The estimated early second quarter launch of Android 2.1 for the HTC Hero smartphone is fast approaching, however according to an article over on Engadget, their sister site Engadget Chinese has been tipped of about the official HTC release date.

Apparently the Android 2.1 update for the HTC Hero release date was issued on Taiwan’s popular Twitter-ish social service known as Plurk and announced that the HTC Hero will gain Android 2.1 on the 26th of April 2010 in Taiwan.

Which should mean that once the update goes live in HTC’s home country we should see the Android 2.1 update for the HTC Hero go global about the same time and with the latest version of Sense UI as well.

That is of course if you haven’t yet already hacked it onto your HTC Hero, but if you haven’t you can expect it in April or early May.