Comments on: HTC’s Hero is now official, features HTC Sense UI

By: BKBRAM

BKBRAM — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:14:41 +0000

Actually, as a long time blackberry user the trackball has been horrible! As well as a good majority of my buddies, and online searches reveils the same issure with hundreds of others. I had my blackberry bold for 2 months and the trackball has already gone to shit…once again trackball problems with my blackberry. I got rid of my bold and recently got the HTC Magic, the “chin” as people call it doesn’t bother me, and the trackball is much nicer from the start on the HTC then it was on Blackberry. So, yes,the chin design DOES provide protection for the trackball.

By: V for Ve...

V for Ve... — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:27:18 +0000

Competition is awesome. This is one sweet looking device. Good thing HTC dumped WinMo and went with Android. I hope a CDMA version is anounced soon, with WiFi.
BTW, the chin is what makes it unique. I want it, with or without the chin. C’mon Verizon, you got to catch these things early.

By: Tyrone D.

Tyrone D. — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:00:48 +0000

Nice looking but the chin is lame. Processor is week.

By: MightyMidget

MightyMidget — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:18:36 +0000

This is the coolest thing I have seen! Oh please come to AT&T!!!!!!!!! BTW, does anyone know if Orange is a GSM company?

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:38:27 +0000

@Palfrei the digital compass was on HTC phones long before apple added it to the 3GS. HTC is not copying apple here. Instead Apple is copying HTC. Both the g1 and the magic have a digital compass.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:35:40 +0000

I like the trackball. It gives you extra precision you don’t have with just a touch screen. For example if you type a text and notice a typo and want to add a letter somewhere. Picking the spot with a touch screen does not work the best. But sliding the trackball around works great. Also the trackball is used in many games.

By: Johan Krüger-Haglert

Johan Krüger-Haglert — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:46:44 +0000

Regarding having UI modifications on top of the OS it’s not a big deal. It still runs the same OS, making simple applications is much less tiresome than developing a new OS, it may be easy to implement different UIs and finally I assume android will shape up once it gets more time and people working on it. It’s still small and kinda half-beta I’d say

By: in4am0spun

in4am0spun — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:17:20 +0000

Whats up with these touchscreen’s w/ a trackball? whats up with the jay leno chin AND, will the hero work in landscape mode? not one thing did they show in there (writing messages in general) that was in landscape

By: Lazaro C

Lazaro C — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:22:34 +0000

i tried the hero rom on the g1 a few weeks ago and while it was a pretty buggy port, I must say the UI is fantastic. All the widgets are great. The full facebook integration with your contacts book is very cool too!

By: Vperry39120

Vperry39120 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:13:37 +0000

Really Hope Att will get this device

By: Gerardo Suarez

Gerardo Suarez — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:09:39 +0000

Nice looking phone, kind of sexy!

I’m moving from Canada (Rogers) to the Netherlands for the next few years.. Currently have a BB Bold and contemplating whether to unlock it or get one of these beauties, especially if it’s zero $$$ contract.

I’m so looking forward to Europe vs the stank consumers get in Canada!!

By: Palfrei

Palfrei — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:04:16 +0000

When did a “Digital Compass” become a distinctive feature of cellphones? As I recall, it was called GPS

Whatever that Apple releases for its iPhone becomes something that other manufacturers highlight.

I feel sorry for all the companies that keep track of everything done by Apple [most companies?]. Instead of wasting energy and manpower in shadowing Apple and releasing cloned useless features they should come up with something new or, at least, improve what they have accomplished.

For instance, INSTEAD OF launching the phone with a “DIGITAL COMPASS”, they could have put A FREAKING LED LIGHT for the camera!!! That is a useful feature, I keep using the one in my cellphone as a lantern.

By the way, the form factor resembles a shovel… and not a nice one.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:08:08 +0000

First impressions are that this phone looks pretty amazing – htc have done what seems to be a great job on the software.

Don’t really know what it is about “the chin” though. Admittedly I’ve never used G1 or Magic, but would it not serve the function of bringing the microphone closer to your mouth when on a call?

Like I said I’m unsure, but you could say that there’s a bit more visible design intellect than with the iphone.

I could see myself with this phone, but full judgement will be reserved until playtime comes along. Good work HTC on continually putting out phones that can compete with iphone.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:58:51 +0000

Looking on the HTC website, there are photos of it in black, so thats at least one possibly ticked of?!

By: Prof. Moriarty

Prof. Moriarty — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:41:15 +0000

That UI looks slick. One of the primary objectives of Android is to make it easy to customize or skin it to your liking, and HTC has done a great job from what I can see.

I’ve been reading that apparently we can install this Sense UI on the G1/Magic courtesy of xda-developers. What I’m wondering is whether it would be possible to install Sense UI on non-HTC branded Android phones as well?

If possible, then that might give some hope to VZW customers waiting on their first Android phone, which apparently is a Motorola slider coming out in a few months.

By: Who?

Who? — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:32:45 +0000

What’s so great about Android? No one has ever explained this to me.

By: wallyson

wallyson — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:59:07 +0000

dual-band 7.2Mbps HSPA/WCDMA ?

Is this another stupid Android for T-mobile frequencies?

By: Geniuz

Geniuz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:25:51 +0000

@ Sunny

Yes I understand and that’s what I’m talking about … it’s a poor design if that’s the reason. Because it shouldn’t be that hard to have the scrollball inset to keep the phone from having the infamous “chin”

By: RM

RM — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:50:09 +0000

To whoever asked:

You’re not seeing any resolutions higher than 480×320 because Android doesn’t yet support them.

Higher res support (WVGA and beyond) is in the pipeline for the next Android release.

And, thanks to xda-developers, you’ll be able to install this OS on a G1 or Magic as well.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:48:14 +0000

Also i forgot to mention the chin isnt even that bigg.. Its madd small i dont know why u guys are bugging about it..

By: Sunny

Sunny — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:47:38 +0000

Geniuz your wrong because i owned every sidekick and about 3 blackberry’s.. Now i own the G1 if you look at the sidekick and the blackberry they have a lil hole where the trackball is placed inside so its protected while the G1 and HTC fones dont have that lil hole that the ball is placed in.. Its all out in the open so the chin keeps it protected a bit but thats still a lame excuse and typing in iphone and the g1 are basically the same in landscape i know i used both and owned both at one point..

By: sil

sil — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:55:09 +0000

What’s this a gravity sensor? They just 1up the iphone I’m getting this hopefully thru ebay =)

By: ryan

ryan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:53:13 +0000

HTC IS APPLES’S BIGGEST COMPETION. THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT DEVICCE

By: TRV$

TRV$ — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:52:12 +0000

Hmmmmmmmmm….

By: Loki

Loki — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:32:01 +0000

Very nice. Simple but very appealing.

This may be the phone that may push me towards android.

Must follow it….

Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Tumwater United States

By: William

William — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:18:38 +0000

*GASP*

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:17:58 +0000

@Geniuz HTC may be full of it but that is one of the reasons they are putting the chins on the phone. When my G1 is set face down the trackball sits pretty much flush with the counter. I’m sure it is not a coincidence that the trackball lines up perfectly.

By: Geniuz

Geniuz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:38:30 +0000

@ Justin

Yeah, well then HTC is full of it. Just because they say it “protects” doesn’t mean it really does. I don’t believe everything I hear. Blackberry has the trackball close to the center of the phone with no chin. The phone is flat and I’ve never had a problem.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:23:08 +0000

@Geniuz no it isn’t my opinion. There was a video in which an HTC engineer commented on that being the reason why they put the chin. If you look at the magic it has a mini chin and it goes out right around the trackball.

By: Geniuz

Geniuz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:12 +0000

@ Justin

Is that your own opinion??
Because blackberry, sidekicks and a lot of other phones are flat with trackballs. They NEVER have any issues. I’ve owned a few, so I’m speaking from experience. If that’s HTC’s reason, they are full of shit!