Sprint HTC Hero now on sale to everyone
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 11th 2009 1:57PM
posted Oct 11th 2009 1:57PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Cool. I think this is a nice phone! I wish i could get on VZW. Isnt there a way to get VZW to add the phones esn into the database and program it to work on VZW? I though they are becoming open and allowing any device that fits with their standards on their network!?
@ dave911la
This will be on Verizon next month.
Quantum, PLEASE for the love of god stop sending us those links. We all know you wrote both, even though the Zune HD has fuck all to do with the HTC Hero. Have you ever considered the fact that some people don't care about 50,000 apps and would rather have an open source phone? Some people might want less than 30% of their calls dropped? Some people just flat out hate Apple?
Some people like keyboards...with actual, physical buttons....I realize the hero doesn't have that, if it did I would probably be interested.
@Quantum,Your head is soo far up Steve's ass you have no idea what's going on in the real world. First off iphones sales are declining as the new android devices are coming, second Android market is growing exponentially while iphone market is declining. And for all you apple fan boys Apple is not in the lead, it never was, it is all an illusion backed up by the hype of SJ worshippers especially in the states yet you have no idea what's going on over seas what kinda phones they have and how much better they are, hardware, software, and in usability wise. And uwaga dude is right, some of dont want dropped calls, some of us want open source so we can do whatever we want with the phone, instead of paying 200-600 for the phone thats not even yours. Basically your just renting it from Steve and do what he says, and if Steve says bend over you bend over...
Quantum -
It's people like you that make others hate Apple customers. Personally, I find some Apple products to be great. I just can't f*cking stand all the people like you that buy them.
ditto, i hate all apple fanboys and wish they were dead.
@Annoying Poster
Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world (by killing Steve's minions, or slaying the dragon himself)?
unlike Verizon, I like Sprint's redesigned cases, often better than the manufacturer's original
@Monkey
You said that so perfectly and concisely, I just have a few things to ad. I have an iPhone and although I love it, I acknowledge it's glaring incompetencies. I think people who are on Steve Jobs nuts make life difficult for everyone. Phones that deserve just as much attention, like the Leo and the Hero don't get anywhere near enough attention when jizz-on-steve-modo and other like blogs only have eyes for you-know-who's nuts. When SJ is constantly getting his nuts rubbed by the fanboy community, where is the impetus to make the next iPhone the evolutionary leap the original was? There is none, as evidenced by the last two generations (Wow you added 3G support and a faster processor).
@quantum Seriously dude? Apple is soooo slacking. They made virtually no improvements on the iphone lately. Android is really climbing.
@MONKEY -
Just wanted to say thanks for saying that. That's how I always felt.
Apple? GREAT products. They're of course not without flaws (one being their overly controlling "you like what i give you and don't talk back" attitude), but overall they're almost always great user experiences.
Fan boys? I hate them with a passion. Almost hate them enough to hate Apple. It's REALLY close to that point actually. It's absurd to me how fanatic some fan boys are. And the sad thing is most of the Apple hate comes from people who don't really hate Apple, they hate the fan boys. I find myself wanting to bash Apple all the time (and I think Apple products are mostly great) just because I want to punch the fan boys in the face.
Sprint has a roaming agreement with Verizon... I don't know what Sprint is like where you are, but here it is great. The unlimited plans make it that much better. Loving my Hero so far.
WOOOHHH Go Android!!!!
Gonna stick with my Pre for the time being, but I'm just REALLY happy we have tons of great choices now.
And it's good to see this phone has some heft...nice for chucking at an iPhone fanboy if need be.
Yeah I'll probably stick with my Pre too. With this now, and if the Sprint gets the HTCHD2, it's going to kick ass!
I really like how sprint kept the name of the hero, "hero" instead of renaming it something stupid....
Agree.
Myhero 4g
Gyro?
It's a shame Sprint had to make it so ugly.
it looks better chromed and chin-less
@ gbeastiekid
WRONG!!!
The original look of the Hero is MUCH better that this wannabe MyTouch look it has now
@z0phi3l
Wrong. It's a matter of personal taste. There really is no right or wrong. I personally like the new model better, but if i had the chance, I'd have no problems snatching the original either.
I support the claim that it looks better without the chin. Although, I heard the chinned Hero just got a nice contract for a Gillette commercial.
I've got a Pre now and I just ordered this phone i'll have it on monday and try it out for a week or so to decide which i want to keep. But this phone looks fantastic!
Pre.
I love Android, hate the sense lag.
There is no lag with the new firmware
I have had a PRE and it lagged. The Hero so far has not lagged for me and i also like the fact that i don't have to carry a charger in my back pocket like i did for PRE. Also for any body looking to buy a PRE. Mine is on EBAY 150379609677. LMAO. You can miss out on the experience but i am loving every minute of it.
You can watch the lag reviews Phonedog DroidDog did on the Hero:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oVwFl-PvvY
Pretty useful I think - He does have the phone everyone will be buying from the store. I don't think from the video the lag is that bad...
I tried the Hero in the Sprint store because I either want the Hero or Moment and it wasn't laggy in the calender or anything but it was in the browser, especially pinch to zoom...that was very messy.
I decided on the Moment because I want a real keyboard and prefer its design and processor.
got mine friday at bb. thank you for someone who posted the coupon early so i could print it and get the phone
what a great phone!
Everyone != America
Since when?
Also yea, love my Pre, but this looks like a very nice Android device. Should sell pretty well.
maybe not but
America = everyone relevant
America== CDMA
Its on sale to anyone, with the right amount of cash...just happens to only be in America, but if you want to jump on a plane, someone could buy it.(Not much reason unless you live in an area with a CDMA network, but hey, no one is stopping ya) But the GSM Hero has already been for sale to many people in other nations.
i haven't played with the hero yet so i can't tell you if i would pick the hero or the pre but all i can say is thumbs up to more non-windows mobile smart phones on sprint!
You can be my Hero baby
You can kiss away the pain
I will text with you forever
You can take my breath away
(Just to give it a spin from my Bonnie Tyler Hero remake :P )
Don't you mean Enrique Iglesias? Bonnie Tyler was "Holding out for a Hero".
I did "Holding out for a Hero" on the Hero Best Buy post.
I need a Hero
I’m holding out for a Hero ‘til the end of the night
It’s gotta be Android
And it’s gotta be fast
And it's gotta be fresh from the box
I need a Hero
I’m holding out for a Hero ‘til the morning light
With Donut for be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And it’s gotta be larger than life
I really like this phone. :D
You didn't do "I Need A Hero" by SKILLET. =D
Since we are at it...
And then a Hero comes along,
with the Android running on
and the cash you left aside,
now you know you can deny it.
So when you feel your phone is old
look inside a local store
and you'll finally see the truth,
that the Hero is for you.
@iaoni What song is that one?
@tikiteko
Do you remember the early 80's tv show that was the theme for??
@tikiteko
what I did is Mariah Carey "Hero"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLC73DB7jE8
Can we get one of these for Verizon with a snapdragon?
Then I'd be singing winner winner chicken dinner.
Make one for sprint with snapdragon and a keyboard and a headphone jack,that would orgasmic lol
it has a headphone jack
and the keyboard is great for a soft keyboard (not a huge fan of softies)
I currently have a Pre and have been really disappointed! I'm looking to switch to the Hero on monday!
hero or pre ??? ,beer beer beer ,mug ,mug,mug ,pre,pre,pre
hero doesnt fit ,hero doesnt fit hero doesnt fit
i chooooooossssssseeeeese iphone....
fade away troll
This phone is BY FAR the best phone in Sprint's growing arsenal. I had the Pre, but it was just to cheap feeling. This Phone is solid and fast. The only thing I would change on it since I received it Friday AM is I hope they can speed up the lag from switching to Landscape keyboard mode. It takes about 2 seconds now.. but this should be able to be fixed in a firmware update. Other than that the tactile feedback with the keyboard is AMAZING! The phone is great and the HTC skinning of android is superb. Don't fret over your decision... get it!
One thing I will tell you, and was said by EVERYBODY that touched it at Best Buy on Friday is that it is MUCH Smaller than what everyone thought it would be. All three sales clerks and the 3 other people buying the phone at the same time I did, said that exact comment.
Can't argue with that.
Up-ranked.
Go with Pre. The Hero has a lot of lag. Pre is much faster!
Have you used it... I can say first hand with certainty of having both, unless they are side by side, doing the same thing, you would never notice. The Hero really is a great phone. Now where did you use a sprint hero? Or are you just talking out of your ass??? Oh.. Your talking out your ass....
That's funny, you had to say it again just to try and rile people up.
Move along, iTroll.
I think you're wrong.
http://voxilla.com/2009/05/04/blackberry-knocks-iphone-down-as-best-selling-smartphone-1752
No matter what comes out, you won't change your mind. Macindouches are hopeless romantics.
I've had the Pre since it came out and I love it. I am definitely a fan of Android as well I really like the platform. Glad to see more carriers are getting more Android devices. I really have high hopes for Palm and Google I really hope their OS's flourish.
wow... what a tool.... Lol... "OMFG MY OPINIONS PWNZERIZES ALL IPHONE RULEZZ OMGGGGG"
STFU!
Not everyone likes the terrible virtual keyboard on the iPhone, etc, Its preference, your an idiot, Please walk into oncoming traffic
Everyone is saying the new firmware fixed everything, but when Engadget tested the Sprint reviewers version they still said it was a laggy POS. Has anyone here bought one? Is that lag gone? The original footage of this phone was lets face it, barley usable.... If the firmware fixed this i want one :-)
there's not much lag.
seriously, iphone has lag.
lag is a moments pause for the program to open up. i've seen many apps on the iphone requiring some start up time, yet i don't hear anyone complaining about it.
there is VIRTUALLY no lag with swipes.
I've had one for a few hours now, there is no discernible lag comparing to my wife's iPod Touch as far as opening apps, browsing the web, downloading email, etc.
The lag is fixed in the main things like the calender scrolling but in the end it still has a "meh" processor and nothing will hide that. Pinching to zoom is very slow and laggy and the browser altogether can feel laggy at times. Sometimes flicking around is smooth, other times it's jumpy.
Ditto that, brother.
Noble Prize for Peace to Sprint for giving us such a Hero !
Talk about "Sprint Ahead" - they did it literally. Good job !
hahaha since they're just handing those out... considering they give the prizes for effort, Sprint should have gotten the NPP long ago when it was announced they would be getting the Hero
Just played with one today.. The camera was great.. It is a bit sluggish at times, but it seemed like reopening the same application was a lot quicker the second time around. The keyboard on screen seemed like it should flip horizontally when typing. There was probably an option to do this, but I didn't go through the settings. My favorite part was the gen metal look, also it is heavy enough to not feel cheap. I would have purchased today but had to wait until Nov for upgrade option.
If you have to wait until November, test it against the Samsung Moment before you make up your mind. Some people like the vanilla Android better than Sense, and besides, you get the benefit of choice between a slide out QWERTY and a portrait soft keyboard, as well as an 800 Mhz processor. I love all the choices that Sprint is giving their customers! Great smartphone lineup!
I can tell you with 100% certainty I am an Apple fanboy. I have 6 MBP's, a mini, a monster editing tower, an airport, and numerous Ipods including 2 jailbroken touches and I can tell you that I like the Hero. Plus, to really make the iPhone usable, you have to jailbreak it. Then the user experiance becomes a great deal better. I travel all over the country and friends ALWAYS drop calls in any major metropolitan area or drop down to 2G Surfing with their iphone. Sure, they have a ton of apps, of which I use quite a few on my touch, but AT&T's network blows. 33% drop call rate.... On sprint I have had 2 dropped calls this year. Just two. What good is the iphone when it is crippled by a poor network... None, it is a touch with a camera.
Honestly, if sprint had the iphone and the hero, I honestly think I would get the hero.
neither... Moment!
Exactly! The specs of the Samsung Moment are much better. I will wait a few weeks and check that out, and maybe get rid of my Pre.
Yes please
Android already has better apps, because snooty self righteous people at Apple are not deciding what Androind can put on thier phone. Android gives me the choice to install the FART application! Android also lets you get applications that are not deemed "family appropriate"
Apple removed the baby shaking game, and the one were your a zombie killing people at school, but it allows a program were i can find local people cruising for sex.... why can't i have both? And how more inconsistent can Crapple be?
This phone (and the Everything plan) is the reason I'm switching to Sprint when my Verizon contract ends on the 20th. Couldn't be more excited!
I think I'll wait until 2.0 is out , I still don't like being a ginny pig for the carriers/handheld manufacturers. I like how the android platform is developing but still I feel like a burned child
middle button looked like a wart or a deformed nipple.
it's called a trackball
Bought a Pre for my wife two weeks ago. She loves it, the fact it is so usable and everything just works. I got a Hero on Friday and love it. I like to tinker with my phone and the Hero is the perfect phone for that.
I hope these Sprint customers bring some maturity to the Android Market commenting section because these T-Mobile folks are so childish
Who are you calling childish ???? PIKACHU THUNDERBOLT NOW!!!
Picked the Hero up at Best Buy this morning (I hate going there, but can't argue w/ the instant rebate). The phone is really nice in person, feels very solid. Touch screen is very responsive, keyboard comparable to the one on my wife's iPod Touch. I like how it vibrates slightly when you hit a key, and the number/symbol screen is laid out better than the Touch's IMO.
Have not noticed any lag so far, the HTC UI is great, much better IMO than the iPod Touch / iPhone UI. Plus it's customizable. Web pages seem to render fine, mostly visited mobile sites so far. Haven't played with the Sprint apps or Android market yet.
Sprint call quality is good in my house, on par w/ Verizon which I currently have. Was able to connect to my wifi network no problem.
So far, so good.
I bought one yesterday. I got the last of 6 presales when four more people walked in with the reward zone ad and wanted 'em too.
I dont know what the "lag" complaint is. I mean if you're talking about the 1/100000th of a second it takes to open an app, ok, there's lag.
Nothing I havent experienced on an iPhone or any other embedded/mobile device for that matter. I can have a bunch of apps running simultaneously and I really dont see anything to complain about at all. This is really a solid phone. I have no issues or complaints at all so far.
The data speed is pretty great here too (Los Angeles)
palm pre is great , imagine theres people "drinking" pre with the beer....
look at the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_cX5X3erjI&feature=player_embedded
No love for SERO users. Sprint is really treating us as low class Citizens
But you know where revolutions start
http://www.petitiononline.com/SERO/petition.html
That is because you are in their eyes. SERO is dead, get over it or stay with your current phone until your death.
you are low class. cheapie.
A college student who can barely afford tuition and living expenses and just happens to be a fan of gadgets.
snob
SERO is outdated! Sprint shouldn't have to show any love for it. Their Everything Data plans let you dial any mobile phone in the US without using your minutes! Plus unlimited messaging and data. Get someone to give you a code for the Everything Data Plus (the replacement for SERO) if you're too cheap to pay for the best value of all network providers in the US.
I got my Hero on Friday and haven't been able to put it down! This phone is stellar. There is no lag when swiping around or using apps. There is a 2 second delay when switching orientation of the keyboard, which can hopefully be fixed in an upgrade, but compared to my friend's G1, it's faster.
The integration with Google Apps, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube is awesome! It also has an IM app for AIM, MSN, and Yahoo, but I ended up turning that off because I couldn't figure out how to NOT log in automatically, and I don't want to be on IM all the time. I'm sure there's a better IM app available for download in the market.
Sprint's network has never let me down. EV-DO is fast and available pretty much everywhere in my area (Silicon Valley). Sure, it's not GSM and that means I can't use this overseas...but since I rarely travel, that's not an issue for me, and hasn't been in the 10+ years I've been with Sprint.
One issue I see (with Android in general it seems) is that the voice dial app is not automatically launched by my bluetooth headset, so I have to manually launch it or dial when using hands-free. Maybe other BT headsets work, but my Motorola H700 does not launch the voice dial app. Hopefully that will also get fixed in an upgrade.
Overall, this is the best phone I've ever had, and the best phone Sprint's ever had. The Pre is nice (played with one that my friend has) but it's thicker than the Hero, and I think the Android marketplace has more potential than Palm's. Plus, the Pre's keyboard feels oddly unbalanced when using it since the weight of the phone above it tends to cause the phone to bounce as you type. No issues with the Hero's soft keyboard so far...took me a bit to get used to a soft keyboard, but its predictive text is excellent.
Can you tell us how HOT it gets on a long phone call?
I read in a sprintusers forum that it get really hot to the point that you can't hold it
Try holding down the green call button to activate voice dialing. I think it even works if you hold down the answer button on the BT headset.
Thats true, but its not when they want to rip you off with those monthly plans...
I am sorry american geeks but I find the Sprint version of HTC Hero really ugly :(. It look like a cheap phone, the original one was looking much much better and got a real and personnal style. I love HTC, I love Androïd and I love the Hero but Sprint sucks !!
Why do your carriers feel obligated to change the original versions :(...
Anyway I will be waiting for the HTC HD2 now :D (or dragon if there is an Androïd version), and I'm pretty sure that if you really want a Hero it price will dramatically decrease after the release of the new HTC phone (seems like there is some of them ready for christmas/new year).
And btw it is funny that the f**ckin apple fan boys are present worldwide :p (we got exactly the same on french geek's blogs comments).
FanBoy is an universal language !
And for that post, you should be AN HERO.
so you're not in america, but you're complaining about our hero. have you felt it? no? then STFU tool.
When will you understand that we don't care about your app, and your revolutionary mono-task osX ?
Me too!
Another in a LONG list of devices that have been released in the last couple of years since I started actually paying attention. I think it's a phone I'm gonna have to take a closer look at before I make any decisions, though.