HTC Hero shows off multitouch-enabled Sense UI on video
Bear in mind we don't know for sure whether this is a forthcoming iteration of the Sense UI or just an industrious hacker, but the video after the break shows off some pretty sweet multitouch integration into HTC's Android skin. Pinch-to-zoom, that most notorious of functions, is used to achieve an Exposé-like overview of all the widgets you have open, with an easy tap getting you into the one you want. It seems a relatively intuitive action, even if the person showing it off does his or her best to make it look as clumsy as possible. This should be most enticing when considered in light of the purportedly upcoming HTC Hero update to Android 2.1 -- who's to say this isn't what HTC is cooking up as an extra topping for that Eclair?
[Thanks, Nader]
[Thanks, Nader]
























apple already did it...
oblivion here i come
thats really cool i hope this comes to the Hero/Droid Eris
@Bublik25 Since 2007 I believe!!! Way to get with the times people!!!
@Mtmrob
"Smartphones" have multitasked ALL applications for well over a decade.
Way to get with the times Apple!!! Oh hang on, it still lacks multitasking. :(
(FYI, the HTC Hero supported Multitouch the day it was launched)
@ChazClout Nothing a little jailbreak won't fix. I can multitask all apps too. Woopie!!! So I'm ahead of the Apple game. Hero is a janky phone.
@Mtmrob
it's sad that you're defending having to jailbreak your iphone to get a feature that should be standard and should be on ANY smartphone from the get-go...really, it is.
@Mtmrob
iPhone Dev Team + Backgrounder - Making the iPhone do what every other smartphone could do anyway.
Just don't update your phone when Apple release updates or you will fux0r your hax0r.
@Bublik25
The mytouch/g1 hero 2.1 port already has it. Check out the one by kingklick92 on XDA.
Android FTW
www.twitter.com/kmobs for more android news :)
@Mtmrob
Hero, Flash, Multitask, 5 mp camera, open app store
your telling us to get ahead of the times? it does more then the ipad at this point!
No one should have to hack their phone just to do a basic action. a $600 phone that cant do what every smartphone on the market can do congrats
@Zeroexe43 Flash I have no use. 3 mp camera is just fine. Megapixels don't matter unless your blowing up your images. $600 phone???? Try $200. I jailbreak for the free apps. And I like that I can stream movies from my iPhone to my TV. The snes, nes, genesis roms are cool. As far as I'm concerned more then half of you would have an iPhone if it was an option at sprint, verizon, or t-mobile. But since you can't you have to settle with wannabe iPhones. The iPhone is here to stay so just embrace it!!! Don't hate.....appreciate!!!
@ChazClout iPhones switch from one app to another with two taps. How many for Android?
@grahamj Click App, Press Home, Click Next App. The same as the iPhone, of course with the option of leaving them running in the background.
@Mtmrob
>Flash I have no use. 3 mp camera is just fine.
Well isn't that cute. Personal opinion ≠ hard fact, bro. It's inane and anecdotal, providing no real concrete evidence. There is nothing that indicates a superior product, only you trying to justify your purchase.
>$600 phone???? Try $200.
$200 phone?¿?¿ Try $3,799 for Total Cost of Ownership. (Providing you use an Unlimited V/M/D plan. Cheapest option is $2,359). That is nothing short of exorbitant and becomes even more obscene when you factor in AT&T's half-baked 3G network, what with alllllll dem iphone users that are sucking down data in an excessive manner.
> I jailbreak for the free apps. And I like that I can stream movies from my iPhone to my TV.
Well that's just fine and dandy. Really. Let's just void the warranty real quick on that hot piece of kit. Just so I can attempt to do half the things android does in a shoddy fashion. Oh, and streaming videos from your iphone is cool and all, but using gmote to manipulate files from your computer, where there is a muuuuch larger library of entertainment, which incidentally streams to your TV, works as an even better solution.
Not to mention a myriad of top quality apps on the android app store that are free. Not free* (buy for full functionality) but actually free as in here is your beer sir.
>The snes, nes, genesis roms are cool.
Anecdotal evidence.
>As far as I'm concerned more then half of you would have an iPhone if it was an option at sprint, verizon, or t-mobile. But since you can't you have to settle with wannabe iPhones. The iPhone is here to stay so just embrace it!!! Don't hate.....appreciate!!!
Well as far as I'M concerned, I'd rather have more robust coverage at a price I can afford without riding mommy's handouts every month. Or maybe I can afford nice things and go for the best coverage possible. There's plenty of possibilities and factors to account for when choosing the right android phone, which is great. I love having choices, something that Big Brother Apple doesn't feel you need to have.
Keep on truckin' friend.
@Zeroexe43
Apple App Store, iTunes and a much better music app, Multitouch.
Whats your point each phone has shortcomings and each phone has their killer apps. No phone has it all its all based on what you need more. I don't know why you are comparing your Hero to an iPad anyways completely different devices for completely different uses. I think it is funny when people want to call out the iPads shortcomings as proof that whatever device they have beats Apple because the iPad can't do Flash and Multitasking. Stay with the point.
@angermeans We're not talking about the ipad, but the iphone you insufferable buffoon.
@Mtmrob
I see what you did there ... sarcasm! That's freakin' funny! Oh wait... you're serious?
@Fuskand Wow!!! This makes me smile!!! Hahahaha.....What you know bout that Raising Hell keyboard click fest!!! Bottom line your phone still janky. Get a real phone!!!
@Reisa Whats funny is the pathetic junk you call a phone. Just sayin. Have a nice day!!!
@grahamj No taps, because they're always open. If you want them to be.
and yeah it's laggy as hell
Wait, why was I under the impression that the Hero already had this?
@HardToBelieve
Never mind. I hadn't watched the video yet when I posted this comment. Now I see what was meant.
At least trim your damn nails when you make a vid.
This... is ingenious.
It's not showing "open widgets." It's showing a thumbnail of each of the seven home screens that Sense on the Hero offers. A tap brings you to that home screen, which may have some widgets on it.
I want this on my Eris now.......
I can't wait for HTC device just as powerful (if not, more more powerful) than the Nexus One to be released so the Sens UI can really run smoothly. It's such an intriguing interface.
@guitarfreak846 The Sprint/ HTC Supersonic is the best bet for that one. Rockin a 1ghz Snapdragon, possibly AMOLED screen, I think it's running Sense, It's basically the HD2 but with Android. I can't wait.
What is it with these Asian cats and their long finger nails?
The guy needs to cut his nail.. not very useful on capacitive screen.
make sure when you make a video with a touch screen to clean your fingers and try not to make your screen look laggy by not touching the screen correctly
Testing commets iPhone app.
The biggest flaw with any version of the HTC Hero is the lack of hardware specs. What's the point of having a multi-tasking OS if you can't multi-task because the hardware is so horrendous. I've been using this phone for about four months now and I absolutely can't stand it. If I'm doing anything that requires even a little bit of data useage, the phone just crawls.
This is not a hit against Android. I do like the software, but if you're looking for an Android phone look elsewhere. Get Nexus One, or one of the other phones with hardware to run it properly.
@Akshun
Your the only one that has problems with yours, the guys over at xda are working on a over-clocking kernel that can turn our hero processor into a droid(figuratively), maybe you just don't have coverage in your area because alot of people come from pre's to the hero and most are very happy with it!
@lv2bll54
I've just been very unhappy with the performance of the hardware. The data service on it is just fine. I live in a location where I get very good reception.
I would be very pleased with the software if I could use it to its full potential.
@Akshun Mine is very snappy, with several apps running at once.
@Akshun
I had exactly the same experience with the Hero, the people that say it doesn't lag anymore are either deluded, never used one, or have never experienced a smooth phone OS.
I even played around with custom ROMs, with MoDaCo's ROM being the best...and yet it was still slow!
After 3 months I was sick of it and sold it for a smoother and more reliable device.
@lv2bll54
Well see the problem there is that the Pre is just a laggy if not more than the Hero.
Also, I was under the impression that the processor in the Hero was already clocked as high as it could go, I thought it maxed at 512MHz?
@martynmcfarquhar
I am as well thinking about moving on. It's either people don't know how fast a phone can potentially be, or I just have a lemon. I feel like I'm running an old school version of Windows Mobile on five year old hardware.
@Akshun
In the end the damn thing was just a miserable experience, I would like to think I had a lemon but after using some shop display models I came to the unfortunate conclusion that it was just how the phone was.
Smoothness in the UI is really critical on a mobile device, especially for me, having a device not keep up with you even when doing simple tasks is infuriating.
Just dump the Hero, best decision I made.
You need a task manager. Plenty quality ones in the market.
@blckngldhwk
I actually do use a task manager called TaskPanel. If I couldn't control the phone as much as I do with TaskPanel, there's no way I could have stuck with it for this long.
@blckngldhwk
Yeah, that's what a good mobile OS needs, a task manager, real user friendly...
hasnt the iPhone had multui-touch since 2007?
@DigDug
multui-touch fail. no phone can multui-touch.
Was this sent from your iPhone?
- Sent from my Nexus One
Multi touch first showed up in 1982. Apple were just the first to patent other peoples hard work.
this article isn't really about sense getting multi touch. I don't know why the title says that. the hero has had multi touch since its release.
I have a sprint hero but i have a Vanilla Android 2.1 AOSP build and i am happy with it. i personally dont like sense.
@kenqui232
every other android phone wants sense, and you don't?
At the same time it is a resource hog
@lv2bll54 I'd rather have Standard Android 2.1