HTC Hero

[JACKTARD]

So pleased i'm getting this phone :)

does anyone have any good/bad review on this phone or the android system generally?

Good apps?

:D

[Shar]

It's a really good phone overall :D
there are better HTC phones out now but Hero is cheaper :)

[MrGazet]

Um..its quite old?

but yh its cheaper compared to other HTCs

[JACKTARD]

yeah i know its a bit older but i really love it. Plus i cant afford to pay like £35 p/m

[xxMATTGxx]

I own this phone so if you ever need any help or have questions then I will try my best ans answer them! :P Can I ask if you are getting this SIMFREE or on some sort of contract.

[HotelUser]

He's a rundown of my favourites applications for Android I use on my Nexus One:
- ES File Manager
- Opera mini
- SNESoid (SNES emulator, brilliant)
- TaskKiller (Best task manager there)
- HandCent SMS (a replacement application for the built in SMS, I prefer this for a number of reasons)
- Meebo IM (MSN client, best one for battery that I am aware of)
- Merdian (replacement for built in music app, which I find doesn't force close as much)
- Home++ (replacement home, I use it because of the better shortcuts and it works in landscape)
- Engadget (it's an Engadget application)
- Earth (google earth)
- Aidiko (it's an ebook reader, though the Hero's screen size might make reading ebooks unattractive)
- andFTP (ftp client)
- AppManager (good for managing applications)
- Barcode Scanner (good for scanning barcodes of all sorts)

[Markeh]

yeah i know its a bit older but i really love it. Plus i cant afford to pay like £35 p/m

What are you paying with the Hero?

[myke]

I will warn you, there's still flaws in it. I've had mine since christmas and the lack of proper phone to phone bluetooth is an annoyance, often the message app crashes because you have too many text messages (don't let a thread get more than 200 texts before deleting it) the shutter speed on the camera is shocking so when you get it go to camera > settings > ISO > 800 (from auto), keep it on auto if you want good quality pictures but a crappy shutter speed.

HTC are releasing Android 2.1 for it in June some time (so it has been reported), so that should fix the flaws and give us bluetooth capabilities. I am laughed at when I say don't bluetooth me stuff :| LOL ...

Uhm, I love the phone, but just them little niggles, and the battery life, keep your eye on it, mine just lasts a day but I use mine every minute of the day so yeah.

It's a great phone though, really ;)

[xxMATTGxx]

I will warn you, there's still flaws in it. I've had mine since christmas and the lack of proper phone to phone bluetooth is an annoyance, often the message app crashes because you have too many text messages (don't let a thread get more than 200 texts before deleting it) the shutter speed on the camera is shocking so when you get it go to camera > settings > ISO > 800 (from auto), keep it on auto if you want good quality pictures but a crappy shutter speed.

HTC are releasing Android 2.1 for it in June some time (so it has been reported), so that should fix the flaws and give us bluetooth capabilities. I am laughed at when I say don't bluetooth me stuff :| LOL ...

Uhm, I love the phone, but just them little niggles, and the battery life, keep your eye on it, mine just lasts a day but I use mine every minute of the day so yeah.

It's a great phone though, really ;)

2.1 gives proper bluetooth by the way in terms of sending files between two phones, I tried it when I flashed it with an unofficial 2.1 ROM. So you can either wait till around June or whenever HTC decide to release this bloody update "officially" or you can root it then flash with a 2.1 ROM. :P (This probably isn't making any sense.)

[JACKTARD]

I own this phone so if you ever need any help or have questions then I will try my best ans answer them! :P Can I ask if you are getting this SIMFREE or on some sort of contract.


What are you paying with the Hero?

I'm going on a contract with '3'. It's a 24 month contract at £20 per month - free phone. I get unlimited texts and internet with 200 minutes which is perfect for me :)


He's a rundown of my favourites applications for Android I use on my Nexus One:
- ES File Manager
- Opera mini
- SNESoid (SNES emulator, brilliant)
- TaskKiller (Best task manager there)
- HandCent SMS (a replacement application for the built in SMS, I prefer this for a number of reasons)
- Meebo IM (MSN client, best one for battery that I am aware of)
- Merdian (replacement for built in music app, which I find doesn't force close as much)
- Home++ (replacement home, I use it because of the better shortcuts and it works in landscape)
- Engadget (it's an Engadget application)
- Earth (google earth)
- Aidiko (it's an ebook reader, though the Hero's screen size might make reading ebooks unattractive)
- andFTP (ftp client)
- AppManager (good for managing applications)
- Barcode Scanner (good for scanning barcodes of all sorts)
Thanks :) I'll take a look when i get it :)





I will warn you, there's still flaws in it. I've had mine since christmas and the lack of proper phone to phone bluetooth is an annoyance, often the message app crashes because you have too many text messages (don't let a thread get more than 200 texts before deleting it) the shutter speed on the camera is shocking so when you get it go to camera > settings > ISO > 800 (from auto), keep it on auto if you want good quality pictures but a crappy shutter speed.

HTC are releasing Android 2.1 for it in June some time (so it has been reported), so that should fix the flaws and give us bluetooth capabilities. I am laughed at when I say don't bluetooth me stuff :| LOL ...

Uhm, I love the phone, but just them little niggles, and the battery life, keep your eye on it, mine just lasts a day but I use mine every minute of the day so yeah.

It's a great phone though, really ;)

Yeah, i think the phone is still worth having even with those flaws :D. Thanks though :D


2.1 gives proper bluetooth by the way in terms of sending files between two phones, I tried it when I flashed it with an unofficial 2.1 ROM. So you can either wait till around June or whenever HTC decide to release this bloody update "officially" or you can root it then flash with a 2.1 ROM. :P (This probably isn't making any sense.)

No it isnt haha :P
So the phone doesnt have normal bluetooth?

[xxMATTGxx]

I'm going on a contract with '3'. It's a 24 month contract at £20 per month - free phone. I get unlimited texts and internet with 200 minutes which is perfect for me :)


Thanks :) I'll take a look when i get it :)






Yeah, i think the phone is still worth having even with those flaws :D. Thanks though :D



No it isnt haha :P
So the phone doesnt have normal bluetooth?

It has bluetooth but at the moment you won't be able to send files from your phone to another phone etc. You will be able to when 2.1 is released.

[JACKTARD]

It has bluetooth but at the moment you won't be able to send files from your phone to another phone etc. You will be able to when 2.1 is released.

guessing that means you can't receive them also?

[Monopoly]

Correct. But flashing 2.1 onto your phone is really easy if it bothers you that much. :)

[JACKTARD]

I've got a whole new Q now about it :P.

To download apps do i need to make an account on android marketplace and if yeah, what details do they need? Do they need credit/debit card details even if i only download free apps? And another thing, can you then put the apps on the home screens?

[xxMATTGxx]

I've got a whole new Q now about it :P.

To download apps do i need to make an account on android marketplace and if yeah, what details do they need? Do they need credit/debit card details even if i only download free apps? And another thing, can you then put the apps on the home screens?

You need a Google account, so a simple Gmail account will do you fine. You do not need to enter any credit/debit card details to download the free applications from it.

Yes you can add applications and widgets on the home screen, you have like 7 screens all together I believe of space you can use. So 1 being the home screen.

[JACKTARD]

great :) because my dad just said he wont give me his card details to put into the android store thing. I dont have one yet because not 16 yet. Getting th ephone for 16th bday you see :D.
Really looking forward to getting it.
But i kinda half dnt get it still :P Sorry! lmao. So when you get apps from the android market you just log in with the googlemail email? Nothing else?

Have i already +repped you because u've rly helped? Ill check now :)

EDIT: Gotta spread so i must have already +repped :)

[xxMATTGxx]

great :) because my dad just said he wont give me his card details to put into the android store thing. I dont have one yet because not 16 yet. Getting th ephone for 16th bday you see :D.
Really looking forward to getting it.
But i kinda half dnt get it still :P Sorry! lmao. So when you get apps from the android market you just log in with the googlemail email? Nothing else?

Have i already +repped you because u've rly helped? Ill check now :)

EDIT: Gotta spread so i must have already +repped :)

When you first setup the phone to put your Google account details in and such. Once you have done that, that's it. You can click market when you have a net connection and download any of the free applications.

Edit: Yeah, a Gmail/GoogleMail account (Google Account) is all you need.

[JACKTARD]

ok great thanks.

when i have apps such as weather for instance, if i had it on the home page would it keep refreshing itself so it's accurate(Like overnight)? (i'll have unlimited internet access) Or will it jsut do that when i load it up?

[JACKTARD]

[cant edit]

oh and also, do you use anything to protect the screen or body of the phone? I've heard that some of them are useless so do you think that they're necessary and if yeah, any recommendations? :P

[xxMATTGxx]

ok great thanks.

when i have apps such as weather for instance, if i had it on the home page would it keep refreshing itself so it's accurate(Like overnight)? (i'll have unlimited internet access) Or will it jsut do that when i load it up?

You can make it so it will only refresh when you want it to, so manually refresh. Normally it will refresh when you are connected to the internet either via WiFi or the mobile internet. Mobile internet does not have to be on at all times, you can turn it off and on when you need it.


[cant edit]

oh and also, do you use anything to protect the screen or body of the phone? I've heard that some of them are useless so do you think that they're necessary and if yeah, any recommendations? :P

I do not use a screen protector, I clean it every so often with this soft cloth thing to get rid of fingerprints. I've had no scratches what so ever on the screen. The rest of the body (back and sides) is protected by a silicon case. So it's up to you!

[JACKTARD]

ok thanks :)

ill pm you if i have any more q's about it when i get the phone this friday! :D