Like your Android phones a little bit cool and a lot cheap? The HTC Tattoo is the perfect handset for you. Already on our radar as a hot handset to watch, the Tattoo is set for an October release on Vodafone.

With a 2.8″ resistive screen, the Sense UI that made people go weak at the knees for the HTC Hero and a 3.2 megapixel camera, the Tattoo also manages to exude a sense of style thanks to replaceable covers and a 3.5mm headphone jack for the music lovers out there.

Even more exciting, the Tattoo is aiming for that lucrative lower-end of the market by targeting the youths with an impressive, and affordable, Android device.

We wait with baited breath to see if the Tattoo materialises on prepay shedules…it has the potential to be a far less regrettable purchasing decision than indelible graffiti on your skin!

The Android-powered HTC Hero has only had one major fault levelled at it since release (apart from that opinion-splitting chin), that of the unique ‘Sense’ interface feeling a tad sluggish and unresponsive to use.

Following on from HTC’s own attempts to pimp out the Hero, Orange has released a fix on the official site, allowing users to upgrade their firmware for a boost in speed as well as the odd tweak in other departments.

The process is fairly simple, but be warned that the update will delete all your data, so be sure to back up you contacts and saucy texts beforehand…

The T-Mobile G2 Touch – the network’s take on the HTC Hero – is a little more liveried up with carrier-specific functions, and in turn seems to require a lot of tinkering before the release of a performance update.

With T-Mobile asking customers to sit tight on their forum, it looks like the G2 will see its update brought forward from an initial October/November release to the next couple of weeks, keeping up with the HTC Hero’s new go-faster stripes as well as calming the crowd of pitchfork-wielding Touch owners.

The debate of whether network-specific firmware is detrimental to phone features is a fair one, but at least the respective carriers are making a concerted effort to appease impatient owners this time.

Source: Register

The update takes Rosie to the next level, making the phone a no-brainer for those looking for the slickest phone experience that isn’t Apple flavoured.

It seems like an imminent US release will be met with a nice shiny software update. Nice to see that the Brits only ever get things first when acting as guinea pigs…

Source: MoDaCo via Gizmodo

The HTC Hero is now out on Orange, offering the next gen of Android with a slick new interface and a great form factor. Available online and in stores (although not my local in Camden, where the guy had NO idea what I was on about), the handset is available for free on deals from £29.36 per month.

The HTC Hero packs a 5-megapixel camera, 3.2″ touchscreen and GPS in a gunmetal finish, and is an Orange exclusive.

T-Mobile, however, has a very similar handset coming soon called the G2 Touch, and will still have the Sense UI and slick form factor.

With Android handsets coming from the major manufacturers in the next few months, this could be the watershed moment for Google’s new platform!

HTC Hero deals are available from Omio.com now!

Whilst not due for release until the end of the month, they have recently come into possession of the brand spanking new HTC Hero, and are doing the decent thing and poring over every facet for our amusement.

The form factor comes under thorough scrutiny, as does the new Sense User Interface, HTC Footprints and the profile-based customisable homescreens.

Sit back and watch the future of Android! Well, the soon-to-be present for the UK and Europe (and past for savvy Rosie firmware/T-Mobile G1 hackers), but you get what I mean!

When talking to Pocket Lint about the slick new HTC Sense interface on the Hero, CEO Peter Chou made mention of it becoming available on handsets already on the market!

“HTC Sense will be available on some other existing devices”, he confirmed at the HTC Hero launch. He was more reticent to mention which handsets will be blessed with the update, but was adamant that they are in shops now.

Since we can count the number of HTC Android handsets currently available on two fingers, it is highly likely that the ‘own brand’ keyboardless HTC Magic will see it, as opposed to the ‘T-Mobile G1 With Google’.

I’m sure there’s a very real reason that the ‘with Google’ tag stayed there for a reason, and a new firmware might just break the very specific G1 agreement.

Still, we know that there are other ways to make it happen…

UPDATE: Confirmed. As we thought, got a ‘with Google’ phone? This ain’t for you.

A good look at the latest build, complete with Twitter client and more detailed look at the home screens.

Sad part – unscrupulous folks have managed to leak Haykuro’s ROM, and his general loss of faith in the community has made him upset enough to take early retirement.

We’ll miss your updates, Haykuro, you made our G1s much happier when you were around!

The Rosie version of Android may ditch the dessert-based naming conventions, but it makes up for it by being awesomely awesome! Watch out for the smooth rotation of the images, finally a handset catching up with the iPhone!

I know it might all just be mock-ups for the camera, but it’s gonna be close…

Good ad for it got leaked, Android Community did the right thing and stuck it up!

I don’t know, might go for this instead of the Magic as my Android upgrade…what about you guys?

Another of HTC’s Android devices has found a home, with Orange UK snagging the recently leaked HTC Hero.

T-Mobile has their exclusive G1 phone, whilst the HTC Magic has gone to Vodafone and the iPhone is O2 property (for now). Finally, Orange has a handset which finally can allure consumers, aside from the prohibitively expensive i8910 HD.

Is it too late for the power of Android to convince anyone?