Vodafone’s UK operation has been forced to re-issue a software update for Android phone users after a wave of complaints that the update they were expecting contained a range of Vodafone 360 applications that they neither wanted nor were told about.

Owners of the HTC Desire handset were expecting the Android OS update dubbed ‘Froyo’. But what they got, according to angry forum posts, was a variety of Vodafone graphics, applications and bookmarks which could not be uninstalled. While Vodafone initially refused to modify the update, the depth of bad feeling created by the manoeuvre left it with little choice but to backtrack.

“We’ve listened to feedback from customers on a number of points around the recent 360 Android 2.1 update and made some changes to the roll out plan,” the firm said in a post on its HTC Desire forum.

“The Android 2.2 update for Vodafone HTC Desire users will be based on the HTC open market version of the software and we will customise it to ensure our network settings are installed. For customers who have downloaded the recent 360 update for Android 2.1, we can confirm that the Android 2.2 update will remove the 360 applications and will leave the homepage and bookmarks on your current settings.”

The offending 360 applications will be available as a separate download for any interested customers at a later date, the post said.

The new, 360-free Android update is expected to be available to users within the next seven to eight days.