HTC Hero earns FCC approval with CDMA, Sprint launch rumors more solid than ever
We know of precisely two types of radios going into Heros (or would that be Heroes?) right now: the 900 / 2100MHz 3G for global use that everyone's using so far, and an 850 / 1900 version for North America that the FCC's had the pleasure of using. Well, you know how FCC labs work -- they get to play with all the toys before anyone else does -- and now they're checking out another version of HTC's latest and greatest Android device with CDMA / EV-DO. This lends near-infinite credibility to the buzz that Sprint's signed up to launch the phone this fall, presumably around the same time it drops the InstinctQ from Samsung, at which point it'll have both the QWERTY and full-touch Android angles covered. Options are good, are they not?























Why does it say Pocket PC Phone?
Wouldn't that mean WinMo? It would definitely change from what has been know that this is an Android device.
Generic terminology used in FCC filings -- the FCC doesn't really care what platform it's running.
Sero
Saying "SERO" on a Sprint post is basically like saying "First" or "iPhone" on any other post.
yeah i'm pretty sure its not called sero anymore man. I am stuck with a sh1tty win mo phone on my plan though...can't wait for this hero. I will blast Mariah Carey on it all day long
Switch to Android or wait for next version of WM?
Don't you get it? HTC is moving to Android which spells Windows Mobile is dead!
If HTC is moving to android then why have there been several posts on engadget lately about the new htc leo phone that runs on winmo. HTC grew 102% when microsoft chose them as a hardware partner, there is no way they'd ditch it.
Is it just me or does the Hero seem to be more of a potential threat to the iPhone than the Pre? I loooove my iPhone, but I gladly welcome good competion! And the htc Hero has got what it takes IMO.
i thought the pre would be a potential iphone competition until i felt the unit in real life. sharp edges, plastic feeling (ie cheap), small screen, abundant amounts of issues....
as for the hero, i hear that it's heavy (ie not cheap feeling), getting better firmware updates to negate it's lag, and glass screen like iphone.
hero>pre from what i'm hearing.
im a winmo user looking to switch and it would have been the pre if it were any good, but it was a disappointment...
I was looking forward to the hero but unfortunately it is still running last gen hardware. For the general consumer that doesn't make much difference I guess, but the general consumer also doesn't care that it is running android either.
I am now looking forward to future offerings from HTC and hope they can put something out there that can really compete with the iphones hardware and software.
The new ROM looks to have corrected all the issues around lag. This puts the Hero right up there - and perhaps ahead - with the iPhone in terms of usability.
http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/291737/this-is-how-smooth-the-hero-should-be/
My contract runs out in a few months. I shall be getting this phone when it does.
I've also heard that if you buy the fastest microSD card you can, it improves speed as well.
Please, Sprint, don't force an EP on either of these or at the least one of them.
Forcing existing customers to switch to Everything Plans with less features for more money would be a deal breaker for me.
Please please please let me use this with SERO. Please!
I'm on a Sero plan plus 23% corporate discount, which brings my service fee to $28 including tax. I wanted the Pre, but that didn't work out. Now I hope Hero can save my day from my Touch clunker that I'm using now.
I hear ya... I caught a break though with my Touch phone when it wouldn't charge from USB anymore so they gave me a brand new Diamond (the Touch wasn't even in refurb stock anymore).
This makes me feel much better considering I officially sold back my Palm Pre three days ago
I'm kind of sceptical about getting it. Lots of reports on XDA forums about LEDs and headphone jack dying. Just go see for yourself.
warranty
I bricked my G1 changing the SPL and HTC sent me a brand new one for the cost of shipping
Looking forward to it but wish it had a hardware keyboard. And sorry but I find the Hero much more sexy (UI included) than the Samsung InstinctQ but I bet the Sammy has better hardware ugh....decisions....
samsung instinctQ doesn't look too pretty imo
Now that I look more closely, the InstinctQ looks exactly like AT&T's Samsung Impression but with Android instead.
That phone isn't very good.
cdma.. COME ON VERIZON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I don't care if you need to rebrand it either like the touch!) haha xv6900 my a$$
Perhaps this is a dumb question, but since Sprint is CDMA and Verizon is CDMA, does this mean you could unlock a Hero and use it on Veirzon?
No
Verizon would fail to recognize the ESN and not let you authenticate.
HTC, please give us HTC Hero which works on ATT 3G.......
I am intrigued by 3G frequencies here :
ATT : 850/1900
Rest of the world : 900/2100
How in the world does the iPhone 3G work everywhere in the world? Doesn't it contradict the above frequencies??
3G 900 isn't rest of the world. 3G 2100 can be called that, however it's a little too generalized.
AT&T uses 3G 850 and 1900. 850 is used in all of North America, Australia, and the Philippines. 1900 is used in all all of North America too. Central and South America uses 850/1900/2100, though 850 and 1900 are the most prevalent.
Iphone 3G or 3GS has:
850/900/1800/1900 GSM (2G if u will)
850/1900/2100 (3G or UMTS/HSDPA/etc etc etc)
YESSSSS!!!!
I have had the hero rom on my vogue for a month.
This is so awesome!!!! GO sprint!
Same here, and it sure would be nice to have it running on a device that can handle it properly.
I wonder if this phone will be a world phone, so you can use it over seas. Does anyone knows?
By now we all know the Hero is coming to Sprint. Inquiring minds want to know if this will be a 4G or 3G?
In my area Sprint will be 4G around the same time as the Hero release.
If you look at the pic of the filings, you'll see that it states only CDMA2000/EVDO, which means it's 3G-only.
No longer a rumor. Trust me, i have used the sprint proto. I have connections with HTC and this phone will be out in october on sprint.
If you've used the phone, can you comment on any physical changes to the phone? Typically, the CDMA variant differs from the GSM variant slightly (i.e. Touch Diamond).
Yes the buttons are a little different layout. And the phone i used was a light gold type finish. It was, of course, running HTCs sense interface too. I just played tilt on it for a few minutes... that's all.
Sorry, i think it is called teeter... not tilt
Gold? Eww. :(
More beige-silver than gold actually, it looked nice... not at all ugly.
I wonder if this phone will be a world phone, so you can use it over seas. Does anyone knows?
I'm dumping AT&T and going to Sprint for this phone. Just wish it was sooner than October. I hope they actually hit the date.....
Be careful what you wish for. :) Sprint coverage isn't very good (no bashing here). I went to Yosemite and my ATT phone gets plenty cell signal while my friend's Sprint phone got out of service. :)
Sprint? Damn, I was hoping for T-Mobile. :/
So the article states that the CDMA hero is now being tested by the FCC for a 99% definite Sprint release. I believe I've seen that Oct 11th is the rollout date. However, I'm sure we recall the article where the FCC had a filing on the release of SIM capable version. A possible second carrier to the Hero? Which means that there is still a possibility that AT&T or T-Mobile could still potentially release this phone.
I really want to believe that the GSM FCC filing was for AT&T...but...Engadget's article about the Lancaster indicated that it would not be headed for AT&T but rather 2 Windows phones would. If the Hero was really on the horizon, why wouldn't they have hinted at another, even better Android phone instead of referencing Windows phones? Perhaps it is coming unlocked?
yes and go to www.wikipedia.org and type 3G.. u can read all about it and easily go to different wireless technologies like GSM, EVDO, etc
Damn and I just picked up my new Pre a few days ago...guess I'll be paying full price for this guy in October. Hopefully the battery will be good enough to last an entire day under moderate use unlike a certain other device.