The HTC Hero is the third Android phone from the Taiwanese company and it’s made notable advancements since its predecessors, the T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic, launched a few months ago. But can the latest handset to tout the Google OS really take the fight to Apple’s holier-than-thou phone, or is just another iPhone wannabe? Read the full HTC Hero review to find out…
The HTC Hero struts onto the mobile market with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, GPS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, a five-megapixel camera, microSD slot and the oh-so-fashionable digital compass. But just because it’s packed to the hilt with features doesn’t automatically make it a winner (the Toshiba TG01 is proof of that). Thankfully that’s not the case here, because the HTC delivers on pretty much all fronts.
The first mention has to go to the new overlay that HTC has given the Google interface. HTC Sense is the brand spanking new user interface overlayed on top of Android and it’s phenomenal, taking the Hero leaps and bounds away from the HTC Magic. HTC has packed the homescreen with widgets now, too, so you can easily jump between work and play. You can even have your own Twitter stream flowing through.
The HTC’s 3.2-inch 320×480-pixel touchscreen, meanwhile, is a capacitive joy to use, and a rival to the very best on the market. Typing on actually doesn’t send you wild with frustration thanks to a nifty auto-correction feature that corrects frequently used words.
Looks-wise the HTC Hero is the best-looking of all the HTC phones to date. The curved lip won’t appeal to everyone, but it doesn’t put us off too much, and the teflon coating means your grubby mitts won’t mar the screen with fingerprints.
Nobody’s perfect though, and there are flaws. Ther are certain areas that, as our teacher would say to us back at school, “could do better”. The camera for instance, although it’s a delightful five-megapixel offering (how’d you like them apples, Apple?), doesn’t have a flash. It’s video that’s the Hero’s real weak point, though. Despite the Flash support, movies look decidedly choppy.
That said, HTC really has come up with the goods when it come to the Hero. There’s a definite upward trend to the way Android phones are going at the moment, and the HTC has hit the highest point so far. We can’t wait for the next one!
Verdict
The HTC Hero gives Android a lick of paint with its new Sense UI. Packed with features, and sporting one of the best-looking designs on an Android phone, the Hero stands toe to toe with the iPhone and doesn’t blink.
Closest rivals
Apple iPhone 3GS
The latest version of Apple’s Messiah Mobile. You may not want this if you already have the iPhone 3G, but if you’ve avoided the lure of Apple’s Hallelujah handset thus far, this is the one to plump for.
BlackBerry Storm
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone has so much to give. From its touchscreen, to its 3.25-inch high-resolution display, this 3G device will have you browsing the internet at super-fast speeds.
Nokia N97
Aimed at those who need to email and stay and touch and while the multimedia features work exceedingly well, we feel first-time users may well find it a little frustrating to get to grips with straight from the box. That said, experienced Nokia users will love it!
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