Features
Quality
Value
Overall

HTC Hero overview

HTC Hero is one of the most popular Android based mobile phones in the market. At about £350 for a sim free version, this uniquely designed phone is packed with a number of features and offers a great user interface. It is not without its flaws, but the HTC Hero is a fitting rival to Apple s iPhone.

Design

It is quite sleek and slim but not as delicate as some other phones, which is a good thing as you can hold it comfortably in your hand. It retains the 'chin', which has become HTC s signature design feature. Weighing about 135grams, the phone feels well built and durable.

Display

HTC Hero s multitouch display consists of light sensors that adjust the screen s brightness according to the environment. Its touchscreen is responsive but since it is capacitive you cannot use a normal stylus. The resolution and image quality is impressive. If this is the first time you are buying a phone without a physical keypad, its virtual keypad may take some time to get used to. The dialpad is big enough and simple to use.

Camera

Though it comes with an excellent 5 megapixel camera, HTC Heros image quality isnt as good as it should have been and the pictures may come out a little hazy and dull initially, and you will have to tweak the settings to get the right balance. The video quality is a step down with an unimpressive maximum resolution of 352x288. What is surprising is that it doesnt come with flash, making it difficult to take indoor photos.

Performance

HTC Hero uses a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7600 processor, but it is a bit slow for a smartphone, which could end up being its biggest drawback. For an existing smartphone user looking for a change, the HTC Hero s sluggish performance could kill the deal. But this performance issue should get sorted out through a fix to be released by HTC.

Battery life

It offers a poor battery life with a four hour talk time. This seems to be a drawback with most Android phones. The battery will last about one day of regular use. However, some quick fix solutions have been suggested to improve the battery life, like increasing the refresh time for email and using a third party text application.

Conclusion

The HTC Hero is an important step forward as far as Adroid based phones are concerned. It is a great option for those who are active on social networks, thanks to its multiple widgets. Its user interface is intuitive, and if this is your first high-end smartphone, you are in for a pleasant surprise. But HTC still has to fix some basic issues like slow performance and poor battery life.

Pros:

• Great HTC Sense user interface
• Sleek design and build quality
• Offers a lot of personalization and customization

Cons:

• Sluggish performance
• Poor battery life
• Average camera

Technical Specifications

HTC Hero pictures

Comments (0)

Write comment

Email Name Website		Comment smaller | bigger
		Subscribe via email (registered users only) Add Comment