Some more mobile goodness..... to confuse the crap out of us all.
As well as the Nokia N97, the Apple iPhone 3G S, the HTC Pro 2 and the Palm Pre we can also add the HTV Hero to the mix. Shame it's only going to be avaliable on the T-Mobile and Orange networks.
Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTDSfbcbBU&feature=PlayList&p=244C926444330B49&index=1)
It's looking like this or the Palm Pre for me....unless some other bloody phone manufacturer comes along and throws all my plans down the drain.
looks nice so for the record hopefully pens iphone will be at teas bbq and my n97, so whos bringing a HTC?:dribble:
I have just dumped my HTC touch for a blackberry bold. The touch was the worst "phone" i have ever had.
another one for the slection process
sony ericsson satio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eInpOyv_j98&hl=un (http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&rlz=1T4GGLL_en-GBGB314GB315&q=sony+ericsson+satio&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=jG5OStqEFIKqjAeereyzBQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4#)
Quote from: sulky_uk;281393looks nice so for the record hopefully pens iphone will be at teas bbq and my n97, so whos bringing a HTC?:dribble:
I'm planning on waiting till I can look at the Hero and the Pre together, not sure if that will be in time for the BBQ?
Loving the look of the HTC hero.
How are you finding the Blackberry? My dad just got a Curve and after a play around with it I don't particularly like it. The UI is pretty naff IMO. I love the qwerty keyboard, but at the price of touchscreen seems a hefty price.
Does anyone know if the Hero will have any satnav software? I've got copies of TomTom (5 & 6) and Copilot live for Windows mobile (In this house we go through a lot of satnavs) but being Android I guess I'd need a new one if I chose this. The interface of the new android phones are pretty stunning. It's disappointing I've got to wait till the end of August for my contract to run out.
3.6" 480x800 screen on the Touch Pro2 but Windows
versus
3.2" and slightly dodgy styling 320x480 screen on an attractive open source Android Hero.
Damn you Smilo.
As far as I am aware it has a GPS and I'd guess it will use google maps being an android phone?
Having played with both the Diamond 2 and the Touch HD I am more convinced than ever that I *need* the keyboard that the Touch Pro 2 has. Simple as that.
I use TouchPal (Link) (http://www.cootek.com/) and find it's probably faster than normal texting when I'm sat down because it's a full keyboard layout and has good predictive text. However I would like to text while I walk, and with a touchscreen keyboard that is very hard. I also feel I "need" a keyboard. I'd probably still use the soft keyboard for a lot of things, but while walking there is nothing quite like buttons.
I have no idea if other phones have this but I saw a You-tube video of the Hero where it sort of works out when you have made a touch typing mistake and corrects it for you. Sort of like predictive text meets a spell checker.
It was able to work out the 'bexaisw' was actually a mistype of 'because' :blink: Something to do with the fact that the wrong letters are very close to the right letters i.e. 'x' is next to 'c', 'u' is next to i'' If it works as it seemed to be doing I'm beginning to think this might be the phone for me. I am a slave to my Nokia E90 keyboard (which is brilliant) but now I'm not so sure it's a must have feature for me anymore ?
Quote from: smilodon;281470It was able to work out the 'bexaisw' was actually a mistype of 'because' :blink: Something to do with the fact that the wrong letters are very close to the right letters i.e. 'x' is next to 'c', 'u' is next to i'' If it works as it seemed to be doing I'm beginning to think this might be the phone for me.
Touch Pal 4 does that as well as PCM Keyboard. They're for Windows mobile based phones so most of the HTCs will support them, though the Hero is Android based, so it will need a different version. But if as you say it is included then that is good news.
I found the default Windows mobile keyboard worse than useless. If you need the stylus to type then it's no good.
Is someone deliberately delaying the stock for mobiles.co.uk as they have yet to issue prices and order details for either this or the HTC Touch Pro2. :ranting2:
TL.
I've seen dates ranging from 15th July to 25th July so I guess no one actually knows.
Amazon say Ã,£430 on 24th, Expansys are Ã,£405 on 2oth and Devicewire are Ã,£400 on 21st. So it's anyones guess
Quote from: smilodon;281733I've seen dates ranging from 15th July to 25th July so I guess no one actually knows.
Amazon say Ã,£430 on 24th, Expansys are Ã,£405 on 2oth and Devicewire are Ã,£400 on 21st. So it's anyones guess
Ã,£430 for a phone!
I take it thats on a Talk Free 24*7 contract with 5 million free texts a month, with a monthly return flight to somewhere exotic.
Quote from: Thulsa Doom;281855Ã,£430 for a phone!
I take it thats on a Talk Free 24*7 contract with 5 million free texts a month, with a monthly return flight to somewhere exotic.
That'll be sim free for just the phone and no monthly contract. Ã,£30 a month contract for 18 months costs Ã,£540 even though the phone is free. It works out cheaper for some to buy the phone they like and get a separate contract/pay as you go.
T-Bag is right.
I'd be selling an existing phone to CEX for about Ã,£200. Plus when my O2 contract comes to an end in a few months time I will get Ã,£100-150 off my bill if I don't take a new phone from them. So thats Ã,£350 off the cost of a new phone.
Plus I can get a sim only deal for about Ã,£15 a month with no contract. I'll get an unlocked and unbranded phone that is restriction free for HTC and Android updates etc.
On a related note I hate the way mobile phone companies lock down their phones for updates, especially T Mobile and Orange. As far as I understand a company like Nokia will make a phone, the N95 for example, and will release a vanilla unbranded version for full price. They also send phones to the mobile phone companies. The phone co's then brand them up and add their own stuff like a new interface, other applications etc. So the Orange N95 is different from the O2 N95.
When Nokia release an update to the phone operating system (symbian in this case) it's immediately there for users to download and install. However only the vanilla version will accept the update. The branded phones generally will refuse the update as they have been adapted and the update may break something. Also an update will probably reset the phone and wipe it's memory. This will loose the branding and also all the users contacts etc. Backups are esential. The mobile phone companies would then be hit with thousands of their dumb customers moaning that their phones have lost all their addresses, photos etc. So they don't allow their phones to be updated.
Nokia send a version of the update to the mobile companies. But as far as I am aware they just ignore them and don't ever offer an update to their customers.
As an example I used to have an unbranded Nokia N95 and my friend had one from Orange. I got updates that improved battery life, GPS lockon, updated the OS, security patched it and added a load of new features and functions. My friend never once got an update from Orange and couldn't do an update via Nokia (as I could) because his phone rejected them "There are no avaliable updates for your phone at this time". So he was locked to Version 1 of the OS where I was using versions 7 or 8.
It's worth bearing that im mind when you buy a phone from Orange or T-Mobile as debranding themn is hard to the point of impossible without a 3rd party de chip.And as you don't actually own the phone outright on a contract it's against the Terms and conditions to do it. You won't get updates ever. O2 and Vodaphone are a bit simpler to debrand although it's still technically against their rules. So there you go. :)
Quote from: smilodon;281879... It's worth bearing that im mind when you buy a phone from Orange or T-Mobile as debranding themn is hard to the point of impossible without a 3rd party de chip.
Which is why I spout on about mobiles.co.uk so much. They provide an unbranded, unlocked phone with their deals.
Bookmarked.
Also it's not certain the Hero will be completely open to updates. it runs Google Android with a heavy HTC UI and some extra HTC features. Updates to Android might not be compatible with the version running on the Hero? However HTC seem fairly good at offering updates and the new UI shouldn't cause a problem ??
QuoteWe were curious about how the lack of Google Experience branding will affect over-the-air system updates. Thus far, T-Mobile has been successful, if sluggish, about making significant improvements to the Google Android interface over the air. Our own T-Mobile G1 successfully received the Android 1.5 Cupcake update, and we updated our review (http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/t-mobile-g1/9844.html) recently. With so many changes under the hood, we were concerned that HTC Hero owners wouldn't benefit from Google's own improvements to the Android OS, but HTC assures us this is not the case. Because of the way Android is built to handle these sorts of interface and functionality improvements, future updates should seamlessly integrate themselves with the HTC Sense UI. Of course, we'll believe it when we see it, as always, but we'd like to think that Android is as adaptable as they say, especially with a rumored Android 2.0 Donut update around the corner.
(Source) (http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/10360.html)
Few more updates. It seems the Hero is out on the Orange network from tomorrow 22nd July which was the most likely original release date. There's no info on when the contract free version will hit the shops. Amazon still shows it as 15th Aug and Ã,£40 more expensive than anyone else. Mobiles.co.uk has no date at all and devicewire says it's out on 7th August :g:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/reviews/review.phtml/4178/htc-hero-mobile-phone-review.phtml a review.
I've had a go with a few iPhones as well as a N97, but I got to see gandy's HTC Magic at the dMw BBQ. It was a really great phone with some stunning apps. If the Hero is an improvement on that then I'm sold.
I've been reading quite a lot of reviews lately of the HTC Hero, and the only thing that worries me slightly, is that almost all of them comment on the not so powerfull CPU/memory (but again, this doesn't mean it's bad and slow, it's just that it could have been so much better).
However, I lean more and more towards this one. As I won't be running many simultaneous applications - which many of the review seems to base their tests on (as I see no use of using twitter at the same time as I do anything else, which is one example often used for what can slow it down) - I'm not sure it will matter much for me.
The general openness of the Android OS together with HTCs totally slick customization seems to be a winner!
Quote from: Bob;283283I've been reading quite a lot of reviews lately of the HTC Hero, and the only thing that worries me slightly, is that almost all of them comment on the not so powerfull CPU/memory (but again, this doesn't mean it's bad and slow, it's just that it could have been so much better).
However, I lean more and more towards this one. As I won't be running many simultaneous applications - which many of the review seems to base their tests on (as I see no use of using twitter at the same time as I do anything else, which is one example often used for what can slow it down) - I'm not sure it will matter much for me.
The general openness of the Android OS together with HTCs totally slick customization seems to be a winner!
Are you saying the CPU/memory is worse than the HTC Magic? I have the cash and was so close to clicking buy, when a friend of mine told me to wait for the Hero... AFAIK the Hero is only better, compared to the Magic?
They're exactly the same MSM 7200A 528 mhz. The Hero has a more complex UI which might account for the slower speed. Then again most reviews were of pre production models so it's hard to know how close to the retail unit they were? It seems quite likely there was a firmware update whicg is why the phone didn't release on 15th July as originally intended. I'll probably drop into an Orange shop for a look before I finally decide.
Quote from: smilodon;283304They're exactly the same MSM 7200A 528 mhz. The Hero has a more complex UI which might account for the slower speed. Then again most reviews were of pre production models so it's hard to know how close to the retail unit they were? It seems quite likely there was a firmware update whicg is why the phone didn't release on 15th July as originally intended. I'll probably drop into an Orange shop for a look before I finally decide.
The hero also has 288Mb RAM as standard whereas the magic comes with 192Mb RAM standard and a high spec option with 288Mb RAM. The Vodafone supplied magic is 192Mb RAM.
Quote from: smilodon;283304They're exactly the same MSM 7200A 528 mhz. The Hero has a more complex UI which might account for the slower speed. Then again most reviews were of pre production models so it's hard to know how close to the retail unit they were? It seems quite likely there was a firmware update whicg is why the phone didn't release on 15th July as originally intended. I'll probably drop into an Orange shop for a look before I finally decide.
Review now posted at Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/).
A few performance issues still there I'm afraid.
Quote from: OldBloke;283639Review now posted at Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/).
A few performance issues still there I'm afraid.
A 528MHz processor in a phone and it's underpowered. I had whole desktop machines that didn't come close to that, what are they doing with all that? (I'm guessing managing WiFi and Bluetooth etc uses lots of power).
Nice looking phone still.
So anyway, for us old gits, apart from video\internet\social networking\moon landings\the meaning of the universe\how to cook a perfect breakfast egg and lovemaking techniques from 2000BC......will the frickin thing be able to handle a simple phone call without diverting due to "technical difficulties" in the "uploaddownloadstratospheremechanicalegomanicalhost" networks it employs......or should I just use the bl**dy landline for ease of use?
......and they say I am the idiot?, I did not just spend Ã,£400+ on a phone that, after all, is just a method of receiving phone calls, which on Skype are FREE........okay, discussion...........justify a Ã,£400 idiot.......and "cool" may not be in the answer:devil::D
If you use it as just a phone then yep you're barking mad to buy it. But I doubt that people interested in this are looking for it as a 'telephone only'' device as you well know.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;283648If you use it as just a phone then yep you're barking mad to buy it. But I doubt that people interested in this are looking for it as a 'telephone only'' device as you well know.
Agree, however, unlike the iPhone the HTC Magic that I have is a fantastic phone with great voice quality. I've also never experienced any dropouts or loss of signal. (Though vodafone does have the best coverage so this goes some way towards that)
I have to admit I didn't actually think to ask if it could make and receive calls :blink:
I went into the Orange shop on the pretext of wanting a contract phone and got a look at the Hero. Amazingly Orange expected me to sign up without actually seeing a working model. They were under the illusion that I would take a two year contract based on a sticky screen cover that showed me what the real phone would look like when it was turned on :lmfao:
After a bit of a moan it turned out that they did have a working Hero I could see if I really wanted to. I think one of the managers had just bought it and was charging it up before they went home for the weekend?
Anyway without blue-tooth or wifi active it sailed along with no lag at all. I did have a couple of observations though.
The little chin is great. It's probably very subjective but I really liked how the phone fitted in my hand and felt when held up to make a call.
The little track ball looks plastic and a bit cheap.
Although it has the seven much touted screens, they're not kept up to date in real time. By that I mean that while one screen could show you a Twitter feed when it's in the background it will not go and fetch new tweets. Only when you view that screen will it update. It also affects the clock, which when you look at it's page will show you the last time it was active and will then scroll quickly to the correct time. I thought this was just a cool animation but the clock really is briefly wrong when you check the screen. So there isn't any real multitasking going on with Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, the weather gadget etc. However I guess that isn't really suprising, as having all those applications active together would eat up battery. Also there would be a fair amount of data used syncing everything across the web all the time.
I think you have to take reviews with a small pinch of salt sometimes. The Endgadget review was quite complimentary about the camera but several other reviews I have read say it's pretty aweful and not much better than the iPhones crappy offering. Some reviews say the phone is laggy and some say it's pretty slick. It's hard to know who is right. However after reading quite a few reviews the general consensus seems to be that it's a stunning phone but for
- slight lag when under load
- unremarkable camera
- average as a media player
So if you want a blisteringly fast and responsive OS and are joined at the hip to iTunes the iPhone 3GS might be a better choice?
So the Hero is still on my 'must have' list. Just bloody launch the thing SIM free.
Cheers for that review. I was wondering - can the OS on the Magic be upgraded to the equivalent of the Hero? Or is all the fancy functions on the Hero made for that specifically? I have seen the video of the interface of both, and they appear quite different (and I know HTC customise Android quite a bit) but are HTC both of them nonetheless... argh, I can't make up my mind, whether to wait for the Hero and pay more, or get the Magic now at a bargain.
See I cannot update my post and have to add a new one. Damn you Penfold Sir, damn your eyes!
Just found this review which sort of proves my point. In some respects they could be reviewing different phones!
http://phandroid.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/
Both phones run Android 1.5 I think. The Hero has a different front end 'skin' but underneath their the same, more or less.
Quote from: smilodon;283729See I cannot update my post and have to add a new one. Damn you Penfold Sir, damn your eyes!
Just found this review which sort of proves my point. In some respects they could be reviewing different phones!
http://phandroid.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/
Both phones run Android 1.5 I think. The Hero has a different front end 'skin' but underneath their the same, more or less.
Magic is 1.5, that I know. I wonder if it would be possible to upgrade the "skin"? :g:
Not sure but if you have a Windows Mobile it looks like you can have the Hero Sense UI look on your phone as well. I don't think the designer has finished it yet but it seems he's working on a Windows version here
http://www.throttlelauncher.com/portal/Table/Downloads/ThrottleLauncher/
Quote from: smilodon;283829Not sure but if you have a Windows Mobile it looks like you can have the Hero Sense UI look on your phone as well. I don't think the designer has finished it yet but it seems he's working on a Windows version here
http://www.throttlelauncher.com/portal/Table/Downloads/ThrottleLauncher/
Yeah. I saw that too and was amazed at what these guys can do.
Quote from: smilodon;283725Anyway without blue-tooth or wifi active it sailed along with no lag at all. I did have a couple of observations though.
I'm glad you had this impression after testing it. I have been pretty much in love with this phone since the first time I saw it, but after Endgadget I almost ended up heartbroken.
So I guess I should wait till I'm able to get my hands on it and test it personally. Just hoping it won't take too long before it's available here in Norway as well :)
I only had a few minutes with the phone so it's not a definitive test. I'm not going to believe one review exclusively though, as there does seem to be some difference of opinion about how well it works.
I've watched many you-tube videos of pre release units being reviewed. It seems clear it's not as smooth as an iPhone but I think Endgadget seemed to be a bit overly critical of the phone. There was certainly a lag when scrolling between calendar screen but it didn't seem very pronounced at all. Not something I'm that worried about.
Went into the phone shops near me today and they only had the display models, not a test version. But size wise it looks very smart, and the chin is quite cool. Only problem would be in and out of pockets, but because the phone is so slim I doubt that would be too bad.
The chin seemed to curve nicely round my belly fat when in the pocket so no issues their :)
I am a bit amazed that the mobile phone shops seem to have missed that a smart phone is a mini computer not just a phone. If you're buying a Ã,£50 PAYG effort then who cares what it looks like turned on. But a Ã,£400 smart phone isn't something people will buy or sign up to long contracts without actually seeing what they're getting.
In the same way mobile companies need to catch up and lighten up to the fact that more and more customers want to upgrade their software on a smart phone and so don't want the thing locked up tighter than Fort Knox, they also don't want to sign their lives away based on a sicky screen label and a few magaizine reviews. Time to wake up.
HTC Hero now available on Orange at mobiles.co.uk (http://www.mobiles.co.uk/orange-htc-hero.html)
Is that the Orange version or the unlocked version though, they all seem to be contract linked :sad:
Quote from: TeaLeaf;284254Is that the Orange version or the unlocked version though, they all seem to be contract linked :sad:
My wife's HTC Diamond 2 was a totally unlocked/unbranded phone with an Orange SIM. This will, I'm sure, be the same.
As I am already with Orange that might be the way forward for me. Might have to give them a call today and discuss. The data allowance is a bit small though.
The phone I saw in the Orange shop looked pretty generic. It certainly didn't have the normal little orange logo on the back. The only difference was that it was grey rather than the unbranded white. It also says in the blurb that it's fully unlocked.
As a data user yourself Smilo, is 500MB a reasonable amount? My previous phones I have not really used the email and browsing side, so I have little experience of if that quantity is ok compared to say an 'unlimited' 3GS alternative.
TL.
Hard to say as I'm on a deal with O2 that gives me unlimited usage for free, with a vague fair use policy. They don't set a limit they just tell me not to spank the BBC iPlayer or do P2P. In my first year I did have a limit of 250 mb a month and don't think I came anywhere near it. I certainly never got capped or contacted about my usage.
I think the only bandwidth hog would be if you used one of the iPlayers to watch TV or did a lot of over the air downloads of Google Maps. I doubt normal web browsing, e-mail etc would come close.
That being said compared to other networks 500mb does seem a bit mean
Dragging this saga ever onwards the Hero is now out in a contract free version. I snagged one from http://www.devicewire.co.uk/htc-hero for Ã,£399.99 plus free next day delivery.
My order isn't yet confirmed but assuming everything is all OK, I should be getting it tomorrow, except I will be out all day and so no one will be able to sign for it, so I'll have to go and get it from the couriers on Thursday or something :doh:
Anyway it's out, so there you go.
Quote from: smilodon;284410Dragging this saga ever onwards the Hero is now out in a contract free version. I snagged one from http://www.devicewire.co.uk/htc-hero for Ã,£399.99 plus free next day delivery.
My order isn't yet confirmed but assuming everything is all OK, I should be getting it tomorrow, except I will be out all day and so no one will be able to sign for it, so I'll have to go and get it from the couriers on Thursday or something :doh:
Anyway it's out, so there you go.
Looks like a really nice choice. Review please when it's had a thorough shakedown.
An interesting, slightly off-topic remark: you can, if you dare, port (http://mobilementalism.com/2009/07/19/how-to-put-the-htc-hero-interface-onto-the-g1/) the new HTC Rosie interface the Hero uses to the old Android G1-phone. Here is a youtube vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OMrSTEBeyI)from another phone, where the same thing has been done.
Might be time to swap my contract provider to someone else then to get the 'unlimited' data. At least I can swap my telephone number over to it I guess.
TL.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;284422Might be time to swap my contract provider to someone else then to get the 'unlimited' data. At least I can swap my telephone number over to it I guess.
TL.
With the added 3,5 mm jack, upgraded 5 mpix (vs 3.2 mpix) autofocus camera and what appears to be a tethering-willing phone (http://anda.pk/) so I can surf via my laptop, I am sold! I will pre-order and go with a flat-rate subscription (available here from August 7th).
Ok, next step. Looking for a mobile contract with unlimited data and low monthly cost - pointers please!
TL.
...and network coverage. Who gives the best network coverage for HSDPA?
I'm with O2.
For tariffs over Ã,£35 on an 18 month contract or over Ã,£30 on a 24 month tariff they give a free choice of bolt on. Go for the unlimited web bolt on http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/18_months
For a SIM only contract try http://shop.o2.co.uk/sim-only-simplicity
I'm probably going for a SIM only 12 month contract 800 minutes with 1200 texts (ridiculous) + the web bolt on for twenty quid. They have no maximum download limit but will spank you if you're naughty with streaming or P2P
I went with them originally as they don't brand the crap out of their phones or SIM lock them, and seem pretty fair on price. The network is robust as well and I'll spend a few extra quid a month for a robust service and decent customer services. Their e-mail response times were almost like live messaging when I did once have a problem. :)
HSPDA ? try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HSDPA_networks#U
I was looking on //www.billmonitor.com and they seem to come up with:
3
* 100 Minutes
* Unlimited Texts
* Unlimited Data
* 1 month contract
* Ã,£10.00/month
* Includes unlimited calls to Three mobiles
* Add unlimited data (Ã,£5.00)
* Ã,£0.08 on Calls
Monthly Bill
Ã,£15.08/month
o2
* 150 Minutes
* 300 Texts
* Unlimited Data
* 1 month contract
* Ã,£9.79/month
* Add unlimited data (Ã,£7.34)
Monthly Bill
Ã,£17.13/month
Vodaphone
* 100 Minutes
* 500 Texts
* Unlimited Data
* 1 month contract
* Ã,£10.00/month
* Add unlimited data (Ã,£7.50)
* Ã,£0.06 on Calls
Monthly Bill
Ã,£17.56/month
There seem to be a fair few deals around this price bracket so I think with my more limited use of the telephone element I will be ok on one of them.
I'd be interested to knwo if people have good or bad experience of the 3 network coverage though for HSDPA as it seems to suggest in the wiki that it has the best coverage fo them all.
TL.
I have a couple of friends on 3. They do have the best HSDPA and 3G coverage but when you're out of their coverage area you get nothing as they have no fall back to a slower non 3G speed. Other networks will degrade down to a slower 2G connection. That being said this is less of a problem as the mobile networks all continue to increase their high speed coverage areas.
Personally, vodafone. I've found them to be the best over the entire country. (Tested by all our sales minions roaming the country) We've tried all the major networks here (with the exception of 3) and have gone back to vodafone.
They are not the cheapest out there, but they are the best for service and coverage that I've found.
I think the problem people have with 3 is the have rubbish phones. They charge a fortune for phones the other networks give out for free, and their Skype ones last at most 2 months. If you're bringing your own 3G capable phone I think that's the biggest problem sidestepped.
Mwahahahahahaha it's mine at last. Picked it up from my local UPS depot this afternoon. 'She who must be obeyed' never opens the door to anyone without a booked appointment :blink:
Anyway it's on charge at the moment. So hardly anything to report.....
The box it comes in is very small, but rather cool looking. You get a phone (amazingly) a weird charger, a usb cable, a set of rubbish headphones and a 2 gig sim card. No software, no manual and no protective case or pouch. The manaul is a downloadable pdf. Cheapskates.
first impressions. I love the Teflon coating, it's quite a unique feel. A bit like an iphone made of frying pans. The 'chin' is a lot less pronounced than I'd imagine and it weighs almost nothing.
As soon as it charges up I'll scribble some more.
"please remove from your pants pocket before sitting down"
They're insulting your pockets. I wouldn't stand for that.
If they mean trouser pockets then who would actually do that? If bundled with a case it would be fine in your pocket. Cheapskates.
I think that comment is in the same context as " Your new microwave unit is not suitable for drying small pets. Do not place pets in the unit for any reason." i.e. a clause that protects them from idiots.
To be honest not may phone manufacturers actually provide a case, although some will give you one of those little bags to put the phone in.
Second impressions. While it's not the utter silky smooth experience the iPhone is, the UI is perfectly fine and very responsive. For anyone worried about the Endgadge (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/)t video review they must have been using a very early pre release phone (regardless of what they claim) as the lag just isn't there and in fact the calendar works completely differently on my release phone than shown on the video. It's scrolls up and down through the months and not from side to side.
I've only been messing for an evening but I've opened just about every screen and application and everything seem fine. It's also a complete dream to set up, especially if you Gmail, Flickr, facebooks etc.
Next stop Google Marketplace
Another review (http://www.coolsmartphone.com/article793.html) but from the eyes of a (ex)dyed-in-the-wool WinMo man.
Now on T-Mobile (as the G2 Touch) Free with Ã,£30 per month. Ã,£200 with Ã,£15pm etc.
So if like me you're on T-Mobile then you can still have this phone.
OK two days in and I've been using the phone so hard yesterday it needed two charges.
There are loads of good reviews but I thought I'd add a couple of points not really covered fully by the reviews I've read so far.
1. There really is no lag at all. As I've mentioned it's comparable to the iPhone. I had a brief play with Penfolds iPhone at TL's BBQ and the iPhone might just have the edge for silky smooth UI but there really is very little in it. The Hero is rock solid and it's only one or two badly coded apps that seem to have caused any issues.
2. The main thing though is the location stuff. It's not really been covered by the reviews as it requires some of the 3rd party apps from the Google Marketplace. The phone has a compass as mentioned. It also has something called rough GPS. This allows the phone to work out your location to within about 50m by triangulating it's position from moblie phone masts. It obviously has full GPS too, but that uses more battery and will not work indoors. Rough GPS is always on and works anywhere there is a phone signal.
So even with full GPS turmed off the phone knows where it is and what direction you're facing. Two example apps which use these feature are NRU (http://www.lastminute.com/site/labs/nru.html) and Movie Finder (http://ikamobile.com/moviefinder/index.html) and there are many more.
So while the Hero is touted as a social netowrking phone, for me it's more of a mobile location aware database. I can find almost any place or venue, learn where it is in relation to me, what it offers, how to get to it and what other people think about it. That's the genius of a smartphone.
Interest Hero v iPhone comparision http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/iphone-3gs-vs-htc-hero-dogfight-pt-1.aspx (http://www.deadmen.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=284891#post284891)
Interesting to see how much brighter the iPhone screen is. I do still disagree about the lag. It's gone in release versions.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Hero, Smilo.
I've convinced myself that I'll need to have the excellent keyboard that comes with the TP2 but the Hero reviews seem to suggest that its on-screen keyboard is excellent too.
In your opinion, would the Hero be suitable for making contributions to a forum and composing emails?
Well I posted this reply on the HTC Hero . And I've not had to make any manual corrections so far. However if is Mich slower. I guess I'm typing about one letter a second. That's ok for a short reply like this, but if l was doing a long post it would become a serious problem. If you plan on doing forum administration using a touch screen for example it might be a problem? Invite me up for tea and biccies and you can have a play with mine ooh err :)
Quote from: smilodon;284895Well I posted this reply on the HTC Hero . And I've not had to make any manual corrections so far. However if is Mich slower. I guess I'm typing about one letter a second. That's ok for a short reply like this, but if l was doing a long post it would become a serious problem. If you plan on doing forum administration using a touch screen for example it might be a problem? Invite me up for tea and biccies and you can have a play with mine ooh err :)
give it time, once you are used to the keyboard you can type really fast. and if you rotate to landscape, the keyboard grows in size :)
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/iphone-3gs-vs-htc-hero-dogfight-pt-2.aspx
keyboard is about 7 minutes in
I've been using a touch screen now for nearly 18 months (with Touchpal keyboard). I find when sitting down I can type just as fast as I used to with a regular phone, so I don't mind using it. It's more that when walking the rate drops to a very small fraction of the speed. I'm with you Oldbloke and will be looking for a keyboarded phone, though I'm not sure which yet, the Pre still looks good.
Got any more updates on your experience with the Hero Smilo?
I'll probably be getting my very own in one of the coming days. And I'm so lucky that my work covers both my phone and subscription (have to chip in a wee bit on the phone though, as they have an upper limit for that) :D
I was a bit in doubt after reading several reviews complaining about lag etc, but since the release I've come across several better reviews, and also what Smilo already has written here - as well as I got my hands on a test model in a store this weekend - and I'm completely positive that this is what I want :wub:
So my question is then: have you learnt any tricks about it? Come across any exceptionally good apps worth checking out? Anything else good you can tell us?
Quote from: Bob;285794So my question is then: have you learnt any tricks about it? Come across any exceptionally good apps worth checking out? Anything else good you can tell us?
Be sure to check out the tethering app i link to further up
Well there really isn't any lag. Now and then a screen will hang for a second and as I've mentioned the touch controls are not quite as sharp as the iPhone, but if you've never used the iPhone then you won't have anything to compare it with and so that shouldn't be an issue. Also the hangs seem to be in certain third party apps so I'm not sure I should even be blaming the phone at all? Basically it's smooth and responsive.
Where (for me) it wipes the floor with the iPhone is multitasking. I was out in London today. I had the mp3 player running continuously but was able to
- have the web browser open on the page of a camera shop, so I could check it's address and if it had stock of what I wanted,
- have Google maps open showing me where it was and which was the nearest tube station to it,
- have the 'Tube Status' app running showing me any tube delays
- and have 'Tube Map' showing me the route between where I was (outside Baker Street) and where I needed to be (Russel Square Station). It also told me where the next train was ( at Finchley Road) and when it would arrive at Baker Street (6 minutes) :D
I could flick back and forward between these apps and they remained as I left them with the same information showing. So multitasking is an absolute must have. If I shut my browser I can't have it going back to my home page when I flick back to it. It needs to be on exactly the same page I left in on. Likewise Google Maps, Tube Status, Facebook etc etc I believe the iPhone cannot do this and shuts each application completely when you select another. Clearly many users don't see this as a problem as the iPhone has millions of users but I simply don't get it. Imagine a PC where you could only open one program at a time :blink:
The customisable screens are also must haves. Just a page of icons is very limiting. I really like the way I can build my phone to suit my own way of doing stuff. The widgets are excellent. I can see that I have new mail but I can also quickly view them from within the widget so I don't have to actually open the email application and scroll through each mail. I can skim through them in the widget and find the important ones. Then if I want I can tap and go directly to that email in the email app.
The Google Market Place is filling up with loads of apps. Like Apples App Store you'll need to pick the ones that are of use to you but there's literally thousands of apps to choose and about 80% of them are free. Not sure how that compares to Apple?
So I have no regrets about the Hero. I'm even getting used to touch typing which with auto spelling, predictive corrections and a keyboard that can be calibrated to match my way of typing it's getting nearly as fast a my E90's keyboard.
In summary
customisable screens
widgets that allow me to see information from the screens without having to open a specific application (weather, e-mail, SMS, Twitter, etc)
multitasking - which allows me to link together information from different applications i.e web browser, note pad and maps.
Quick update, we have a patch or two coming as well.
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/18/htc.confirms.hero.update/
Quote from: smilodon;286675Quick update, we have a patch or two coming as well.
Brilliant :D
I've had my Hero for almost a week now, and I am in no way disappointed. I have intended to write a bit longer post about my thoughts and experiences this far - just havent' had the time yet. Expect this to come
All-Of-A-Sudden(TM) :)
Cupcake is out for download.
...and after some last minute Q&As yesterday with SMilo I'm ordering my HTC Hero today. Any recommendations for a nice case? They all look a bit mangy at the moment. Saw the silicone one, but think an all around case might be preferable maybe.
TL.
Decided in the end to go for a Vodaphoen package for Ã,£17.50 per month which includes unlimited data. The sales advisor told me the fair useage policy kicks in after 500MB and thereafter is 50p per 50MB. I found that last bit quite tricky to believe and found this one the web:
http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=template12&pageID=PTC_0068
Quote from: VodaphonePrice Plan Fair Usage Policy
5GB per month (UK only)
Mobile Broadband
Mobile Broadband Business
Mobile Broadband Euro Travel
Mobile Broadband Travel
Mobile Connect Unlimited
Data Unlimited
Mobile Internet 5GB
or
Mobile Broadband 30 day 1GB 1GB per month (UK only)
Mobile Broadband 30 day 3GB 3GB per month (UK only)
Mobile Broadband 24 500MB per 24 hour session (UK only)
Mobile Broadband 10GB 10GB per month (UK only)
Mobile Broadband 20GB 20GB per month (UK only)
Vodafone Connect Abroad 50MB per 24 hour session (in selected countries only)
The data volumes include both downloaded and uploaded data. A gigabyte is 1024 megabytes (MB).
Hm, the plan I will be getting over here is unlimited (well 10GB/month under their fair usage clause, above that they reserve the right to limit the speed but won't charge more) for Ã,£17. I will stick with that if it tethering works, otherwise I can pay half and get a 100MB monthly cap with a nasty price pr. MB after that.
Quote from: smilodon;286675Quick update, we have a patch or two coming as well.
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/18/htc.confirms.hero.update/
A short demo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYV9NNoI8Hc) of the new lag reduced ROM.
Quote from: OldBloke;286759A short demo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYV9NNoI8Hc) of the new lag reduced ROM.
Wow. And that was even straight after a boot, it seems.
Looking forward to mine arriving tomorrow!
Video of a pre release of the ROM update arriving soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYV9NNoI8Hc
Just got my PAC number, so should be catching a new connection this coming week.
Very impressed with the phone so far.
Grr, PAC number did not arrive, so I'm still doing things very very slowly over GPRS and limiting what I do.
Had my first 'oooh' moment today when the contacts I had plugged in online were 'pushed' out to my mobile. Very nice synching.
Eventually ordered the SIM 10 contract from 3.
Sim 10
* Free Skype-to-Skype calls and messages
* Unlimited Texts
* 100 Minutes
* Unlimited 3-3 Minutes
* Free Windows Live Messenger
* Free voicemail
plus the Unlimited Data addon which is Ã,£5 per month.
Total cost Ã,£15 per month.
Looked at Orange but they could not show me a map showing nationwide HSDPA coverage or even 3G coverage, they only do it by postcode (up to 3 at a time) and don;t give you a map, just a summary reply like "Good". So Orange was not an option.
Vodaphone fell by the wayside when I looked at coverage and for my location on the coverage map I was sat on a small island of only "average" connectivity surrounded by a large sea of excellently connected area. I want it to work well at home too!
Looked at O2 and 3 coverage and both are pretty good, 3's in particular was good int he areas I might want to use it and they fall back to 2G like other networks in non-3G areas. O2's coverage is less than 3's though.
That pretty much put the choice as 3 when combined with the fact that it was the cheapest for what I wanted too. What really swung it for me was the coverage though. 3 have the most HSDPA coverage of the networks and the increased areas covered over the next 2 years (shown in yearly increments) was immense. And, at the end of the day it is a one month contract so if it is no good then I can always bail in 30 days to a different provider.
Quote from: Bob;286683I've had my Hero for almost a week now, and I am in no way disappointed. I have intended to write a bit longer post about my thoughts and experiences this far - just havent' had the time yet. Expect this to come All-Of-A-Sudden(TM) :)
I've now had my Hero for two weeks and a half, so it's about time for that longer post I guess :flirty:
Let's start with the negative first. Yes there are some, but nothing will ever be perfect, so that shouldn't be a surprise.
From time to time I do experience some interface lag. This is however not even close to how bad some reviews has made it look. It is there is you look hard for it, but it hasn't bothered me at all, so it's a minor issue. And also, this is something that will be fixed in the upgrade that is just around the corner, so even less reason to worry about it.
Multitasking is for most parts a
major advantage, and I wouldn't be without it for the world. However, it does also come with a couple of down sides: as more applications are left open in the background, more memory is occupied (which I guess in some way also contributes to the first issue about lag). Of course, keeping applications open in the background is the whole point with multitasking, so this issue I actually think is more of a developer issue: more people that create Android applications should include an exit button!
The way it works today, when you click the home button or back button, you leave the program but it keeps living in the background. In many cases this is what you want, but there are also lots of apps where this isn't needed. Of course there are also apps that fix this for you (I highly recommend
Task Panel, a brilliant task manager that lets you kill anything you need (just be sure not to kill the Alarm application if you want to wake up the next morning, I learned that the hard way :narnar:), you can set up scheduled clean-ups, and it's brilliantly easy to use). However, if more of the developers added a real exit button to their menu, this would make things much easier. However, as the already mentioned upgrade is to fix the lag issue, I wouldn't be surprised if something also is done in general with memory management and garbage collection.
That was really all of the "negative" I had to add, so now on to all the good stuff. I think I'll try to stick to bullet points, to avoid making it too long :flirty:
- HTC's revamp of the Android UI is just beautiful. The Touch Flo, together with some really nice widgets makes it a pleasant view.
- The ability you have to customize all the screens (not to mention different scene setups, although I haven't found the need for that yet) to fit your particular needs and desires feels really liberating.
- The way both Gmail and Google calendar works out of the box is simply genius (but anything else would be kinda ridiculous, as Android is a Google product).
- The nice program (MyPhoneExplorer (http://www.fjsoft.at/en/)) I've been using my old Sony Ericsson supports synchronizing of contacts with Google contacts so getting all my existing contacts over there - which also makes 'em available on the Hero (you can choose this by the way, if you do not want to) - was easy as pie.
- Using all the free available calendars for Google calendar, such as Norwegian Holidays and Contact's birthdays, I've got everything I need added to my standard calendar
- I have always had phones with a physical keyboard, so I was not 100% sure how it would work without one. But the on-screen key-board that shipps with the Hero is just brilliant, nothing less. With a smart word prediction/suggestion system typing on the full QWERTY-keyboard goes really fast, and the tactile feedback you get from every key stroke makes it even better. And if you for instance is walking hand have to write in portrait mode with just one hand, the standard mobile phone keyboard with T9 is not far away.
- The included browser works really nice (and with the included Flash support on the Hero, it is really smooth), especially with the way it utilizes multi-touch zoom for browsing, as well as the support for multiple windows. I have however found Opera Mini to work better when I'm not on a WiFi network
- Google maps together with the built-in GPS and compass is just sweet!
- Android Market is a place full of lots of exiting applications. However, as with the iPhone, you are not forced to stick to what Android offers if you do not want to. Simply enable applications from "unofficial" sources, and you can put anything on it. I have never used an iPhone or AppStore so I cannot tell how the applications are compared to there, but I have yet to think of an application I could find useful and not find it! Here's a short list of some of the ones I've really found enjoyable:
- Task Panel: already mentioned, but a great tool for gaining full control over what is running on your phone.
- Wikitude: an extremely cool application using Augmented Reality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality) to help you find what you're looking for when you're out in the real world.
- Geobeagle: a very nice app to use if you fancy [thread=28659]Geocaching[/thread].
- Google's Sky Map: have you ever wondered what planet or star constellation you're looking at, or do you just enjoy looking out on the universe? Well, then this is the answer for you.
- Wifi Analyzer: great tool for helping you get the optimal configuration of your own wireless network.
- gStrings: you playing any kind of string instrument? Here is the tuner for you!
- And of course there is plenty of the other "standard" applications like notes, classical games, shopping list, conversion, budget, flash light, etc etc. And of course, for those that find fart applications important, you get those as well...
I've probably also forgotten quite some things, but as you most likely can understand, I am more than happy about this purchase! And when my work covers my phone bill, I don't have to worry about the subscription fees and data rates either :flirty:
Thanks for the review! Quite tempted :-) just one or two questions...
Do you use it as an mp3 player much and does it have a decent sorting, playback, 3.5mm socket?
Is the usb transfer speed any good (ipod like for example?) - takes AGES to put music on my n95's 8gb mem... At least i could remove the flash card and use a reader with my old sony!
Weird one: if it's in 'silent' mode and you're listening to music on the headphones and someone rings does it ring in the headphones. My n95 just fades the music out then in again with silence inbetween.
...Think i'm somewhere between the hero, iphone, and the new sony which has some sort of ps3 compatibility :-D thanks again for the review!
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;288875Do you use it as an mp3 player much and does it have a decent sorting, playback, 3.5mm socket?
Yes I use it all the time to play music. It has the same functions as the ipod i.e. shuffle, playlists, albums, artists, composers, songs etc and does have a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can also delete a song directly from the phone.
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;288875Is the usb transfer speed any good (ipod like for example?) - takes AGES to put music on my n95's 8gb mem... At least i could remove the flash card and use a reader with my old sony!
It uses USB 2.0 which seems fast enough. It's hard to compare with Apple but I've not noticed one being any slower than the other. The Hero uses a simple drag and drop process for adding music. You mount the SD card and simply drag over the mp3's to the card in Windows. I only did this once when I added all my music and so it took quite a long time. You can always remove the SD card and shove it in a USB reader if you want. However the SD card slot is under the battery cover so I'd not make a habit of doing it as you might wear out the battery cover lugs? The nice thing is that it doesn't enforce any DRM. The bad thing is that anything you bought through iTunes won't play on it.
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;288875Weird one: if it's in 'silent' mode and you're listening to music on the headphones and someone rings does it ring in the headphones. My n95 just fades the music out then in again with silence inbetween.
Yes it fades the track, flashes the trackball, vibrates (i you have that on) and you get a ring tone in the headphones. The Hero also wakes up the screen and shows you the incoming call with accept or reject buttons. As soon as the call is over or you reject it the screen fades out and the music track picks up from where ever you were interrupted. If the music screen was active when the call came in i.e. you were seeing the album art, it works the same by going to the call and then back to the album screen when you're done.
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;288875...Think i'm somewhere between the hero, iphone, and the new sony which has some sort of ps3 compatibility :-D thanks again for the review!
Give me a chance and I'm going to write a waffle about the Hero now I've been using it for a month or two. I'll try to do that tonight.
Thanks for the reply! All sounding about right! :-) My better half won an ipod nano and it's perhaps 10x faster, maybe 20x or more, than my n95 8gb transfer over usb!
Have you used something to sync music/playlists between hero-pc aka ipod and itunes? I have somewhere over 80gb of mp3 now :-S
I think i'm going to wait and see how the sony anio looks as it might justify my ps3 purchase further until gt5 comes out ;-) plus i have lots of bits from other sonyE phones. Of course having the hero might be better for making me try out some app development, ...which could be good if I do apply for a job with google! :-D
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;288917Of course having the hero might be better for making me try out some app development
Definitely a very good point if you are the slightest interested in programming.
I've just installed the Android SDK and Eclipse plug-in, and have run through the first basic tutorials. I haven't totally grasped the whole philosophy and workings of the Android "way", but I've got the basic concepts - and I must say it at first glance looks very smart and well made. And it is
really easy setting up what you need and getting started.
I'm on a couple weeks vacation right now, but I'm really looking forward to when I get back home and can spend some more time diving into the details. Already have a couple of ideas for my first Android apps ready :)
Quote from: Bob;289016Definitely a very good point if you are the slightest interested in programming.
I've just installed the Android SDK and Eclipse plug-in, and have run through the first basic tutorials. I haven't totally grasped the whole philosophy and workings of the Android "way", but I've got the basic concepts - and I must say it at first glance looks very smart and well made. And it is really easy setting up what you need and getting started.
Exactly the same thing I have done, I to feel I have not quite grasped the overall layout of the various elements and layers. I have also done the tutorials and done a couple of programs (which I just ran in the emulator with same Android version).
Amazing how quickly you can make a program for the phone!
Edit: Have some nice hols mate!
Edit2: Btw, this is a great application (http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/guide/138-page-5/the-best-android-applications)
spotify for android (https://www.spotify.com/en/mobile/overview/)
Seems there is now also a baby Hero, called the Tattoo.
http://www.htc.com/europe/product/tattoo/product-tour.html
ohh and here's something else too
http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/292269/is-htc-preparing-to-deploy-the-new-hero-software-version-2-ota/
Quote from: delanvital;289081spotify for android (https://www.spotify.com/en/mobile/overview/)
Spotify just got themselves another Premium member. Downloading it now and looking forward to test it out :D
I think I have come across the Linux-based Android as an image, fx for use with virtualisation. I am not sure if this is more of a curiosity or what :g:
http://www.technobuzz.net/install-google-android-pc-live-android/
TL mentioned an issue with the official HTC Hero carry case and some unwanted black marks.
I just got one of these and its a cool bit of gear.
http://www.htcheroblog.com/2009/09/09/htc-hero-flexishield-skin-review-video/
Yesterday I rooted the phone and installed a modified ROM (http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/292018/08-09-2-2-the-modaco-custom-rom-is-here-2-versions-based-on-the-new-update/) (which includes the leaked HTC Update amongst other things). I found that I had to reset the phone (wipe) before the update worked. That was not much trouble though, because all my contact details (except SMS) were stored via google anyway.
I forgot to format the SD-card though prior to updating, which is actually so easy to do with the rooted phone, and after the update I had the folders with old apps there etc. which were no longer installed. I tried formatting the card from the phone, but that failed and rendered it useless. Format would just blink, and it was registred ans "no OSFS". I then mounted the sd-card and connected to PC via USB and formatted to Fat32 via Windows. All solved.
I have to say, the HTC update is awesome! The pace when scrolling is perfect. No lag.
The modified core solves some issues, adds some functions etc
QuoteIncluded in both 'core' and 'enhanced' versions
- Rooted with 'adb remount' permission and superuser APK
- A2SD included (fully automatic - thanks cyanogen!) - create a EXT3 partition as your second partition to use. dalvik-cache remains on device. EXT4 is NOT supported.
- Added Jbed Java
- Added Spare Parts (run it and switch the 2 animation types to 'fast' for an even better experience!)
- Added Custom Locale for setting non english Locales
- Added android-wifi-tether 1.52 (props to the developer, this is a great app!)
- Added WMSM
- Added busybox 1.15 - tweaked such that 'get information' in Swapper now works as desired
- Added nano 2.09 - text editor for use in shell mode
- Added terminfo and settings to boot.img to allow nano etc. use
- Added tun.ko file (untested, please report on whether this is useful)
- Added files required for Debian linux
- Moved Quickoffice to data partition to allow easy uninstall
- Deleted 'Learn More' application
- Deleted Maps application - install from the Android Market to always stay up to date
- ROM now includes touch focus in Camera app
- ROM now supports shortcuts using BetterCut (and therefore I assume anycut!) in Rosie
- Silenced boot sound (it's still there and can be reactivated with a file edit)
- You can now check your MoDaCo Custom ROM (MCR) version from the about menu. It will display MCR2.0 (core) or MCR2.0e (enhanced).
- Fix for HTC Peep on Vodafone now available here (http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/292409/peep-on-hero-with-vodafone/)!
Included in 'enhanced' version only
- Added Business Card Scanner
- Added 'Plurk' client
- Added WAP browser
- Added Chinese IME
- Restored Maps app (for users who cannot install it from the Market)
...eek, hopefully this unofficial patch/core will become an official patch/core soon then without the "something-fubar-ed" worries? ;)
edit: what are the best deals people have seen/found with the Hero? Is it better to buy one outright and get a sim-only or payg contract or is it okay to get a contract for it (i.e. is the firmware untainted? experiences with vodafone and sony ericssons makes me wary of contract phones...). My current deal suits me well: Ã,£10 simplicity from O2 plus their "unlimited" web bolt on for Ã,£7.50 for a total of Ã,£17.50 per month for ~100 min, ~100sms, ...and a "perfectly adequate thus far" fair use policy.
edit2: how often are you guys having to change your heros? and are you using them a lot or a little to get this battery life?
ta :)
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;289756...eek, hopefully this unofficial patch/core will become an official patch/core soon then without the "something-fubar-ed" worries? ;)
edit: what are the best deals people have seen/found with the Hero? Is it better to buy one outright and get a sim-only or payg contract or is it okay to get a contract for it (i.e. is the firmware untainted? experiences with vodafone and sony ericssons makes me wary of contract phones...). My current deal suits me well: Ã,£10 simplicity from O2 plus their "unlimited" web bolt on for Ã,£7.50 for a total of Ã,£17.50 per month for ~100 min, ~100sms, ...and a "perfectly adequate thus far" fair use policy.
edit2: how often are you guys having to change your heros? and are you using them a lot or a little to get this battery life?
ta :)
The patch will be out "soon" officially.
I use mine waaay too much and with GPS, bluetooth, wlan and hours and hours of toying about, it lasts a bit more than 24 hrs. Normal usage like a phone etc would be 2-3 days imho. Charge every other night perhaps
Just bought an HTC Hero, its soooo cool. Orange isn't the best but its still pretty good, they are doing a deal atm for 1200 miuntes, unlimited texts and unlimited data (with some strange fair use policy attached, you get 500mb day time use and unlimited evening use for the internet, I think...).
http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_contract_details.asp?ItemKey=284100
The google star map is great with the gps, you can point hte phone to any point in the sky and it will show you where each star is in each constelation...
Hi guys
I've been (trying) to follow all this talk of Hero's etc because my work have asked me to source new phones.
We have to stay with Vodafone (which could be limiting I don't know)
- We (three of us who go out 'n' about a lot) need phones that will be very good on the internet where a fair amount of typing will be rquired
- We will probably taking plenty of photos too so good camera is important
- Would be nice to get push email but not essential
- Battery life not important as long as it will last a day without having to plug the phone into a charger everytime we pop back in to the office
- Would also be nice to sync with either Outlook and/or Hotmail contacts/emails
I like what you guys are saying about the Hero although I'm not sure if Vodafone do it as I can only see the HTC Pro2 (don't really know what the difference is tbh)
Also considering: Blackberry's and N97
What do you reckon?
Quote from: smilodon;288889The nice thing is that it doesn't enforce any DRM. The bad thing is that anything you bought through iTunes won't play on it.
Not defending iTunes at all but - you can use the songs you have purchased w/o DRM, m4a-format, which is more common now.
Quote from: Jabbs;289813- We (three of us who go out 'n' about a lot) need phones that will be very good on the internet where a fair amount of typing will be rquired
- We will probably taking plenty of photos too so good camera is important
- Would be nice to get push email but not essential
- Battery life not important as long as it will last a day without having to plug the phone into a charger everytime we pop back in to the office
- Would also be nice to sync with either Outlook and/or Hotmail contacts/emails
I like what you guys are saying about the Hero although I'm not sure if Vodafone do it as I can only see the HTC Pro2 (don't really know what the difference is tbh)
Typing - if you type in landscape mode I find it good. I type 2-finger, but goes ok fast. It is a bit different though, not feeling the keys, and I type wrong from time to time. That said, the spelling correction and word prediction is quite good. I am satisfied with it, but not all yay. I type faster than regular t9 though and I guess I need to learn to type all over, but dont mind because I am already adequately fast. I keep comparing to sitting on a regular keyboard.
Camera - it is an ok camera. I am very pleased with 5Mpix which allows me to zoom pics on the pc afterwards. In the upgraded ROM I am pleased with being able to point the camera at a scene and then touch the screen where the focus should be. That is sweet. I have done some pic comparisons with that new smart C-whatever Sony phone which takes good shots. My friend took a pic of the same setting as me. Colourwise, it is the same, it is also nice and crisp. The main downside: it is a bit darker and there is no light function on it. So, if you are in dark areas... All I have to compare with is the SE w810i 3,2mpix and that Sony phone (which takes absolutely ace pics).
E-mail etc - it is designed for being on the net permanently, basically. you can find whatever you want in apps. For example your texts forwarded to email automatically, just to mention one. It is, however, very focused on reducing MB-usage, you can fx set very fair sync intervals and disable syncing when the GPS detects you are in specific areas - or enabing Wi-fi when the gps finds that you are in the office, and disabling it when you are out, to save the battery. And so on.
Battery life - with your usage it can do that for sure. If you use gps and wifi, you suck it up pretty quickly, 6 hrs non-stop usage with lots of movement and internet traffic would drain it, but stand-by goes on forever. The difference between usage and stand-by is quite big. Regular phone usage for me would make it last 2-3 days. Note that it charges pretty quick via USB-cable. I reckon you could charge when transferring pics - unless you use the wifi ofc.
Sync - it syncs with Outlook and so on, havent tried it though. Hotmail, I would access directly on the phone via browser? If hotmail supports pop3 you could also do that for sure. I dont think that is a problem, mail on the phone, in general.
My 2c mate
Ahh thanks Del, that answers a few questions. 5Megapixels? Should be enough for what we need it for I hope.
We need to get this sorted in the next few weeks so still looking.
Difference between Hero and Pro anyone?
Hero = Android :D
Pro = Winmobile :sad:
I was going to do a write up about the new rom upgrade but sadly the upgrade has bricked my phone. It upgraded fine but then would not boot past the HTC logo, even after a hard reset.
So this will be a check of how well or badly //www.devicewire.com and HTC deal with a dead phone. E-mailed both tonight.......
And we're back. Hurrah for Twitter. HTC on Twitter suggested I yank out the SD card as the phone boots. There was an error message ans when I cleared that I went straight through into the OS. Sorted!
Quote from: smilodon;289907Hero = Android :D
Pro = Winmobile :sad:
I was going to do a write up about the new rom upgrade but sadly the upgrade has bricked my phone. It upgraded fine but then would not boot past the HTC logo, even after a hard reset.
So this will be a check of how well or badly //www.devicewire.com and HTC deal with a dead phone. E-mailed both tonight.......
Hmmmm ok - I hope Vodafone can somehow find us 6 HTC Hero's then!
"Vodafone have no plans to release the Hero"
:(:(:(:(
Buy the Hero's and get a cheaper SIM only Vodaphone contract?
Hi Guys, Just took out a contract with orange for the hero and was told it was 'unlimited' data, after a few days I found out that there was some fair use poliocy (which I though was 500mb per day or something) but its not, there is a limit of 25mb per day, which for wireless tethering is nothing!!! I was told by the guy in the shop that it was unlimited because I wanted tethering for my laptop and he lied to me :( I'm going to try and get my money back but bee very very careful when they tell you about things being 'unlimited' because even orange says that 25mb per day in 'unlimited...
Now the battle to try and get my money back and find a different contract / model :(
Auch! 25MB is not much no, that is a joke. Could you post a link to the subscription here, so everyone can avoid that deal?
I have been without my ADSL-line for a few days now. That put aside, I have managed to run the Hero as a wireless access point. I have then placed the phone in the room where the reception is best (HSDPA, 2 bars) and we can now surf again from our wifi laptops, albeit only with WEP 128bit encryption. I reckon that should be fine, since the program will only be running as needed.
I get from 1,5-3,5 Mbit/s. When outside I can get up to 5,5Mbit but only with all four bars on HSDPA, which is quite rare. Average ping to our game servers is 175 ms which is too bad though... so no gaming before they figure out what the heck happened to the routers in this building...
I am continuously amazed by what happens when you put a Linux variant on a phone :)
NB - these apps require a rooted phone (developer phone) for this to work.
Edit: It seems average over a longer period is about 140 ms... I might try some LFS'ing and see how that goes :D
Quote from: TeaLeaf;289925Buy the Hero's and get a cheaper SIM only Vodaphone contract?
There's an idea! :rolleyes:
Quote from: delanvital;290098NB - these apps require a rooted phone (developer phone) for this to work.
How does one tell if ones phone is rooted then? Are all sim-free heros bought outright dev. phones or is it pot luck?:ninja:
Nope you have to route your own phone after you buy it and that includes people like me who bought a white SIM free version. Rooted phones allow more customisation and allow the installation of non authorised apps. It certainly not a requirement to have a routed phone. But geeks like delanvital just can't leave their tec alone :norty:
Quote from: suicidal_monkey;290107How does one tell if ones phone is rooted then? Are all sim-free heros bought outright dev. phones or is it pot luck?:ninja:
All can be rooted. None are out the box. You modify during boot process using an application. I got a pre-rooted image. I think there are other ways.
The bosses decision is final:
She's gone for the N97 32Gb. At least it's Symbian and not Windows eh?
Should be arriving today and will post a full review at some point if people want it?
Jabbs out
HTC have confirmed that Android 2.0 will be coming to the Hero :)
Quote from: OldBloke;294470HTC have confirmed that Android 2.0 will be coming to the Hero :)
VERY exited by this :woot2: Just hope the wait won't be too long and painful...
Linky for those that want to read about it: http://www.htcheroblog.com/2009/10/29/htc-confirms-android-2-0-update-for-htc-hero/
Wicked :D so much goodie - and for free!
Has anyone got the hero working with Win 7 x64. I've followed guides and copied the drives across but it won't see the new driver as more recent, so I can't sync it, and can't update the firmware etc. Any ideas?
Quote from: T-Bag;294526Has anyone got the hero working with Win 7 x64. I've followed guides and copied the drives across but it won't see the new driver as more recent, so I can't sync it, and can't update the firmware etc. Any ideas?
I got my Hero today and, like you, had this issue.
Follow the instructions here (http://www.the-asylum.com/blog/permalink/htc-sync-htc-hero-and-windows-7-64-bit/) and then look at comment #19 to see how to install the ADB device (where you point to the Vista x64 drivers).
Worked for me :)
I followed all that and it still wouldn't work. I tried it under XP Mode too. Then I tried it on a uni computer running XP and on my housemates laptop running on Vista. None of the above worked.
In the end it needed a restart and then it worked with my Win 7 Machine. :doh:
As far a I am aware HTC Sync is not used for firmware updates. They come as stand-alone executables. That being said you probably still need the correct drivers in order to install them. Sync is only needed if you want to syncronise your Hero contacts etc with Windows, which is a bit pointless if you do it over the air with Google, which IMHO is the best method.
you have to have the phone synced before running the standalone exe file. Or at least it says that in the instructions. I got it done. After I turned it off and back on again (the first thing I should have tried I guess) it synced and the process of the upgrade is easy (though wipes the phone and needs setting up from scratch.
Well worth it for the performance difference. I assume it will be worth it to upgrade to version 3 of Android too.
2nd version of this was released yesterday anyone have one?
I couldn't see much difference from the original, however as mentioned I don't use HTC Sync as I back-up/synchronise with Google (point taken about needing sync for Android updates)
The official blurb says
QuoteImproved Functions
1. This update for HTC Sync provides more connectivity between your HTC Phone and PC. Still providing synchronization between your Outlook and your HTC Phone, weââ,¬â,,¢ve added in media enhancements, syncing your contacts pictures along with their contact information.
2. Syncing now also syncs your HTC Phoneââ,¬â,,¢s time with your PCââ,¬â,,¢s time and vice versa, providing the most accurate time for you, wherever, or whenever, you are.
3. Sync your phone with ease. Just plug in your HTC phone to your PC using a Mini (Or Micro) USB cable and watch as HTC Sync displays your model name and starts to sync your information for you.
I *love* this phone.
The only thing I miss from my Nokia N95 8GB was the ability to sync with Exchange within set timeframes (I don't want to get work related emails at night or weekends).
Off to find out if there's an app for that :D
I have to say that I got around to getting my data off the 'phone' calendar and was then free to do the ROM update. Boy was it ever a smooth and simple process, real nice & easy and worked flawlessly. The new ROM is noticeably faster. Very impressed.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;296846The new ROM is noticeably faster. Very impressed.
Well, be ready to back up again because Android 2.0 Eclair is on its way. Probably before the end of the year. The jump will not be as great as some say though, because the HTC-version of 1.5 we have, is not that far from 1.6... but still unified email program, support for several google accounts, and plenty of other good stuff :woot2:
Android 2.1 spied on HTC Hero (http://androidandme.com/2009/11/phones/android-2-1-spied-on-htc-hero/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+androidandme+%28Android+and+Me%29)
:dribble::dribble::dribble:
Nice. I'm looking forward to this. Though it might take a little longer as I'm on T-Mobile they had a month or two delay with the last update.
Ten years ago now but I have fond memories of the Hero.
(Saw a picture of one on a random web search and decided the memory was worth finding this thread and posting my love :D )
Quote from: TeaLeaf;284283As a data user yourself Smilo, is 500MB a reasonable amount? My previous phones I have not really used the email and browsing side, so I have little experience of if that quantity is ok compared to say an 'unlimited' 3GS alternative.
TL.
How time & data usage fly.......!
[video=youtube;FKTDSfbcbBU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTDSfbcbBU&[/video]
and now we are here....
[video=youtube;vKSA_idPZkc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKSA_idPZkc[/video]