HTC Hero is here - £399 SIM Free

[Hands0n]

Shameless plug for a Google Android handset from the stables of HTC, who have led the Android pack of one to date. Hats off to HTC then for releasing their third handset, the Hero.

Seriously people, if you have never used Android then you really do not know what you're missing. It is a bit good ;) and a real delight to use.

Expansys, not my favourite store for prices, have the HTC Hero out for £399.99 (http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=184566&partner=uknews) SIM Free which is precisely £100 cheaper than the Nokia N97 and light years ahead of it too :D (in my opinion).

At this price it is highly competitive with all of its competition, such as the iPhone and even its siblings the G1 and HTC Magic. Being SIM free you can stuff any SIM in there that you like and enjoy the benefits of your favourite mobile network provider.

Check out the link if you're interested, meanwhile a few snippets to keep you going ...



With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand.
It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including a GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory.

HTC Hero - Highlights:

Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution
Platform Android™ - Touch-sensitive front panel buttons responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media
Network Surf and download at broadband speed with HSPA internet connectivity
GPS Intgrated GPS antenna, Google Maps enhanced by the wide screen viewing platform
Camera 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus for quality stills and video
Connectivity Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g), Bluetooth 2.0, Built-in 3.5 mm audio jack


Note that last bit - finally HTC have fitted the ubiquitous 3.5mm audio jack instead of the mini-USB connector for headsets. That was a major criticism of the HTC Android handsets to date. Well done HTC, thanks for listening.


NB: Those screen shots, if anyone is wondering, are of the upcoming Google Android version 2.0 software codenamed Donut. This will be available to all Google Android handsets later this year and has a strong focus on Multimedia. The current firmware is version 1.5 (Cupcake).

[Ben]

Cool, bring on the Android's :D

I'm still biding my time waiting for something that really excites me. I doubt it'll be built by HTC, though. They seem to forget to bring the soul every time.

[getti]

The Hero is a kick ass handset and is really going to shake things up. Android is a great new OS and with the new HTC layer on top adding more social networking and customization the Hero will be a BIG BIG seller.

Looking forward to getting one to try at work

[miffed]

I am getting a little confused with my OS's here - I thought that picture (and indeed the Hero was supposed to be running) the Google-less version of Android ? with MS exchange support and Quick Office etc ? (chances are I've got this wrong ! :D )
These features are interesting IMO , because if they take off , I could seriously see HTC dumping Microsoft , which would also be interesting as it may have the knock on effect of MS developing a "zune phone" of some sort - (hey , I know the zune is pants , but a mobile phone offering based around that would be more interesting than current WM devices !!)

[Hands0n]

No, thats not the "Google-less" version at all - that is what they've been showing as version 2.0 (Donut) in all the stuff that I've seen so far. If that is the case then we'll see that on all of the Android handsets of the day. I think you're okay with MS Exchange (essential for Enterprise acceptance) and Quick Office as a means of working with documents.

I'm not sure if HTC have the kahunas to dump MS, and they've recently pledged their aliegance to the OS. So I suspect that for the forseeable future we'll continue to see HTC/MS product.

Gotta laugh at the prospect of a Zunephone - I'd stay away from it like the proverbial plague. I remain to be convinced that MS are capable of doing anything reasonable with hardware.

[@NickyColman]

Really tempted i am!

I've got the iPhone 3GS at the moment, but where i work, signal on O2 is atrocious meaning any sort of communication is utterly pointless (PUSH messaging is out of the question as well as internet access).

Only -T-Mobile, Vodafone & sometimes Orange offer decent coverage along with data access where i work.

Seen the videos of it in action, it looks terrific. Its integration with social networks is seemless and very "Pre-like" and its UI is very similar to iPhone. But i think its the customisation that wins out over any other feature.

I think the Hero teamed with a Sim-Only deal could be a VERY tempting deal indeed!!

[Hands0n]

Have you had one in your hands yet?

I would be quite tempted myself also - perhaps outing the HTC Magic on eBay (it is unlocked by Vodafone as supplied) and using the proceeds to help fund a Hero :D

If you do get one do let us know on here .... there aren't enough Android users on Talk3G yet. Are there Miffed? :D

[@NickyColman]

@Hands0n

no, not yet I've not. But I'm very very very tempted. I'm curious how it'll work with Android updates. Eg will HTC's Android version be updated at the same time as the default Android OS.

Plus, I've not seen much about battery life which is important to me!

Anyone any idea how much power funding this Hero has?

[miffed]

If you do get one do let us know on here .... there aren't enough Android users on Talk3G yet. Are there Miffed? :D

No mate :D

I admit to being a little side-tracked by the 3GS , - I reckon the Magic (or any Android device) would make a GREAT main device , but I have to say that having one as second fiddle to the iPhone is not so ideal.
I find myself getting frustrated with the Magic , and even finding it fiddly in comparision to the iPhone - If I simply used it on its own I'd have gotten used to it's OS and be loving it , but as things stand I find myself looking at it thinking "Now how the hell do I do that again ? " - which is a little unfair really as it is without doubt one of the most intuitive devies I have owned.

I have just been traling the net for a complete step by step walkthrough WRT flashing the Magic with the Hero's ROM

(see here )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AI2c8QmM-0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fandroidcommunity%2Ecom%2Fhtc%2Dh ero%2Drom%2Don%2Dhtc%2Dmagic%2Dvideo%2D20090630%2F&feature=player_embedded

...But I am not sure anything I have seen is straightforward enough for me yet :o

[Hands0n]

All of the Android OS updates are OTA - and they tend to be by country or region, I'm not entirely sure how they do this but I believe it is handset dependent and not mobile network operator tied. This I glean from reading the Android forums where people have Jailbroken their Androids (G1s mostly) and still received the regions/nations version of Android 1.5 "Cupcake".

My guess about battery is that it will be no better nor worse than the HTC Magic.

[gorilla]

I had a play with a mates HTC Hero and I was impressed. He's had it for 2 weeks and he hasn't rebooted and it hasn't crashed. So that's a good start!

Here's a very brief mini review:
1st up form factor: quirky! Like all other HTC handsets, it is not the prettiest, however it sits very nicely in the hand.
2nd touch screen: very good. I don't think it matches the 3GS, but it is still very slick and intuitive.
3rd OS speed: very responsive and comparable to the iPhone. Apps load in similar fashion. However, the HTC multi tasks, which makes the overall experience faster than the iPhone. Yes folks, here we have a clear winner. Multi tasking is very much alive in smartphones today and on the Hero it works very well.
4th media: as you'd expect from a non apple phone. It's drag and drop, but playback on the device is similar to the iPhone i.e. flick through album art etc.
5th sync. All done wirelessly. Do you hear me Apple? That means contacts, calendar, email all syncing nicely with the google cloud. Ok Ok that's pretty standard on the iPhone, but can you download podcasts on the fly on the iPhone? Not if they're over 10mb - stream away (for some reason) but not download. This means that I have to sync my iPhone with my Mac every day. Every day. #fail !
Need an OS update - wireless...this makes this phone the idiots phone, always up-to-date without the user even being aware. Powerful stuff.
6th App store. It has one, might not be anywhere near Apples App store, but I think everything is covered.
7th on screen keyboard: similar to the iPhone. I didn't have much of a play, but it worked!

I'm at the point where I wish I had waited before buying the 3GS. I would have saved £50 and got arguably a better phone. And that from someone who loves the 3GS.
Unless Apple come up with something extraordinary in the next 9 months, I will have an Android device this time next year.

If anyone has any questions, I'll try and find the answer for you! (about the HTC Hero of course ;) )

[Hands0n]

Thanks for the mini-review gorilla. Your thoughts and opinions echo mine with the HTC Magic, all save for the extraordinary speed that the Hero is supposed to have. With the Magic things are slightly more pedestrian, but then better than the G1. So I suppose the HTC development is, like Apple's, somewhat evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

I think that anyone buying into Android will not likely realise what they may be missing in the Apple iPhone. But users of the iPhone, if my experience is anything to go by, will be pleased but slightly bemused by Android. It is good, very good indeed, but not quite up to the Apple OS. But it is damned good all the same :)

[gorilla]

Isn't android 2.0 coming out soon? I think that will pit the two on a more equal footing. The next 12 months will be crucial for Android. If they get the developers building apps and more handset launches then they will become a major force.

[Hands0n]

What is not clear [to me] is whether Android 2.0 will be an update for all Google Android handsets such as the G1 and the Magic, or whether it will be for the Hero and later only.

Android 2.0 is supposed to be a fairly significant multimedia update - although for the life of me I can't really see what is needed. Maybe I'm missing something :)

[miffed]

Everything I am reading suggests that "Donut" wil actually be 1.7 (or whatever) and not 2.0 .. And that it will not be for google flavoured handsets

This confues me even more ! (hands0n) if you are saying the OS on the Hero IS google flavoured ? -


I'm confused :confused:

[gorilla]

This is what's wrong with Android. They should all run the same distro and the hardware manufacturers should just make the hardware. I'm sure the networks are applying pressure as well though.

Imagine BT or Virgin selling crippled landline phones or sky and talk talk supplying routers and phones that were locked to their network, there would be outrage.

[miffed]

Whoah , my experience today surprised me !

I saw a few dummy handsets of the Hero in CPW , and I have to say ......I don't like it !!

I am now happy to say that I'd choose the Magic over the hero every time. The aesthetics of the hero sort of remind me of this !! :D

[getti]

I also prefer the design of the Magic over the Hero

[miffed]

I must add that going by the pictures on the internet , I loved the design of the Hero , and was contemplating ebay-ing the Magic to buy one .... but in the flesh the design simply doesn't work for me .
Lets just hope an Android update for the Magic (by hook or by crook) becomes available !

[Hands0n]

There is a Hero ROM update out in the wild for the Magic :D with some very favourable comments. Even the OTA updates work ok!

[Ben]

I still maintain that it's other manufacturers that will be the 'hero' of the Android OS. I wont be taking a HTC unless pushed very hard (and if I wind up with one of the Vodafone femtocells in order to get mobile coverage at my new house, that may well be hard enough - time will tell).

[miffed]

There is a Hero ROM update out in the wild for the Magic :D with some very favourable comments. Even the OTA updates work ok!

Interesting ! Got a link mate ? ...I have just read that HTC have confirmed that Google branded handest will NOT get an official update :(

....So looks like its the only way !

[Hands0n]

@miffed - Fill yer boots lad :D http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=531617

Do tell how you get on, if you venture into this new territory :)

[miffed]

Well, spent the best part of a day on this (on and off) , and now I have officially given up
My Magic has reported a variety of errors , ranging from suggesting that the update.zip doesn't exist , to "No signature" - I searched XDA developers for a solution and was unable to find on , Posting a question on there is akin to begging for abuse - so I have given up.
From what I am guessing , I need to "root" the device first , which involves installing the SDK on a Windows or Linux PC , - My two PC's are packed and I can't be bothered with unpacking them !
I give up !

[Hands0n]

Hmmm - If I get a chance over the weekend I'll give it a go and if it works I'll certainly let you know :)


Good luck with the move :D

[Hands0n]

TR have put together a short 3 minute video review of the HTC Hero here --> http://www.trustedreviews.com/video/HTC-Hero-Android-Smartphone--G2-Touch-

But for goodness sake don't click on the links to the sellers on that page - they're almost £100 more expensive than you can get the Hero from anywhere else!!! Expect to pay around £370 at the moment for a SIM-free unit. A quick search of Google Shopping produces nice results --> http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=htc%20hero%20phone&cr=countryUK%7CcountryGB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf

Cheaper on eBay too - but be careful, quite a few are now turning up SIM locked to T-Mobile and Orange.

[@NickyColman]

Carphone Warehouse are doing the HTC Hero on a £30 per month plan, unlimited texts 300 mins for 18 months with Vodafone! Handset is only £79. I SO WANT!

[@NickyColman]

Update;

Mobiles.co.uk are offering a HTC Hero on a £15 per month tarrif. 300 mins and unlimited texts. £149 for the phone. On Vodafone.

Or £35 for 12 months and £19 for the phone.

But are they trusted? Seems too good to be true?

[miffed]

www.mobiles.co.uk offer the same deal but with 600 mins for the same price

IIRC they are affiliated with CPW aren't they ?

[@NickyColman]

They are, but according to ReviewCentre they have been slated! So not so confident.

I dont want to spend £££ for a Hero. I want to see if i can grab a 12 monther for around £20.

Unfortunately, i think majority of cheaper deals involve suspect website and redemption offers - something im not even going to consider lol!

[Hands0n]

Whatever you do make sure "Unlimited" mobile broadband is included or you'll be into some serious extra expense on the phone bill!!