively engaged with the Android community. Through Android Market™, HTC Hero users have access to more than 8,000 useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come. Thousands of developers are working to introduce new Android applications every day.

Intuitive, user-focused and fun
HTC Hero is the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allows the device to be completely customized to the wants and needs of the user. The device's seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.

HTC Hero users can easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play. For example, a work Scene can be easily set up to include stock updates, work email and calendar, a play Scene could have music, weather, and a Twitter feed or a travel Scene could offer instant access to the local time, weather and maps.

Industry-leading features
HTC Hero features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder. It also offers easy access to personal and business e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging through POP, IMAP, and Exchange Active Sync accounts.

HTC Hero is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi capability, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capability and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS navigation, and trackball navigation. Additional features include:
Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 Wireless technology
accelerometer, light sensor and home screen widgets for improved usability
multimedia capable with microSD slot (32GB capable, 2GB included)
Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and Twitter
visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages

HTC Hero requires activation on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Sprint's Simply EverythingSM plan provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, e-mail, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and much more for only $99.99 per month. That's a savings of $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan2. Sprint Everything Data plans with unlimited messaging and data start at just $69.99 for 450 minutes with unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m. (All price plans exclude Sprint surcharges and taxes.)

RyeBrye has pieced together an Android app that does all the rooting legwork, a process that used to range from mildly intimidating to headache-inducing. In either case, the prospect was always daunting for the mainstream, which kept the joys of an unbound Android from most G1 and MyTouch owners. With this app, here's the new, streamlined procedure:

• Download "Recovery Flasher" From the Android Market (or sideload it)
• Run it
• Tap "Back up recovery image"
• Tap "Flash Cyanogen Recovery 1.4"

Seriously, that's it. Now your Android phone is splayed wide open, and ready for you to have your way with it. But, uh, what does that mean, exactly?

Plenty of things! The biggest draw to rooting is the ability to install a new ROM—in other words, replace the operating system on your phone. There are two ways to go with this, both equally awesome. The first is to go with a super-customized community ROM. These are tweaked and enhanced versions of the phone's default software, often grafted with pieces of Google's forthcoming updates to Android, some near, some far, and all dessert-themed. Practically, this means multitouch—since the G1 and MyTouch already support this on the hardware side—app storage on SD cards, tethering, more home screens, new system keyboards, and perhaps most importantly, vastly improved performance. A lot of users say using one of these is a night-and-day difference, and given the kinds of things the HTC ROM community has done with Windows Mobile phones, I'm inclined to believe them.

Your second path is to go full Hero—in other words, to install the HTC Hero's heavily customized OS, which is nothing short of fantastic, and about to get even better. This is a full phone conversion, and even in its current, slightly precarious state, well worth it.

In either case, you're going to need to choose a ROM, download it, and put it on your phone's SD card. You can select from an expansive list here—for reference, the MyTouch 3G is also known as the Magic 32B—but as far as non-Hero ROMs go, your best bet is the near-legendary, well-supported CyanogenMod. The newest release, out just two days ago, is fully compatible with the G1 and MyTouch. But don't stress too much over which ROM to choose, since changing them over is a breeze now that you're fully unlocked. An overview from Android and Me:

• Power off your phone.
• Boot into recovery mode. Press and hold the Home key, then hit the power button.
• Before you flash a rom file, perform a wipe. Press Alt+W to wipe the data and cache folders. You must wipe when going form different builds of Android.
• Wait for the wipe to finish and the recovery image to display again, then select "apply any zip from sd". Flash the zip file of your choice.
• After flashing any zip you should be able to reboot your system and watch it load to the home screen.

You'll want to read their full rooting and flashing guide for caveats, but that easy little list there is about the size of it.

A few more reasons to root that don't involve totally flashing your phone:

• Full backups to SD cards
• Wi-Fi tethering!
• Autorotation for all apps
• Install apps to an SD card

This alongside a treasure trove of smaller tweaks and tricks you can find at the every-active XDA forums. And of course, it should go without saying: this is potentially risky, and could brick your phone. The rooting process is almost foolproof, but before you jump in, make sure you've got the right hardware (American MyTouch 3Gs and G1s only) and have backed up any important data. Happy hacking! [RyeBrye, AndroidAndMe]

From the review in July:

The Hero is flawed, though, in ways that are truly depressing in light of its potential and how much it does get truly right: It's often sluggish, which absolutely destroys the user experience. It's a particularly unfortunate affliction as the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre emphasize speed, making the Hero feel that much slower.

This was all but a dealbreaker, this frustrating slowness. But! Paul at MoDaCo has a preview of HTC's forthcoming update, which was vaguely announced yesterday, without much mention of what it would actually do. Now we know: It's about speed. And as someone who's been using a Hero for a few weeks now, this video makes by fingers tingle, ever so slightly.

Best of all, this update, due in a few weeks, looks like it could be ready before the Hero even shows up on whatever US carrier it's destined for, by which I mean, Sprint. Now, excuse me while I go remove the asterisk from that "Best Android Phone Ever" title. [MoDaCo via Slashgear]

In real terms, this means you'll be able to port the Hero's fantastic Sense UI to your MyTouch, as people have been doing on the G1 and the virtually identical HTC Magic for months. Mandatory disclaimer: this could brick your phone, so tread carefully. [HTCPedia via Crunchgear]

This also confirms CEO Dan Hesse's claim that an Android phone would be on Sprint by the end of the year. The question of how this will affect availability of the unlocked 3G version is unclear, but there is a good chance that Sprint will get exclusive rights to the device for a little while at least. Sprint seems like an unlikely choice, but it's clear that exclusivity on high demand handsets is the name of the game these days. And it's not surprising that Sprint would be aggressive in securing a deal given their current situation. [Engadget Mobile via Talk Android]

"This," in case your index finger is tired, is an announcement from the company that they expect their 2009 earnings report to show a decline in revenue, despite expectation for a 10% increase. It might sound surprising, but it's matter a perspective. To a lot of us, HTC bears the scent of a lean up and comer. That's not at all what they are, which is why this all makes sense:

HTC is the world's largest maker of phones using Microsoft Corp.'s operating system, in terms of shipments... "The outlook has softened for the second half of the year, with June being the turning point for HTC as it faced a lot of competition from Apple," said Yuanta Securities analyst Vincent Chen.

The company's trying to play this off as a matter of product delays "lower than expected" contract orders and the like, and analysts are pointing to other companies entering the fledgling Android space, but internationally, HTC lives and dies by Window Mobile. It's not the greatest position to be in, and one they're trying to move from, but as far as 2009 goes, that's their story. [WSJ]