HTC Espresso's updated Sense UI shown off on video

We'd been itching for some video of the mysterious HTC Espresso's updated Sense UI ever since we saw those intriguing screenshots last week, and here we go: a leaked version of the ROM has been hacked onto a Hero and given a run-through. Overall, things seem to be slightly cleaner all around, and that new launcher bar at the bottom looks quite handy, but we're still not totally sold on those translucent app icon surrounds. CES is right around the corner (and MWC is right after that) so we're hoping to find out more soon -- check the video after the break for now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[JENSER Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:10PM]

Swedish UI. Yay! :)

[Abdel Posted Dec 28th 2009 1:04AM]

@JENSER Does Swedish UI mean hot female contacts? and one asian guy and another black guy to appease the diversity-sensitive

[bighap Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:12PM]

Sexy.

[AndroidRokz Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:17PM]

Ugly, ugly, ugly. I will take the Nexus One.

[Jon Rubinsteine Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:18PM]

@AndroidRokz

Yup.

Only I find it strange.. since the Nexus got so much media attention latley.. everyone's forgotten how damm sexy the Bravo's going to be.

I'll be dropping my iPhone for this thing:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/htc-bravo-pictured-more-lucidly/

*geekasm*

[dand Posted Dec 27th 2009 5:36PM]

@Jon Rubinsteine

I'm with you on this one Jon. The Bravo is really sexy and I would dump
my iPhone as well if this were to hit AT&T (One can dream).

[HighestRanked Posted Dec 27th 2009 5:58PM]

@Jon Rubinsteine Really? How sad

[TareG Posted Dec 27th 2009 11:00PM]

@AndroidRokz
Yes, FUGLY...

Even HTC can fail.... WRONG TURN.

[TareG Posted Dec 27th 2009 11:12PM]

@AndroidRokz
I understand how defining the edges of each icon is more practical and efficient (lets you know what you need to touch, instead of trying to hit the icon), but the end result is a ugly hybrid of iPhone and Android shortcuts. The entire homescreen looks fugly, and you can't really appreciate the background...

[johnlevitich Posted Dec 29th 2009 4:16AM]

@dand Once a ROM leaks out, the floodgates are opened. Welcome to the wonderful world of HTC bootloaders, my friends. Espresso details: http://bit.ly/htc-espresso-details

[FRD Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:17PM]

I hope these new graphical features doesnt take off of the speed (because there are some slowness points in the video, but maybe the ROM is'nt done yet)

[iCello Posted Dec 27th 2009 4:41PM]

@FRD Well, it's running on a hero, not a new phone, and the current Sense is slow on the hero, so why do you expect the new one with fancier graphics to be better?

[fourthletter Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:28PM]

Apart from the icon surrounds it looks great (and not that different from current Sense UI)
Amazing bottom menu bar, but THOSE BLOODY ICONS ! at least someone will uncook those icons from a custom ROM and we can all be happy

[MrAffrox Posted Dec 27th 2009 5:11PM]

@fourthletter: How is the botto bar in any way amazing?

[Wesscoast Posted Dec 27th 2009 5:54PM]

@MrAffrox

Got a Mac? Check Time Machine, real quick. See the black glossy bar along the bottom?

HTC's Engineers sure did.... :P

[Wesscoast Posted Dec 27th 2009 5:57PM]

@fourthletter

By the way, you still look like a fucking Hobbit and I'm waiting for an explanation.

[Tronic Posted Dec 27th 2009 9:07PM]

@Wesscoast Well, then I've ripped off Apple plenty of times without even knowing it. Because I've made plenty of GUIs with black glossy bars.

Seriously though, Look at Vista the taskbar is a black glossy bar. and there is about a million other applications, websites and other graphical user interfaces that use black glossy bars.

[fourthletter Posted Dec 27th 2009 9:37PM]

@Wesscoast

If you don't recognise Bill Hicks then there is no hope for your feeble mind, Apple didn't invent a black bar you moron, it amazing because it's so much neater and streamlined than the present one.

[Wesscoast Posted Dec 27th 2009 9:52PM]

@fourthletter

my feeble mind? hehe....ok,... and which star wars costume are you wearing now... the evil emperor or chewie...?

[xconan Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:35PM]

looks okay, but they should have left the icons alone and focused on adding more usability apps - i.e. media players capable of common codecs and better google docs integration...

[logicfox Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:37PM]

@xconan and some eq settings!!

[bryceg Posted Dec 27th 2009 4:35PM]

@xconan
As a Sprint Hero user, I couldnt agree more. Hopefully they are reading comments like this and realize that they should just leave the icons alone, upgrade/fix the custom apps, and improve the UI speed/load times.

[husher Posted Dec 27th 2009 7:15PM]

@bryceg

yeh other then the icons behind glass i dont have a problem with this. however will sprint hero owners get this sense update?
is this why it's taken so long for us to get 2.1 because they want to update sense along with it?
i hope so. i pray so. however im not holden my breath

[logicfox Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:37PM]

At 2:09, in the widget menu, does it say bluetooth received?

[hazard96 Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:10PM]

@logicfox Yea.what does it mean?

[Rebajas Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:13PM]

@logicfox yes.

[logicfox Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:17PM]

i thought android didn't support bluetooth obex YET!

[DizWARE Posted Dec 27th 2009 2:52PM]

@logicfox
There is 3rd party support...I have a couple apps that allow bluetooth filetransfer(including tethering). I don't think thats what that option was though :S

[therockr92 Posted Dec 27th 2009 3:47PM]

@logicfox
Maybe it's like, "I can haz bluetoothz?"

[Kirtay Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:37PM]

I used to like - no, love - Sense.
And now...what have they done...

[Dking7 Posted Dec 27th 2009 2:20PM]

@Kirtay it is good that HTC read engadget and now they know that users do not like changes that were applied..

[Kirtay Posted Dec 27th 2009 8:13PM]

@Dking7:
I am not sure if you're being sarcastic, but they damn well should.

[enjoytheride823 Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:39PM]

wow. I hope to god that's not the sense UI that comes to the eris when 2.0/2.1 is released. those boxes around the app icons are FUGLY as hell.

[codebreaker Posted Dec 27th 2009 3:27PM]

@enjoytheride823 facebook *like* click applies here.

[ChazClout Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:41PM]

I hope there is an option to stick with the current Sense UI.

[Siddharth Posted Dec 27th 2009 2:14PM]

@ChazClout :
Yea.. there is.. its called - "Don't 'Upgrade' to the new Firmware"

[codebreaker Posted Dec 27th 2009 3:28PM]

@Siddharth not an option, as i damn well want google navigation.

[Ted417 Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:41PM]

My theme looks more or less like this!... whoever wants it on their rooted G1/Mytouch running cyanogens 4.2.10.1... can flash it! http://alldroid.org/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=979 :)

[bigshape Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:42PM]

who the hell thought the app bubbles were a good idea?!

[ethana2 Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:43PM]

HTC is determined to do to Linux on Phones what Asus did to Linux on netbooks.

How about letting the OS vendor make the OS and you, uh, leaving your filthy, incompetent hands off it? Too much to ask? Really?

[Level 5 Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:05PM]

@ethana2

Err.. yeah? Gotta say I disagree; most users fall into 2 categories this kinda stuff

1 - Those that will choose the device based on the OS
2 - Those that will choose the device only based on hardware, with the intention of changing the OS or some of its components.

There are some that for instance, love what they're seeing here, and say wow, I want that on my G1, MT3G, or even the Nexus One that they don't have yet. They know about rooting, etc, to get things done.

In the case of HTC, this is nothing new. They've had home screen customizers for WinMo since 2006. Manila and Sense 3D on WinMo devices has been ported to run on pretty much hardware, screen res, etc. And on most netbooks, there's positively NOTHING stopping a user from booting from an SD card or USB optical drive and reinstalling the OS. The key to all of this is the CHOICE the user can get by trying different shells or OS's until they find one that works best for them.

[enjoytheride823 Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:29PM]

@ethana2

err... Except for the fact that Sense in its current form (not what's in the vid here) is pretty much loved universally.

[Kirtay Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:55PM]

@enjoytheride823:
Key part related to this article, "in it's current form."
I would be much happier if I learned this was some earlier iteration that was abandoned for the current.

Because this is ugly.

[codebreaker Posted Dec 27th 2009 3:29PM]

@ethana2 you know, throwing out the windows that the software vendor ENCOURAGES this action.

[Alan Strangis Posted Dec 27th 2009 7:10PM]

@ethana2 Other than the annoying borders around theons, you're on crack. HTC's Sense UI is the most useful phone interface I've used. It's miles ahead of stock Android and integrates social networking without the pile of goo that is webOS integration, without being intrusive.

Having run the HD2 ROM on a Sony Xperia X1, the only phones I'll consider in the future are ones with Sense. They just get it from a usability standpoint.

[Jeff Kibuule Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:52PM]

Honestly, people need to buy a $10 tripod before sending videos. I do NOT like shaky cam!

[gonintendo Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:02PM]

@Jeff Kibuule shaky is better than blurry.

[Siddharth Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:52PM]

Very ugly icons.. What's with the square thingie arnd them?? Its almost like they DON'T want people to upgrade to the new firmware..

[dsevastakis Posted Dec 27th 2009 1:25PM]

@Siddharth

i agree.. and i can't actually believe that HTC made something ugly.. they usually make things very slick.. i hope they get to their senses soon..

[Zaggs Posted Dec 27th 2009 12:56PM]

I have to agree with most. The highlight of the icons is ugly and makes it look like the Sense UI on winmo phones.