Product Face-Offs
HTC Hero
| Specifications | |||
| Camera sensor | 5 MP | ||
| Weight | 135 grammes | ||
| Dimensions (mm) | 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm | ||
| Talk Time | 470 minutes | ||
| Standby Time | 440h | ||
 See all specifications | |||
| Internal memory | 512 MB |
| Memory Card | SDHC 512 MB |
| SAR Level | 1.21 W/kg |
 Hide specifications | |
Tristan François
Updated: September 08, 2009 - Test date: July 23, 2009
Updated: September 08, 2009 - Test date: July 23, 2009
The Hero as a phone
Block your ears!
The Hero speaker is really quite powerful: 20% volume is enough for normal communication.
You’ll also have to get used to the hiss that's hard to ignore once you’ve noticed it.
Synchronisation of contacts with different mail accounts etc. is very practical, as long as you’re using Gmail and other Google services. Otherwise it’s a lot more complex.
Lastly, you’re a bit handicapped by the touch screen as you need to keep your eyes fixed on it when keying a number in.
Something of the Blackberry, something of the Touch, something of the Dream
With its teflon anthracite back and brushed aluminium face, the Hero is largely in line with the aesthetic of the second Touch generation. The only exception is the prominent lower area that is reminiscent of the Dream, the first HTC phone based on Android. This, coupled with the teflon back, does wonders for the phone’s multimedia handling, but is perhaps less practical for
making and receiving calls or slipping into your pocket.
The finish is exemplary compared to what we usually see from HTC. The only downside is the screen that, although supposedly coated to resist finger marks, picks up prints all too easily.
With its teflon anthracite back and brushed aluminium face, the Hero is largely in line with the aesthetic of the second Touch generation. The only exception is the prominent lower area that is reminiscent of the Dream, the first HTC phone based on Android. This, coupled with the teflon back, does wonders for the phone’s multimedia handling, but is perhaps less practical for
making and receiving calls or slipping into your pocket.
The finish is exemplary compared to what we usually see from HTC. The only downside is the screen that, although supposedly coated to resist finger marks, picks up prints all too easily.
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The Hero, close in size to the iPhone, but the screen comparable the Galaxy
The lower part of the façade has six navigation buttons that allow you to move left, right, up, down, receive a call, display the home, menus, hang up, access search and go back. You’ll also find the trackball, so dear to Blackberry users, essential, adapting itself well to Sense and Android.
The back of the Hero, solid and with the lens (unfortunately without a flash)
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The control zone is raised and may be uncomfortable in some pockets
Users of the older phones in the Touch range will find the Hero familiar. The influence of TouchFLO is clear to see, but goes further than on phones based on Windows Mobile. Integration with the Android interface is very successful and thankfully the cinema décor feel has been avoided. The same goes for the thumbnails that are more numerous and can be further personalised with the help of widgets. The trackball is well adapted to this type of interface and allows easy, precise navigation through the menus, facilitating the original touch interface.
The length of the phone’s start-up time is however a bit painful. At over a minute, it’s in the same unhappy bracket as Toshiba’s TG01.
Sense, more than just an adaptation of TouchFLO
Multitouch in Android
One of the nicer innovations on the Hero is multitouch, great for the photo album and, of course, the net. Which brings us to the search engine. Although Safari Mobile has been the standard to measure up to since it came out, Chrome Lite is a very serious challenger. HTC have perfected multitouch and use of the touch screen and trackball combined. The result is great search engine performance that is both legible and easy to use.
Where it does fall down however is in the relative lack of processing power, almost the same as on previous HTCs using Android: the search engine slows a lot when other tasks are running at the same time. This is a shame if you want to listen to music while surfing the web on public transport. Playing on-line videos can be especially problematic: Flash support has been cobbled together, but not much more. We do appreciate the attempt however.
Where it does fall down however is in the relative lack of processing power, almost the same as on previous HTCs using Android: the search engine slows a lot when other tasks are running at the same time. This is a shame if you want to listen to music while surfing the web on public transport. Playing on-line videos can be especially problematic: Flash support has been cobbled together, but not much more. We do appreciate the attempt however.
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The Hero’s camera is nothing special. A long way behind the best camera phones, photos are far from exceptional. There is of course no flash and it’s hard to take a photo of yourself (surely one of the main functions for a phone camera!) as there’s no way of working out if you’re in frame. The results are nevertheless better than with the Galaxy. Video remains a generation behind, both in playing and recording. You can’t be too picky about the resolution or obligatory encoding. Once again the Hero is paying the price for lack of processor power.
Best not to mention the multimedia player, a virtual clone of the iPod/iPhone but less practical. Although the Hero, with its mini-jack socket, will facilitate replacement of the hands-free kit, we’re really getting tired of the eternally poor, supposedly high-end, HTC kit that has, again, been given a little make-over before being wheeled out once more.
Best not to mention the multimedia player, a virtual clone of the iPod/iPhone but less practical. Although the Hero, with its mini-jack socket, will facilitate replacement of the hands-free kit, we’re really getting tired of the eternally poor, supposedly high-end, HTC kit that has, again, been given a little make-over before being wheeled out once more.
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The Hero has a GPS that is, no surprise, linked up with Google Maps. Other Google obligatories: Gmail, Youtube and other Google services. And this is where things can get problematic: the Hero allows ultra-connectivity, going even further than the iPhone as you can connect to your mail box, your instant messaging apps, watch videos etc. as long as you’re using Google services. But if you want to use services other than Google things get a lot more complex. No doubt, the Google bubble will grow with Android Market but in the meantime things are limited.
With battery life of a little over a day of intensive use and not far off two with more usual usage levels, the Hero is certainly the most efficient of the Android-based mobiles, proof of the viability of the OS. With good compatability between Sense and Android, the Hero is cleaner and better developed that the Dream and Magic. There are still a few problems to be ironed out but this phone is, for example, a good way ahead of the Samsung Galaxy.
With battery life of a little over a day of intensive use and not far off two with more usual usage levels, the Hero is certainly the most efficient of the Android-based mobiles, proof of the viability of the OS. With good compatability between Sense and Android, the Hero is cleaner and better developed that the Dream and Magic. There are still a few problems to be ironed out but this phone is, for example, a good way ahead of the Samsung Galaxy.
Pluses
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Well-thought out Sense interface, nicely integrated with Android.
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Innovative, functional design
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Good interent handling
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Multitouch screen
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Efficient search engine
Minuses
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Progress needed for multimedia
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Overly dependent on Google services
The Hero is a more mature Android phone. Progress still needs to be made but it is certainly the best of the phones currently using the Google OS.
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