• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

O2 Firmware

Fonzig

Fonzig

Member
Hi all,

My contract expires with O2 (UK) this Friday (9thDec). I will be upgrading from my DHD to an SXE.

Does any one know if O2 have there own firmware loaded or do they use HTC's generic firmware?

Im just wondering as I know Carphone Warehouse sell them with HTC's firmware, but they are expensive, but O2 can give me the phone cheaper but will it have O2's firmware?


Thanks for your time guys.
 
I'm using a sim free XE bought from CPW, there was an OTA immediately on starting the phone. After updating, my software now shows as below. Maybe the O2 folks could confirm their software details?

AOqH1.jpg
 
Thanks for replies guys.

Just spoken to Luke @ HTC support, seems he didn't have the latest version:

Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
You have been connected to Luke.
Luke: Hi Lee, thank you for contacting HTC Support, I am looking in to your query now.

Luke: The current software for the xe is 2.3.5

Lee Foster: Hi Luke, I'm after the RUU number.

Luke: There is no RUU they are OTA only

Luke: The software number is 1.50.401

Lee Foster: I know, but is the latest version 1.73.401.4?

Luke: That is from our Kit phones, I have not seen any new updates for the xE

Luke: The software on our phones is 1.50

Lee Foster: Ok, could the version I have be a carrier version?

Luke: what software version do you have?

Lee Foster: 1.73.401.1
Luke: hmm, maybe I t needs up update one moment

Luke: an update*

Lee Foster: Ok................

Luke: Yeah it does

Luke: 1.73.401.4

Luke: Is the latest sorry about that

Lee Foster: Ha ha, No worries Luke. Thanks for time & help.

Luke: I am happy to help and glad your issue is now resolved. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Lee Foster: Thats everything, Thanks Luke.

Luke: Thank you for contacting us. I hope you have a great day.

(After this conversation is closed you will be invited to complete our Customer Satisfaction Survey which should take less than 1 minute)
Please give us a score from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest and 1 the lowest) and leave any additional comments for anything you feel would help improve our service or to tell us if you are satisfied with us.

Thank you for contacting us. To allow HTC to continue to improve our service can I ask that you complete a very short satisfaction survey by clicking here.
 
Mine is a SIM free XE and only has v2.3.4 on. Checked for updates and none shown. How come? I'm in UK btw
 
Well, I went to the O2 store yesterday to get my SXE.

Looks like O2 have their own fimware: 1.73.206.3

Looks like I'm gonna have to try to root it to get the stock rom.

Any body know where to start?:confused:
 
why dont you go to cpw and just upgrade through them,that way you get an unbranded phone,thats what i did to get the desire at 1st.
 
Fonzig said:
Well, I went to the O2 store yesterday to get my SXE.

Looks like O2 have their own fimware: 1.73.206.3

Looks like I'm gonna have to try to root it to get the stock rom.

Any body know where to start?:confused:
Click to expand...

Did you get notification of an update after you'd set up the phone? I know that I did on my sim free phone, but I don't know what the software number was prior to the update. I was wondering if you'd get the update and it would match theone I posted earlier.

You should visit xda for the rooting info Sensation Android Development - xda-developers
 
I went back to the O2 store yesterday & spoke to the sales guy who sold it to me.

He said that the phone was branded with O2's own firmware, not HTC's stock ROM. So I said I didn't want the phone & that I want to return it.

Long story short, they excepted the return in the end & put me back on my original tariff.

I then had a two minute walk across the retail park to Carphone Warehouse & upgraded there, which I should have done in the first place;)
 
Fonzig said:
I went back to the O2 store yesterday & spoke to the sales guy who sold it to me.

He said that the phone was branded with O2's own firmware, not HTC's stock ROM. So I said I didn't want the phone & that I want to return it.

Long story short, they excepted the return in the end & put me back on my original tariff.

I then had a two minute walk across the retail park to Carphone Warehouse & upgraded there, which I should have done in the first place;)
Click to expand...

If you do not mind me asking, what is the difference between the two firmwares? Coming from an Orange phone back to O2 I am glad I do not see all the garbage Orange puts on the phone. O2 seems to have left the phone untouched. No?
 
What's the big deal with having the generic manufacturer firmware instead of the network one? What kind of 'garbage' do networks actually put on the phone? I have an O2 iPhone (shortly upgrading to an O2 SXE) and I've never seen anything O2 specific on there. Is it really that big a deal that you felt you had to return the phone!?
 
Tattycakes said:
What's the big deal with having the generic manufacturer firmware instead of the network one? What kind of 'garbage' do networks actually put on the phone? I have an O2 iPhone (shortly upgrading to an O2 SXE) and I've never seen anything O2 specific on there. Is it really that big a deal that you felt you had to return the phone!?
Click to expand...

In case of Orange, they put all sorts of stuff in that are useless and slow the phone down, effectively crippling its capabilities. I am with you on this one for O2. I have not noticed any branded apps or restrictions on the phone because of the firmware.
 
I would always recommend NOT buying direct from a network. Not only are their tarrifs more expensive than EXACTLY the same tariff from e.g. Dialaphone, but when you buy from a reseller you get an unbranded phone which isn't locked to a network.
The advantage is you can pop any sim in and it will work, you'll pay less, and you get updates as soon as HTC release them. With a network branded phone you get updates much later or not as all (no incentive for them to adapt the update to their custom bloated firmware).
 
I don't agree about it being cheaper. When my contract was up I naturally looked around for the best deal. Of course I do agree about waiting longer for updates, and I may well eat my words when ics comes and I have to wait but £25 a month for 600 mins cross network, free phone, unlimited landline anytime, unlimited data( well, 1gb but won't be charged if I go over which I never did during my last contract) 500 texts also I think, although I'm not a big texter. I couldnt find a better deal anywhere.

I don't see any T-Mobile bloatware on here...I might be wrong.

The way I see it about updates, if I really care about getting ics immediately I can root, or wait, which incidentally I don't thing any of the carriers are going to take as long as they have in the past with this one, I think they will be competing with each other to be the better customer considerate company. Am I being naive? We'll see over the next month or so after HTC bring ics to the xe.
 
There doesn't seem to be any O2 apps or other rubbish on their firmware.

So why have O2 amended the stock ROM?

This is why I would rather have the HTC stock ROM.

Plus the fact that O2's customer sevice is the worst in the indusrty whenever I've called about handset problems.

:)
 
Agree about all the rubbish Orange add to the phone. Had that with my Desire. When I upgraded to the SXE, bought phone through phones4u. No bloated Orange stuff.
 
I had the XE with the o2 firmware version.....didn't notice any o2 garbage on the phone apart from a logo on startup. Rooted it and installed firmware v1.73.401.4
android 2.3.4. Not much differrence apart form the o2 splashscreen on boot up.....so it cuts that down by about 15 secs lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom