HTC Hero hands-on: Flash, keyboard and ruminations (updated!)

We're going to need some real time with the device to make a final opinion, but we're cautiously optimistic that HTC has a winner with its new Hero. Here's what we've got from our first looks at the phone in London and NY:

• The beveled edges along the back makes the handset sit comfortably in the hand, and while the teflon coat doesn't necessarily feel revolutionary, it's going to make a world of difference after a couple of months riding in our grubby pockets. It's certainly solid, but much more so than other "brick" phones.
• The Sense UI (or as HTC terms it, "user experience") riding a capacitive touchscreen offers a people-centric approach to managing your information that is absolutely dreamy at first blush -- though it shares a lot of TouchFLO heritage. In fact, HTC promises to have a very similar Sense-branded experience for Windows Mobile.
  
• The on-screen keyboard also seems quite useable with a nice simulated haptic forced-feedback bounce when you strike each key in either landscape or portrait mode (which can naturally be deactivated). HTC has built its own touch keyboard from the ground up, and in our brief couple of tests we'd say it's probably the best touchscreen typing experience we've ever felt. It never lags behind, and has great colorful visual cues for its auto-corrected words -- green means it's suggesting a correctly spelled word, red means we've gone off the beaten path, and the T9-style multiple suggestions are heavenly.
• This intuitive one-hander isn't shy with the specs either as we've already seen in the official press release. Our only concern is possible sluggishness from the Qualcomm processor that cause the graphic transitions to stutter a bit and results in screen rotations that feel dangerously uncomfortable.
• We were told that the device we saw was running pre-production firmware so there's still time to tweak -- though not much with a July European launch.
• The Hero is not a "Google Experience" device. As such, you won't find the Google logo anywhere (no big deal) but you also won't be downloading any firmware updates over the air -- sideloading only kids. Not a deal breaker but an annoying and seemingly arbitrary limitation nonetheless. There's still a small lack of clarity of how updates will work with HTC's "mods" living on top of basic Android -- even if they're able to port in new Android versions seamlessly, we imagine there will be some breakage.
• For a device without a physical keyboard, the Hero seems a little thick up against its HTC Magic, Nokia N97, and iPhone 3G counterparts, but not overly so.
• HTC has confirmed that whichever (unspecified) carrier gets the phone in the US will have a modified version, both in software (carrier-specific services) and in hardware chassis tweaks. Just don't take our teflon away, ok HTC?
• Battery is the same larger slab that's in the myTouch, and HTC also claims to have done some vague, unspecified things OS-side to improve battery life as well. "Heavy users will be able to get through a day."
• The camera is responsive and seems to do a fine job at autofocus, but wasn't astonishingly great at first glance.
• The phone will be available for free on T-Mobile UK -- if only we could be so subsidy lucky in the US.
  

There are four videos for you after the break. The first shows Flash running at full screen on the HTC Hero courtesy of YouTube. The second, however, shows it failing when running a trailer from Yahoo Movies, just like Adobe did -- in fact, it crashed all four times that we tried it on what we were told was a Hero running the final build of the OS. Third one is a quickie showing the on-screen keyboard rotating from portrait to landscape and back. Lastly, we demonstrate the hardware a little bit and show off our lightning speed at typing. For the real completists, there's also a new gallery of hands-on shots from the NY launch event right below.

HTC Hero hands-on

HTC Hero additional hands-on

Flash win



Flash fail



Keyboard rotation



Hardware hands-on, typing test

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 3:01AM]

Looks awesome.

[mpeters13 Posted Jun 25th 2009 4:04AM]

Ugh stop teasing me. I'll never be able to get this phone at the pace AT&T and Sprint are moving with Android. :(

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 5:55AM]

I can't help but think that the Hero is going to be like the rest of the HTC lineup - works okay with a clean install but as soon as you start putting apps on it it chokes..

I've currently got the HTC Diamond with the touchFlo 3d interface and when I saw review vids and even demo'd the phone in the shop it worked really slick - within a few days of putting a few apps on it (google maps etc) it was taking ages to flip between screens :(

With 2009 looking like there are going to be quite a few touchscreen phones launched HTC really need to up the game in terms of speed / processing power / memory in order to provide a UI that is instant - jeez I have to wait 10 seconds + sometimes to even look at my contacts!!!! That is not a cool look when you are with mates...

I am thinking of going for a Nokia N97 sometime soon - I just hope it has the grunt behind the widgets!

[sizzle Posted Jun 25th 2009 11:32AM]

I wouldn't compare this to the diamond. The diamond runs windows mobile which is slow, htc just made it prettier and more usable. You can only polish a turd so much.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 9:20AM]

It's funny to see iPhone fan-boys attempt to provide unbiased information about a competing device...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 1:20PM]

I think it's great that all these new phones are coming to market, the only problem is that they are all coming to market someday. We need an alternative to the Iphone NOW.

[nelagster Posted Jun 25th 2009 12:51PM]

why are people complaining about the resolution? I understand it may not be the best resolution but these screen sizes aren't getting much bigger folks so there's only so much more you can go until everything on the screen is microscopic. AKA you can't run 1280X800 on a 2.8'' screen. It's going to max out pretty soon

[KyleLipp Posted Jun 25th 2009 2:44PM]

@Information Central:

From the pix in the gallery, I looks like the 3.5 mm(read that on android-unleashed.com) goes in straight but is left some what exposed.
This pic. http://www.engadget.com/photos/htc-hero-additional-hands-on/2104085/

[bacchus2678 Posted Jun 25th 2009 2:47PM]

I really wanted to watch the video but that last one was unbarable to watch with his hand shaking so much.

Needs to get his blood sugar up or maybe it was Michael J Fox....

But seriously I think it was a bad review from the shaking because it was like he couldn't hit the buttons... making the device look less responsive than it might actually be.

[JayXL14 Posted Jun 25th 2009 2:52PM]

Haven't really been aware of the new HTC phones except the G1. Sadly I'm more concentrated on the iPhone, yeah, sue me

[ejay Posted Jun 25th 2009 4:24PM]

I really like this phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 6:11PM]

So this is amazing...just when I thought the iPhone and the Pre were the only phones in the world...along comes this sweet looking piece of equipment!

http://www.wiredortired.com/wts/400-htc-hero-new-android-competition-for-the-iphone-and-pre

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 6:48PM]

im no fan of HTC, but this phone looks really solid. Makes the myTouch look antiquated.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 9:08PM]

Holy hell.

What is the resolution of the screen?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2009 3:11AM]

Thought the FPS was going to be a bit, but it's just as slow as it is on my G1. Splugh!

[badgaz Posted Jun 26th 2009 9:30AM]

I wonder if having to manually install firmware updates will make it easy to install custom builds.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2009 3:47PM]

I like the clock better on this phone than the regular g1. Can us regular G1 Android users have that clock as well?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2009 4:18PM]

I'm very curious to see what HTC comes up with after the Hero, I mean, this really shows that HTC has potential to compete with Apple!

Btw, I can't remember, what the hell is a Palm Pre?? I totally forgot ...

[alansky Posted Jun 26th 2009 4:41PM]

Hey, Thomas—

This is Engadget, not Vanity Fair. Could you please tone down your rhetoric. The phrase "absolutely dreamy at first blush", for example, is seriously out of place on a website. Actually, the tone of the entire piece gives me the creeps.

[JebusChrist Posted Jun 26th 2009 9:24PM]

Things I wish the phone had:

-Flash for the camera(something for those times when light isn't available)
-Beefed up hardware(it helps push the device that much closer to being truly amazing) for better, faster processing and a better screen with more and brighter colors
-Some of the finger gestures more polished. I watched a video where the "pinching" feature didn't always seem to work as it should or not as smooth as I would like.

Should still be a great phone but these imo make the difference between a great phone and a truly brilliant phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2009 2:45AM]

Must. Have. That. Clock!

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2009 8:19PM]

I sure would like to see an extra port for the headphones. I like to charge my phone and listen to music (multi-tasking, what a concept).

[slbailey1 Posted Jun 28th 2009 12:29PM]

Here's the complete specs for the HTC Hero. This should answer all questions about the screen resolution and headphone jack.
http://www.htc.com/uk/product/hero/specification.html

To get this infomation I had to change my county selection from US to UK on the HTC website since the phone has not been announced for the US market.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 28th 2009 9:40AM]

The sluggishness of the device reminds me of the old HTC Tilt's \ Touch.
It's pretty obscene, buggy, but I do like the design of the phone.
Too bad they ruined it with slow processor, not enough ram, shotty graphics support.
HTC is stupid. They don't give a fuck what people want, they just do whatever the fuck THEY want.
The reasons why though, no one knows...

[Firewarrior Posted Jun 29th 2009 3:36PM]

How will this work with the upcoming DONUT update? O.o

[brothaa Posted Jul 3rd 2009 12:06AM]

will not buy phone with no headphone jack

but looks good

[fcbarca17 Posted Jul 3rd 2009 2:44AM]

i have this biuld on my g1 and it is freaking amazing

i think i would ditch my g1 just for that OS

[gatdorfl Posted Jul 6th 2009 10:16AM]

I just wish they hadn't let Shakey Hand McCrackFiend demo this. Stop fidgeting!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 6th 2009 5:30PM]

Coming from someone that has the G1 the chin is something that U hardly notice once you have the phone...I mean it seems like people want this 2 be exactly like the iphone...well its not of course its a good alternitve 2 the iphone,especially if your the type that loves to go for the underdog like myself...if htc would just come out with this phone and continue to do updates on it and keep improving like the iphone did then this can be right up there with iphone but they have to stick to one phone and continiously improve on that and not come out wit so many otha types of android phones...but hey thats just my opinion

[sean77408 Posted Jul 6th 2009 7:12PM]

The touch screen looks kinda unresponsive.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 6th 2009 10:42PM]

WOW thank GOD they have 10 different clocks. I mean the iPhone just doesn't have enough CLOCK OPTIONS. Seriously Apple didn't need to make the app store or get enough developers to have 50,000 apps if they had just made 10 clocks!!!!!

[robomatic Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:20AM]

all you see are the clocks? you can customize everything... the whole interface can be modified.
What can you change on the iPhone? the order of the icons?

and how functional is the separate Contacts / Phone / Message categories in the iPhone?

this is F.R.E.S.H.
capiche ?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 7th 2009 7:19PM]

They guys complaining about headphone jacks should check if these might be part of the MicroUSB connector.
These conveniently already contains that for the G1. They also help tremedously with loading the device alomst anywhere - as long as you have an USB connector and micro USB cable at hand.

And thats easy with the Andriod G1 - it came with a MicroUSB-Stereo Headset, a Power Supply and such a cable. Neatly while loading, the Micro-HCSD-Card plugged into my G1 is also visible to my PC as a stadards removeable harddisk like any other USB stick - i guess all that won't change with the Hero.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 11th 2009 11:11AM]

HTC Hero hands-on price

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 12th 2009 10:24AM]

Is it possible to have two Flickr and two YouTube accounts on the HTC Hero handset?

And what is the definitive answer, can we access Android Marketplace and download and install apps over 3G and/or wifi?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2009 8:01PM]

so glad its coming out for tmobile uk and my contract is going to be running out soon so they bribing me with this phone to stay woot looks pretty sweet to me and I don't really care about the chin thingy makes it stand out from the iphone cattle

[Delta14 Posted Jul 13th 2009 8:24PM]

looks pretty sweet

[robomatic Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:14AM]

this looks like a serious iPhone contender.. love the design and the UI.. can't wait to get my hands on one!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 17th 2009 5:35PM]

http://androidcommunity.com/htc-hero-in-the-house-video-unboxing-overview-20090716/
android market is available on the hero, the above link is to some pics and in the apps menu you can see the apps icon for the android market. Engadget is on about the google software updates which is not to big an issue

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 17th 2009 9:10PM]

Free HTC Hero with Orange ...

Check out the best deals available

http://www.greatmobileshop.co.uk/show.asp?search=hero

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 6:58PM]

tbh i'd choose the htc magic over this by a longshot...... the chin is horrible, the magic looks nicer, and the only real thing that the magic fails at from every video, test, review, games, speed, is the lack of 3.5mm jack XD that sort of ruins it but i guess if you don't need high quality music, use the usb headphones they provide, or if you don't mind taking an adapter use ur nice shiny expensive ones :) i won't be getting this hero :) magic if i ever get the money, its a worthy adversary to the 3gs and 3g

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 31st 2009 2:13AM]

The HTC Hero is Lame all its a Magic shaped like a G1 with a different UI wow big deal all the ppl that are all hyped over this phone yall are dumb

[Fletchguy Posted Aug 10th 2009 11:18AM]

seems alot like the samsung Omnia phone