HTC have released new firmware for the Orange version of the HTC Hero. The software – version 2.73.61.66 for Orange – is available to download from HTC’s support site; however it looks unlikely to be the much-anticipated Android 2.1 firmware update.

The previous ROM for the Orange version of the Hero was 2.73.61.5, meaning this is likely a very minor update. However HTC do not indicate what particular changes have been made, so we’ll have to wait until an Orange Hero owner updates and lets us know any differences.

The HTC Tattoo is already about to arrive unlocked and on Vodafone but look, it’s coming Orange too!

Standing proud on the coming soon pages the Tattoo is the “HTC Android device for the masses” and will go head-to-head with it’s Windows Mobile cousin, the HTC Touch2. The Tattoo has aGPS, a 3.5mm audio jack, 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera, 2.8″ resistive 240×320 screen, G-sensor, WiFi, compass and a 528Mhz CPU.

Orange and T-Mobile are the third and fourth largest carriers in the United Kingdom, but the two divisions of parent company France Telecom and Deustche Telekom will undertake a joint venture to make their new company the largest mobile operator in the UK. They’ll jump from almost worst to first with a combined base of 30 million subscribers.

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French website Mobinaute have discovered that Orange France plan to launch six new Android powered handsets in 2009, including the HTC Hero which was revealed back in January by HTC’s leaked 2009 line-up.

According to the leaked information, the French Orange network will see Android powered handsets from Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Samsung and HTC.

Orange France already have one Android phone on their network, the HTC Dream (G1), and plan to follow that up with the launch of the HTC Hero. According to the unnamed source the HTC Hero release will be followed up a few weeks later by an HTC Android phone in a different form factor.

Orange France have also confirmed to customers that the Android ‘Cupcake’ update will be made available to Dream owners in late April, with another ‘major’ update due in May.