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The HTC Hero is the Taiwanese manufacturer's latest flagship smartphone, a touch-screen device launching in 2009 and attempting to rival Apple's iPhone. Powered by Google's Android operating system, the Hero features a 3.2-inch multi-touch LCD display with a 320 x 480 resolution. Navigation is achieved through a trackpad and onscreen keyboard in addition to the touch screen. The user interface is highly customizable, and aims to integrate basic applications like email and text messaging with social networking services Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter. The Hero enables a variety of multimedia content with support for Flash 9 (and later, Flash 10), not available on the latest iPhone. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera, 3.5mm audio jack, and microSD-expandable storage. Battery life is rated at 420 minutes talk time on WCDMA, and 470 minutes on GSM. It is rumored to have a US release date of October 11, 2009 with Sprint as the carrier.
MSRP --
Release date October, 2009
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Pros & Cons30
Reviews20
Details
Buy It
Competitors13
Related5
Gallery7
Pros & Cons
13 positive
3 mixed
3 negative
![[i]](/images/info.png)
How is the ProSCORE calculated?
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The ProSCORE is calculated based on the ratio of Pros & Cons about this product as voted by
approved reviewers from the ProductWiki community.
ProSCORE = 100 x (Pro votes) / [(Pro votes) + (Con votes)]
Numbers used for this ProSCORE:
Pro votes = 105
Con votes = 39
Total votes = 144
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Details
Features
- Google Android operating system
- 3.2-inch multitouch LCD display (320 x 480 resolution)
- 5-megapixel auto-focus camera
- Trackball
- Customizable 'Sense' UI
- Social networking integration
- Flash support
- 3.5mm audio jack
- microSD slot
- GSM/WCDMA data interface
- Down-link speeds up to 7.2 Mbps
- Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
- 1350 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- 420 to 470 minutes talk time
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This report was started
June 28, 2009 at 6:24 pm by
Kevin90
with the last edit occurring
Saturday, 11:30 AM by
bluplr
This page has been viewed
1932 times,
with
268 edits by
25 contributors.
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Buy It
HTC Hero | White
• HTC Hero Android G3 A6262 Smartphone Unlocked - International Version with No Warranty (White)
• short_description
UPC: 895321000804
EAN: 4710937331172
MPN: HTC Hero (White) - 99HHM005-00
HTC Hero | Black
• HTC Hero Android G3 A6262 Smartphone Unlocked - International Version with No Warranty (Black)
• 8-32 X 1/2" FH Screws (10)
UPC: 660132616328
EAN: 4710937331189
MPN: A6262
Competitors
HTC Hero is ranked 10th among it's competitors.
See the
top picks in
Smart Phones »
MSRP $299.00
Released November, 2009
Pros
- open Android 2.0 OS
- WiFi
- large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)
Cons
- annoying $100 mail in rebate to get to $199 price point
- camera is slow to take photos, properly focusing is hit or miss
- no multi-touch as in the GSM version for Europe (and though Android 2.0 would support it)
HTC Hero
0%
vs.
Motorola Droid (Sholes)
100%
MSRP --
Released November, 2009
Pros
- DivX support integrated (first in Android!)
- 800MHz CPU clock frequency
- microSDHC flash memory expansion (up to 32GB)
Cons
- no (i.e. insignificant amount of) integrated flash memory
- only Android 1.5 (Cupcake) at launch (may be upgradeable if Samsung cares enough)
- slow ARM11 CPU architecture
HTC Hero
0%
vs.
Samsung i5700 (Galaxy Spica)
100%
MSRP --
Releases January, 2010
Pros
- amazingly well designed interface - feels like it's not a Windows based device
- packs a next-gen 1GHz snapdragon CPU
- massive high resolution (480 x 800px) 4.3-inch touchscreen display
Cons
- slightly larger than the iPhone (which is already quite large)
- no internal storage
- Windows Mobile based
HTC Hero
0%
vs.
HTC HD2
100%
MSRP $399.00
Released November, 2009
Pros
- the latest Android operating system (2.0)
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
Cons
- Resistive Screen
- somewhat slow - older processor
- no stand-alone GPS functionality (according to current spec sheet), always need carrier's data coverage to enable GPS
HTC Hero
0%
vs.
LG GW620 (Eve)
100%
MSRP $699.00
Released August, 2009
Pros
- full QWERTY keyboard
- WiFi
- 5MP camera with auto-focus
Cons
- software is still buggy - can lead to freezeups
- enhanced BLUR widgets (eg/ "Happenings") cannot be resized, relocated or removed altogether
- no internal storage
HTC Hero
0%
vs.
Motorola Cliq
100%
MSRP $199.00
Released June, 2009
Pros
- much faster processing
- video recording
- larger storage
capacities
Cons
- no background running apps
- not a revolutionary upgrade
- AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
HTC Hero
60%
vs.
Apple iPhone 3GS
40%
MSRP $689.50
Released November, 2009
Pros
- WiFi
- open Android 2.0 OS
- large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)
Cons
- no Google Maps Navigation
- flash memory isn't integrated into the device, the only option is microSDHC (not as fast)
- all plastic enclosure
HTC Hero
vs.
Motorola MILESTONE
MSRP $199.99
Released June, 2009
Pros
- full 3.5mm headphone jack
- removable battery
- backlit QWERTY keyboard
Cons
- no higher capacity models
- exclusive to Sprint for the first half of 2009
- no expandable memory
HTC Hero
100%
vs.
Palm Pre
0%
MSRP --
Releases December, 2009
Pros
- large 3.5" 800 x 480px touchscreen display
- runs Android OS 1.6
- 5MP geo-tagging enabled camera
Cons
- no physical QWERTY keyboard
- Acer is not known as a quality phone manufacturer (this is among the first few of their phones)
- based on reviews of the neoTouch this probably won't be so great
HTC Hero
vs.
Acer Liquid
MSRP $999.00
Released October, 2009
Pros
- excellent camera: can replace a regular point-and-shoot, though no optical zoom
- modern operating system (Symbian S60 5th Edition: multi-tasking, touchscreen etc)
- powerful processor (ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz)
Cons
- too expensive!
- slow switching between landscape and portrait
- landscape on-screen keyboard is either too small (not full width) or fullscreen (can't see the rest of the screen any more)
HTC Hero
vs.
Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou)
MSRP --
Released August, 2009
Pros
- only Android smartphone with significant (8GB) internal memory (fall 2009)
- 3.5mm audio output
- standard microUSB for charging & PC connection
Cons
- very short battery life (3h) despite high capacity battery (according to reviews like techradar.com in fall 2009)
- annoying functionality of lock button
- OS reportedly not as fast as other Android smartphones on same 528MHz processor
HTC Hero
vs.
Samsung i7500 (Galaxy)
MSRP $700.00
Released September, 2009
Pros
- 3.2" touchscreen display
- full QWERTY keyboard
- 8GB of internal storage
Cons
- not much smaller than the N97
- no lens cover
- keyboard is worse than that on the original
HTC Hero
vs.
Nokia N97 Mini
MSRP --
Released February, 2009
Pros
- 8.1MP camera for large photos and full 720p/24 video
- beautiful 3.7" AMOLED screen with large 360 x 640 resolution
- huge AMOLED touchscreen
Cons
- will be extremely expensive and/or subsidized by long term contracts
- doesn't run a real customizable OS with downloadable applications
- glossy finish, fingerprint magnet
HTC Hero
100%
vs.
Samsung Omnia HD i8910
0%
Reviews
September 29, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
- Support for (even fullscreen) Flash.
- Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
- great integration in social networks
- 5 megapixel camera
Cons
- need a better processor
- No camera flash.
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No
August 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
Cons
- need a better processor
- No camera flash.
- very slow to take photos
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 11, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
- Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 27, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
- Has the most immaculate and original look.
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
August 28, 2009
approved
reviewer
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Pros
- great integration in social networks
- Text reflows when you zoom in the browser so you don't have to scroll left-to-right
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
August 5, 2009
approved
reviewer
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 18, 2009
approved
reviewer
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Pros
Did not agree with any pros
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 10, 2009
approved
reviewer
want it
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Pros
Did not agree with any pros
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
August 21, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- new update coming to fix performance and add java
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
love it
want it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Pros
- 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
- Support for (even fullscreen) Flash.
- Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
- great integration in social networks
- Is not restricted in the media formats it can play, which means (unlike the iPhone) there is less time-consuming file conversion !
- 5 megapixel camera
- First phone to feature the HTC 'Sense' User Interface
- The majority of the apps in the Android Market Place are Free !
- Highly customizable - including time-responsive themes (work, weekend, etc.)
- Text reflows when you zoom in the browser so you don't have to scroll left-to-right
- video recording
- Microsoft Exchange integration
- Trackball that doubles as an alert beacon
- Has familiar "call" and "end call" buttons
- Automatic adjustment of screen brightness using light level sensor
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
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