This Six-Year-Old Phone Now Runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Advertisement
By Akhil Arora | Updated: 7 December 2015 16:32 IST

Surprise, surprise. The HTC HD2 - ranking high on all-time popularity in the phone modding community - now runs the latest release of Google's mobile OS, Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Members of XDA, a 6.6 million-strong software development community, reported last week that they had managed to successfully port the CyanogenMod 13 version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow onto the now six-year-old HTC HD2.

Advertisement

As would be expected from a phone of its time, the only functional aspects of the HD2 on Android 6.0 are the display screen, audio, and Wi-Fi.

The device first saw the light of day with Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional. For 2009, the HD2 packed quite a wallop. Not only was it the first smartphone with a 4.3-inch screen, it also shipped with the Taiwanese corporation's now distinctive user interface: the HTC Sense.

Advertisement

But Microsoft dropped support for the device barely four months later and the device still runs Windows Mobile 6.5 officially. Unofficially though, the HTC HD2 is in a league of its own.

The phone was ported to Android 2.2 Froyo in August 2010. Following that up, Windows Phone 7 and Nokia's Linux distro MeeGo became publicly available five months later.

Advertisement

Reports of it running Android 2.3 Gingerbread started filtering through in February 2011, and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich found its way before the year came to an end.

Notably, the smartphone in 2012 also received a proof-of-concept build of Windows Phone 8. All versions of Android 4.x Jelly Bean could run on the HD2 by August 2013. Between all that, even Firefox OS was made to work on the then four-year-old smartphone.

Advertisement

The saga was far from over though as owners were able to experience Android 4.4 KitKat - currently the most popular version of the OS - in December the same year. The device saw Android 5.0 Lollipop in the beginning of 2015, before the release of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow build last week.

Expect the phone to be in the news when the next version of Android rolls around. For now, the HTC HD2 is the phone that lived.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. How Instagram's Edits App Evolved Over the Past Year and What's Next
  2. Oppo Find X9s With Triple 50-Megapixel Cameras Launched at This Price
  3. Microsoft Cuts Xbox Game Pass Prices in India, Global Markets
  4. Sennheiser CX 80U, HD 400U With USB Type-C Connectivity Launched in India
  1. NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finds Crater Filled With Sand, Alters Drilling Plans
  2. Control Ultimate Edition Arrives on iPhone and iPad With Touch Controls, Universal Purchase
  3. Asus ExpertBook Ultra With Intel Core Ultra X7 Series 3 CPU Launched in India Alongside ExpertBook P3, ExpertBook P5 Series
  4. Boat Aavante Prime X Soundbar Launched in India With Dolby Atmos, Wireless Satellite Speakers: Price, Features
  5. Qualcomm CEO Reportedly Visits Samsung Foundry in Korea to Discuss Producing 2nm Chips
  6. Coinbase Announces USDC-INR Trading Services for Users in India
  7. Redmi K Pad 2 Launched With 8.8-Inch 3K Display, Dimensity 9500 Chip: Price, Specifications
  8. Suyodhana OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch This Telugu Mystry Thriller Online?
  9. OnePlus Watch 4 Launch Appears Imminent as Listing Confirms Snapdragon W5 Chip, OxygenOS Watch 8
  10. Sennheiser CX 80U, Sennheiser HD 400U With USB Type-C Connectivity Launched in India: Price, Features
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.