[kardking]

Like many Three customers I've waited for the Froyo 2.2 update for the HTC Wildfire. Early January we learnt that Three would even start testing it until 7th January. I spoke to three contact centre and was told the update would be available at the end of the month.

Yesterday, I called customer services and was told that they had received a revert from tech support confirming that there was a delay in the release and it would be available on the first week of February. Today, Three's blog team state there is no delay.

Now, the incompetence of customer services. I contacted them this morning to ascertain what was going on. The first woman I spoke to had no clue, told me to go and check the Android market, then HTC. I finally said to her, if she wasn't sure it would be better if I spoke to her manager. She went away, came back and said the update was released today and went through the steps I needed to download it. Brilliant.

Did as she suggested and got the message no update is currently available. So I called back and this time spoke to a chap. I asked the same question and he was just as clueless. So I asked to speak to his manager. He went away came back and said his manager had told me to check their website. I pointed out that I wished to speak to his manager. Whereupon he then told me what the previous adviser had stated. I was furious. I then asked again to speak to his manager and said now you can fully understand why there are so many complaints about Three's call centre in India. At which point the adviser stated I had made a racist comment and disconnected the call.

What rubbish. I had to complain to the floor manager to carry out an investigation. Ultimately, the Froyo 2.2 upgrade is still not available.

[Hands0n]

Hmm, I can understand the frustration but ... Customer Services, in my experience, are not equipped to handle such questions. In fact, I personally wouldn't bother with wasting the time, even if the mobile network operator is paying for the call. Your direct experience had me nodding away as I read it, thinking to myself "uh huh, yup, no surprise there" :)

That is not to demean your experience at all. But in my opinion no Customer Service operative is going to know the status of firmware updates - it is all far too new and the operators have not geared up with the necessary information channels, let alone the information itself.

If, that is a big if, the Froyo update for the Wildfire is indeed released today that still does not mean that you'll receive it today. The new OS is not located on any servers of Three - it will be on Google's distribution servers somewhere on planet Earth. And the release to the handset staggers over a period of about two weeks, generally. At some point the update will be dropped onto your handset and an advice left in your Notifications bar.

Alternatively, you can try and prompt for the update by performing a "Checkin" with the servers by dialling *#*#2432546#*#* (that is 'checkin' on the number pad). When you hit the last * symbol there will be a pause and you should then see an exclamation mark in a triangle on the Notifications bar with the message "checkin succeeded". And then you wait. You can repeat the Checkin as many times as you like. Again, the results are not instantaneous, nor are they guaranteed.

Latest News
Now, having said all of that - I find on the web that Three will push out the update from Monday 1 Feb 2011 (see http://top10.com/mobilephones/news/2011/01/android_2_2_hitting_htc_wildfire_on_3_on_monday/ )

3 will push out Android 2.2, AKA Froyo, to the HTC Wildfire on Monday, the carrier’s press people have told Top10.com, bringing a host of awesome new features to the handset.

Previously
Yesterday the news was less optimistic

Although Three pledged to get Android 2.2 to its HTC Wildfire customers by the end of January, the network has revealed that “minor problems” have caused the update to be delayed.

It’s a familiar scenario for Wildfire users, who have been waiting for the update since November last year. Three’s recent Tweet is sure to dishearten users of HTC‘s mid-range smartphone further, as the network admitted it does not currently know the time-scale for the release.

Source: http://www.dialtosave.co.uk/mobile/news/2011/01/27/android-2-2-for-htc-wildfire-delayed-by-three/

So, make of it what you will. Next week should see the release of Android 2.2 for the Three version of the OS.

My golden rule is to not call Customer Services unless all other avenues are exhausted. It only ends in tears. Mine :rolleyes:

[gorilla]

I know this thread is a couple of weeks old and probably resolved, but I'm going to leap to the defence of three here!
In this case I don't think three have any obligation to update the phone's firmware. You buy the phone as is.
Having said that, I like many people have come to expect firmware upgrades (blame Apple) and would expect my shiny new smartphone to be upgraded to the latest and greatest.
However, the reality is very different. If you want to update your phone I would recommend you do it yourself and don't wait for official firmware from three.
As far as I know HTC have released official 2.2 firmware for this phone and you might be able to upgrade yourself via your PC.
If that doesn't work use the unofficial method and root, and install a custom ROM. It might not be "recommended" but I and many other people have done this without trouble. Just see instructions over at XDA (http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=701) or google it.

Whether this is a satisfactory conclusion for you or not, I would be less quick to blame minimum wage call centre staff who are not trained to deal with this type of call. I don't mean to come across as blunt, but we here really want to help fellow mobile users and sometimes going outside the official channels can actually benefit the end user.
In terms of updating firmware, there is plenty of experience here to help you get started or at least point you in the right direction. So feel free to ask questions!

[Ben]

Sigh, it's true. While it'd be nice to expect the networks to be up to speed with this sort of thing, and that all phones would be regularly updated to keep abreast of new developments, I think it's reasonable to say that the phone you buy is the phone you get.

The only real option for somebody who wants relative certainty that their phone will be updated throughout its usable life is an Apple iPhone, or, though to a lesser extent IMHO, a Google branded phone.

[Hands0n]

Actualy, Gorilla is quite right. The regular CS team at Three (and other mobile network operators for that matter) are not geared up to prove smartphone support. I would not even consider calling them other than to arrange a warranty or replacement.

There is so much that is possible with the current range of Android in terms of alternative ROMs that it is almost crazy holding out for the mobile network to get round to it. Cyanogen now has ROMs for quite a few handsets and the list seems to be growing all of the time. And with the independents you are always likely to be able to access the latest and greatest Android version - albeit if you are prepared to take a chance with the early versions. The more conservative among us can opt for the Stable releases.

[wings911onfire]

the froyo 2.2 update is available and can be updated..there are 1000's of people on 3 who are updating their wildfires to the 2.2 update..... it is htc which rolls out the update which is compatible with the 3 generic s/w ,if not available htc needs to be contacted in regards to it as 3 doesnt manufacture HTC fones.it is HTC that manufactures htc fones..

[Hands0n]

It may well be HTC that manufactures the handset but it is customised by HTC to a very specific requirement placed upon them by the mobile network operator, Three in this case. It is then entirely up to Three to influence HTC when to make available the Three-customised Android OS for the handset.

You will observe that the handsets bought SIM-free and without any operator branding receive the Android updates far earlier than any that are branded for the mobile network operators.