The HTC Desire Froyo update has begun rolling out on unlocked versions of the phone, and with it come a clutch of new features, not least proper Flash video support. But it’s not just the stock Google extras: there’s a whole bevy of secret tweaks Android aficionados have already discovered, and we’ve got the best of them here. These might just put the HTC Desire ahead of the slimmer, sexier HTC Legend, and even the Samsung Galaxy S.
As always, the place to go for the full list of improvements, features and flaws of any individual Android handset is the XDA Developers forums, where HTC Desire owners are crowdsourcing a change log of everything the HTC Desire Froyo Android 2.2 update brings. You can check it out here, but we’ve rounded up the most exciting additions below:
Better battery life
This one will be a boon to any heavy use HTC Desire owners. While we loved the phone with Android 2.1 Sense, it’s also one of the biggest battery gannets on the market today. We can’t confirm this yet, but multiple tipsters are now saying their HTC Desire Froyo phones are seeing better battery life than under Eclair – though of course mileage varies greatly. Let us know how you’re finding your HTC Desire holds its juice.
Improved social networking
HTC Sense is already one of the best customised Android skins for Facebook and Twitter addicts. The Friend Stream app now shows much more details on posts, including comments on a Facebook updates and the number of thumbs up. HTC Desire Froyo updaters are also reporting that bugs preventing linking to Twitter contacts properly have now been fixed too.
Multimedia overhaul
While the HTC Desire Froyo update doesn’t bring native video support to rival the Samsung Galaxy S, it does flick on 720p HD video recording, something we knew was possible from previous Android 2.2 HTC Desire custom ROMs. The big news though is Flash 10.1 support in the browser, which should mean you can play just about any streaming video found online, even if there isn’t a HTML5 friendly version (Which the iPhone 4 requires). Just remember to turn it on in the settings! The BBC has also updated iPlayer to Flash 10.1, so while we can’t confirm yet, it should run just fine in the browser.
Extra HTC apps
While some people might genuinely rejoice at the addition of a custom calculator widget for HTC Desire Froyo phones, the one we’re most happy to see reports of is WiFi Hotspot, which uses the phone’s 3G connection and shares it out to other devices around you, like laptops or iPads. True, other Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S already have it, but the more the merrier, we say. HTC Share, the app for sharing Android Market links introduced on the HTC Wildfire, has also made the cut – it sounds pointless but if you and a friend own Android phones, it’s much easier than recommending someone navigate the Market’s awful UI.
Have you got the HTC Desire Froyo update yet? Notice anything else? Shout up below in the comments.
