Manage updates with the Download AppHTC Hero (unlocked)
Manufacturer: HTC Part number: A6262
- CNET Editor rating: Not yet rated
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 13 reviews
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you can stand the Hero's occasional sluggishness, it's a fantastic smartphone packed with great features. We like its distinctive looks, and its innovative user interface brings Android much closer to being as fun and good-looking as the iPhone OS, while being far more customizable. Occasional lag and Android's rough edges mean it's not quite an iPhone killer, but it's definitely fighting in the same class.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/20/2013 |
CNET editors' review
HTC Hero (unlocked) price range: $129.00
- Reviewed by: Flora Graham
- Reviewed on: 07/21/2009
The good: Epic customizability; well-designed home screen widgets with live updates; easy-to-use keyboard; convenient Android Market for apps; multitouch capability; Flash support; 3.5-millimeter headphone jack; Facebook integration.
The bad: Sluggish at times; Flash video is dodgy; no easy way to back up and restore; button and menu overkill.
The bottom line: If you can stand the Hero's occasional sluggishness, it's a fantastic smartphone packed with great features. We like its distinctive looks, and its innovative user interface brings Android much closer to being as fun and good-looking as the iPhone OS, while being far more customizable. Occasional lag and Android's rough edges mean it's not quite an iPhone killer, but it's definitely fighting in the same class.
User reviews
-
-
Awesome Phone - A true HERO !
by LuuDee on September 4, 2009
Pros: Again HTC has managed to put together an ultimate piece of hw. Every feature I ever wanted finally in one phone. And finally, it is shipping with an OS that is stable, fast, expandable, and user friendly: Android OS. No more Windoze nightmares !!!
Cons: The only thing on my wish-list, would be that the Sprint/US version of the Hero would have been available here (in Asia) for me to buy. I like the flat (e.g. non curved bottom) and slightly slicker look of it.
Summary: When I first got the phone, I was worried that there would be no apps and games available for this baby. Boy was I wrong ! The "Market" (Android App Store) ...
Summary: When I first got the phone, I was worried that there would be no apps and games available for this baby. Boy was I wrong ! The "Market" (Android App Store) has literally thousand of extensions, additions and games. If any of the HTC provided software extensions/features are not to your liking you can can download an alternative from the "Market".
This is the first smart phone that I have ever owned that gave me the true fully satisfied feeling (and I had a few ...).
We also own a Nokia N97.
Setting up the Hero, took a few minutes getting used to. The interface is actually quite intuitive and easy to use (which is a big surprise if you are used to the N97). I was truly surprised how easy it was to configure wireless networking (I use static IPs in my home WiFi - try configuring that in the N97). Compared to the N97, the Hero's is much more responsive. Screen flips, app starting, etc. is much faster.
Even-though the N97 and the Hero are virtually the same size the Hero feels slicker and smaller.
I love how easy it is to turn on/off and control WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth.
Before I got the phone I read posts about the phone being sluggish. I am still to encounter the sluggishness.
I have never owned an iPhone (Apple did not "allow" me to buy/own one until a few months ago). But I did play with my friends iPhone. He had a huge battery pack attached to it (3rd party USB type) so it would last through the day. So far my Hero has easily lasted for a day (except on the firs day, because I was downloading and installing extensions and games for most of the day). The interface of the Hero is fully configurable and "nicer" than the iPhone. The Hero does support multi-touch, and two-finger-zoom.
So, bottom line: Any other smart phone is a waste of time and money.4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
The Best Phone Out Today
by ericrhenley on August 31, 2009
Pros: Responsive - very fast with minimal lag
Intuitive - HTC has done a very good job of anticipating what you want to do
Reliable - Rarely if ever has a software issueCons: Sprint - get the unlocked version and run it on your network
Summary: This is the best phone I have every used. It is easy, syncs with gmail and exchange, has a great web browser, google maps and mulit-touch. The battery lasts all ...
Summary: This is the best phone I have every used. It is easy, syncs with gmail and exchange, has a great web browser, google maps and mulit-touch. The battery lasts all day even with frequent side trips to play a game or two.
This is the phone to get.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Does Not Accurately Configure Daylight Saving Time
by BR549001 on October 25, 2009
Pros: Nice Operating System, Easily Customizable; Great Apps
Cons: Sluggish; Does not properly sync calendar because of DST issue.
Summary: Got the HERO (Sprint) last week for a 30 day test drive. Functions nice as a phone. Synced my Outlook calendar using Google Calendar Sync, and all appointments for the ...
Summary: Got the HERO (Sprint) last week for a 30 day test drive. Functions nice as a phone. Synced my Outlook calendar using Google Calendar Sync, and all appointments for the week of 10/25 are off an hour on the phone calendar. Beginning Nov 1, some appointments are still off an hour, but most are the correct time. Re-booted and synced using HTC Sync that came with the phone - same issue, everything off an hour. Then, this morning at 2:00 a.m. (10/25), the phone's internal time zone changed back to regular time, even though DST doesn't revert until next week. And, the clock widget is showing the correct time, but the time in the notification bar shows the internal clock's time, off an hour. The phone is marketed as a revolution because it can seemlessly sync your calendar and contacts. Unfortunately, HTC, Google, and Sprint cannot come through on their promises. I am an HTC fan, but this seems like a simple problem that should have been fixed before sending to the public. Message boards are buzzing about the problem, Google, HTC, Sprint, but no one seems to have an answer. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PHONE UNTIL GOOGLE, SPRINT, HTC SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
This review is for the HTC Hero by Sprint.
Updated on Oct 25, 20092 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Maybe good, but still iphone-ish
by junkmantis on September 12, 2009
Pros: good software, extremefully useful when it syncs with all of your google account.
Cons: sluggish sometimes, no keyboard
Summary: if i want to have touch phone, i would still buy iphone, i think HTC and google just dont get it. put in the keyboard
Summary: if i want to have touch phone, i would still buy iphone, i think HTC and google just dont get it. put in the keyboard
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Very good device, good for all things on the run!
by SPOOK666 on June 19, 2011
Pros: Compact, fun to use, GPS, and if you root it, upgradable!
Cons: Performance is a bit hit or miss at times, a little bit slow compared to today's devices.
Summary: It's a great phone, I did not like how it was only officially upgradable to 2.1 so I rooted the device, and flashed a custom rom to the ...
Summary: It's a great phone, I did not like how it was only officially upgradable to 2.1 so I rooted the device, and flashed a custom rom to the device, I found froyo roms are pretty fast and gingerbread roms are a bit slower but faster than stock roms, at the time of writing, the device is running Elelinux hero 7.1, v2.6.1, which is the best of all gingerbread firmwares I tried, for that rom and perhaps all roms I tried, performance is a bit hit or miss but that's a limitation of the hero's hardware, I do plan to upgrade to a dual core device by the end of the summer or early fall, but despite that, I think it's a fun device to use.
-
It looks nice
by nhan127 on December 2, 2010
Pros: This is a great product and I like it.
Cons: nothing to write
Summary: I like it
Summary: I like it
-
Not an iPhone replacement but still a great phone
by 0ne0ff on June 26, 2010
Pros: All basic phone functions work great.
Cons: Application Market and lack of good apps
Browser
HTC has been promising a firmware update for months and it has yet to come.
HTC Clock widgets are not DST compatible
Otterbox does not make a case for it
Camera is totally useless
HTC email clientSummary: All Sprint Hero reviewers please shove your phone up your as$ and jump of the nearest bridge; the Sprint Hero is a different phone than the GSM unlocked Hero. Dummies....
Summary: All Sprint Hero reviewers please shove your phone up your as$ and jump of the nearest bridge; the Sprint Hero is a different phone than the GSM unlocked Hero. Dummies.
Secondly, if you want an iPhone but you're still thinking of an Android, just buy the iPhone I would if I could go back in time. The media world is practically aimed directly at iPods and iPhones, any one who spends the time to tell you how great their non-Apple device is compared to it's primary competition is just trying to convince themselves it was a wise choice to buy the product they did. Now on to some actual information about the phone.
Before your first use clean up your gmail contact list, otherwise they'll all end up on your phone and definately use the setup wizard included with the phone. It's use as a phone is EXCEPTIONAL!!! I'm a fussy phone user but I was impressed by the call quality, texting, navigation and contacts list. It's super easy to use and customize, multitasking is great but requires the use of a task killer. The keyboard is great, I have very large very calloused hands and I still use it with ease. The predictive text is the best I've ever used, you can bang out a word, get half the letters wrong and it will still come up with the word you want. The seven screens is definately overkill, if you have that many apps or widgets your device will run so slow you won't keep it very long. The gmail client works great with no complaints. The HTC mail client works great with Hotmail, but I have a second Gmail account for work through the HTC email program and every time I try to send a mass email it won't send and I have to delete the account and re register it.
The Applications are not as good as iPhone which has more and better apps. Any apps that are shared between the Android and Apple markets are not the same so you either have to pay for them if you have an Android phone, or they work totally different, usually not as good. The stock browser, even crap would it crap; it's sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow, useless, and disfunctional; so far the best replacement for it is Dolphin Browser but it still has it's quirks, like being a battery hog. The widgets look great, work great, are cool to have but they're kinda useless and they're the culprit for making the phone so slow. None are a necessity and I personally no longer run them.
The HTC clock widgets for some stupid reason are not setup to deal with daylight savings. ***!!??? Why would you include not just A widget, but multiple widgets that are completely useless for 8 months of the year? I'm also starting to get real cranky with HTC for taking so long to release a firmware update, they have it, it's on all their new phones and in most parts of the world except Canada.
The camera is terrible, definately NOT 5.0 mega pixels, I'd say 2.0 at the most. The delay from when you push the trackball until it takes the picture renders it useless unless you're taking pictures of static objects.
All in I wouldn't buy this again, it functions great as a phone but as a mobile device it's a flop; the camera is so useless I've only used it once; it's impossible to get a decent case and holster for it, it's the only major device Otterbox does not cater to. Now for my biggest complaint, it is now an obsolete device in every way possible. -
This phone does everything right out of the box!
by reycumm on February 14, 2010
Pros: Very user friendly
Cons: The key pad takes some getting use to.
Summary: I am windows based. So I looked for the best for my needs. This is the answer for me.
Summary: I am windows based. So I looked for the best for my needs. This is the answer for me.
-
it's excellent!
by idees28 on October 24, 2009
Pros: Android, sense UI, quality, ???????????
Cons: i would like a bigger screen 3.5''
-
I-Phone not for me
by salesforce111 on January 22, 2010
Pros: Did like the usability.
Cons: Didn't like the i-phone thought it was too much of a toy, did not help my business at all.
Summary: Not suitable for a sales force
Summary: Not suitable for a sales force
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Part number: A6262
- Description: HTC Hero is the first phone to embody HTC sense - an intuitive, seamless experience built upon three fundamental principles - make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected. With HTC Hero, personalization reaches a level never before possible. Rather than burying important content under layers of menus, the HTC Hero lets you put it at glance view, with a selection of widgets that can be placed right on the home screen. The widgets themselves can be personalized with a variety of designs and sizes that best match your personality. With scenes, a profile feature, HTC Hero becomes multiple phones in one. Create and switch between scenes that reflect different moments in your life. Your Hero becomes a weekend phone that helps you relax with your choice of tunes, catch up with your favorite friends and capture some memories with HTC Footprints. And when you go on a trip, your phone becomes your personal guide and gives you instant access to local time, weather and maps.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Smartphone (Android OS)
- Form Factor Touch
- Integrated Components Voice recorder,
GPS receiver,
Digital camera,
Digital player - Antenna Internal
- Width 2.2 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4.4 in
- Weight 4.8 oz
- Image Color Disclaimer The image of the product displayed may be of a different color
Cellular
- Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
- Band WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider Unlocked
- Operating System Google Android
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen
- Phone Navigation Buttons Trackball
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services SMS,
MMS Communications
- Data Transmission HSDPA,
GPRS,
EDGE - Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b/g,
Bluetooth 2.0 EDR - Bluetooth Profiles Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
- Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Sensors Accelerometer
- Additional Features Integrated digital compass
Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3,
WMA,
MIDI,
AAC,
AAC +,
AMR,
WAV - Supported Digital Video Standards MPEG-4,
H.263,
WMV,
H.264 Processor
- Type QUALCOMM MSM7200A
- Clock Speed 528 MHz
Memory
- RAM 288 MB
- ROM 512 MB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 5 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
Navigation System
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 3.2 in
- Display Resolution 320 x 480 pixels
Connections
- Connector Type Data port - 11 pin HTC ExtUSB,
Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Capacity 1350 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk - up to 470 min,
Standby - up to 750 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HTC products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:HTC
- Address:
13920 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 - Phone: (425) 861-9174
- Email: info@htcamerica.net
- Fax: (425) 861-1715
%20-%20Compare%20prices,%20reviews,%20user%20opinions%20-%20Shopper.com&srcUrl=http://shopper.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-hero-unlocked/4014-6452_9-33702036.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6452&x_arw_bkts=MAD:first_impression,MAD:low_wireless_switcher){kind=small}