HTC hero review
HTC hero review. There’s no underestimating the appeal of the HTC Hero; since we shot our unboxing video and preliminary hands-on at the end of last week it’s been watched more than 300,000 times. The third Android device to reach the market, the Hero promises not only an updated camera and design, but HTC’s latest work in user-interface, HTC Sense. Can the Hero live up to the hype? Check out our full review to find out.
From the outside, the Hero blends elements of both the device that have gone before it; the smartphone is size-wise more in line with the Magic, but with some of the angular style of the original HTC Dream (aka the T-Mobile G1). It’s a thin handset, measuring 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm, and feels even thinner thanks to the sharp beveling of the edges. Our review unit is white, but depending on carrier there will be charcoal and black versions of the Hero, each with the subtle brushed-metal display surround. It’s a distinctive design, but not unduly dramatic, and while we’ve heard complaint about HTC’s persistence with the angled “chin” section this does make holding the phone and using the buttons and trackball more straightforward.
Up top there’s a welcome addition to an HTC Android device, in the shape of a 3.5mm headphones socket, while on the base there’s the company’s own ExtUSB port (which is compatible with standard mini-USB). On the left-hand side there are surprisingly large volume controls, while on the back there’s the 5-megapixel autofocus camera (which still lacks a flash of any sort). There’s no dedicated camera button, either.
Up front, there’s a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen running at 320 x 480 HVGA resolution, sitting above the usual six Android buttons: call, home, menu, call-end, search and back. The trackball from the Dream and Magic is also present, and it lights up when you receive an SMS or phone call. Above the display is the long, narrow speaker-grill, flanked on the left by an ambient light sensor and on the right by a two-color LED that flashes green to let you know a message has come in, and red when charging. The whole handset is covered in Teflon, which HTC say will better resist scratches, fading and staining; its matte finish is a tactile and aesthetically welcome departure from glossy devices.
