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HTC Hero S coming to US Cellular next month alongside Wildfire S and Flyer

Brad Molen — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:10:00 EST

Guess what's officially on its way to US Cellular in October? The headline probably gave you a pretty good clue -- it's the HTC Hero S. And it's not coming alone: apparently the new device is big enough to warrant its very own entourage. Its brethren, the Wildfire S and Flyer, will both waltz into stores at roughly the same time. The Gingerbread-running Hero S will offer a 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, 4-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, a 1,520mAh battery and a 5MP CMOS rear camera accompanied by a 1.3MP front-facing cam. Add it to the lineup next to the Motorola Electrify, and we'd say the carrier's got some good options for the getting. The Hero S will be available sometime next month for $200 after $100 mail-in rebate, while the Wildfire S (which will come in grey and purple) will go for $80 after rebate and the Flyer can be yours for $400 -- once again, after rebate. Head below to find the full press release.

Continue reading HTC Hero S coming to US Cellular next month alongside Wildfire S and Flyer

HTC Hero S coming to US Cellular next month alongside Wildfire S and Flyer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 19, 2011

Brad Molen — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 19, 2011:

Opera Software, builder of the popular mobile browser, announced it was acquiring Handster, an app store platform that supports Android, WP7, BlackBerry, and Symbian. [TechCrunch]
Samsung unveiled three new HSDPA feature phones destined for India: the Champ 3.5G (S3770), Primo (S5610) and Chat 527 (S5270). [UnwiredView and SammyHub]
A leaked image indicates the HTC Hero S will be coming to US Cellular in the near future. The device appears to be the Kingdom, and is expected to feature a 1.2GHz single-core Qualcomm CPU, 768MB of RAM, a 4-inch qHD display and Gingerbread. [PocketNow]
Speaking of US Cellular, the Motorola Electrify officially became available for purchase online this week (expected in stores on September 26th), and can be yours for $200 after a $100 mail-in rebate. [AndroidCentral]
Wirefly accidentally outed press renders of the Samsung Stratosphere -- on the retailer's Pantech Breakout page. The images have since been removed. [OwenJohnston]
A white version of the Samsung Galaxy S II is making the rounds in the UK, but we learned this week that Bell Canada will be launching it well before the holidays. Interestingly, the device in the image (seen above) has retained the international version's three-button layout. [MobileSyrup]
Among the barrage of new phones Sprint's releasing on October 2nd is the BlackBerry Curve 9350, according to another leaked employee memo. The price will likely be $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate. [CrackBerry]
T-Mobile MVNO Simple Mobile announced a new unlimited prepaid plan for BlackBerry devices for $60 / month, which includes access to T-Mo's HSPA+ network. [N4BB]
Huawei appears to have outed press images of the Honor, which is said to have a 4-inch FWVGA LCD, Gingerbread, 1.4GHz CPU (no specifics known yet), and an 8MP rear camera accompanied by a front-facing cam (again, no details on the resolution here). [EuroDroid]
A member of the iPhone Dev Team has released a new version of Redsn0w, its popular iOS jailbreaking software, known as 0.9.9b1. Check the link to get the full list of new features. [Technobolt]

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 19, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen Grabs: HTC Hero caught running WP7 on Smallville, Tess Mercer due for an upgrade

Christopher Trout — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EST

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

It looks like Tess Mercer's got more than one hero in her life, but only one of them is running Windows Phone 7. In this week's episode of Smallville, Lois Lane places a call to Tess Mercer, who appears to be packing a white HTC Hero. Oddly enough, though, it's not rocking Eclair. That's right, this Hero's a Microsoft man -- which has us wondering: what OS is Superman running?

[Thanks, Rich]

Screen Grabs: HTC Hero caught running WP7 on Smallville, Tess Mercer due for an upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlocked HTC Hero gets Android 2.1 update -- no, for real this time

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:22:00 EST

False starts aside, that promised late June Android 2.1 upgrade for the GSM version of the HTC Hero is finally here -- for unlocked models, anyhow. It seems that users are being greeted with an update clocking in at nearly 80MB, and despite HTC's own warning to the contrary, apps aren't being wiped, so you should be able to undertake the endeavor pretty safely. Orange and T-Mobile versions of the phone apparently haven't yet begun to see the rollout, but the wait shouldn't be terribly long now -- meanwhile, let us know how your upgrade experience goes in comments, folks.

Unlocked HTC Hero gets Android 2.1 update -- no, for real this time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint: EVO 4G users getting Android 2.2 'in the near future' (Update: No upgrade for Moment, Hero)

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:36:00 EST

It looks like EVO 4G users will soon have one more thing to smile about, as Sprint has just announced that an Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) upgrade will indeed be coming to the "superphone."

With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improvements to include the following benefits: updates to user interface, improved EAS Support, improved browser performance, including Flash 10x Support, voice dialing over Bluetooth and application storage on external memory.

No word on a timeframe yet, but you'll know as soon as we do -- promise.

Update: According to this tweet from the carrier: "HTC EVO will be updated to Android 2.2; Samsung Moment & HTC Hero will not. Future devices launching w/ 2.1 will be also be updated to 2.2."

Sprint: EVO 4G users getting Android 2.2 'in the near future' (Update: No upgrade for Moment, Hero) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero gets Android 2.1 update across Europe (update: nope, not 2.1 yet)

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:24:00 EST

It's been a long, painful, drawn-out process, but it looks like we're finally closing in on getting everyone with an HTC Hero around the globe covered with Eclair. The company's European outpost has just posted some details on its Android 2.1 over-the-air update for the 2100MHz 3G Hero sold in most of the continent (including separate builds for units in Nordic countries, Greece, and Ireland), so this should quite a lot of brewing discontent -- just in time for owners to develop a raging case of Froyo envy, that is. C'est la vie; time for a Legend, right?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: We've heard from our friends at CoolSmartPhone that this is just another minor update, amazingly -- not the 2.1 build that other Hero owners are enjoying. What gives, HTC?

Update 2: And now HTC has gotten in touch with us directly, describing a two-part (the first of which seems to have already begun) end of June release. See it after the break.

Continue reading HTC Hero gets Android 2.1 update across Europe (update: nope, not 2.1 yet)

HTC Hero gets Android 2.1 update across Europe (update: nope, not 2.1 yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero (GSM) Android 2.1 update finally arrives... in Taiwan

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:26:00 EST

In its day, the HTC Hero with its brand new Sense UI and browser with Flash Lite was a breakthrough, multitouch Android handset. As such, it quickly became a big seller for HTC and the carriers that sold it. Now one year later, owners of the GSM variant are still waiting for their chance at the latest Android 2.1 update. As a harbinger of things to come (we hope), the Hero 2.1 update just landed in HTC's home country of Taiwan. Unfortunately, this will likely be the last update Hero owners receive... via official channels, anyway.

[Thanks, Lee]

HTC Hero (GSM) Android 2.1 update finally arrives... in Taiwan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint's Hero finally gets official Android 2.1 upgrade

Vlad Savov — Wed, 19 May 2010 06:06:00 EST

Assuming you resisted the temptation to either root your Hero or update it with the recently leaked 2.1 firmware, this is your very first chance to finally slap a dash of Android future on your senescent device. Sprint has at long last made the update available, though it isn't quite yet ready to download from its site. Fear not, the good folks behind the yellow network have put together a guide on upgrading through your phone and we'll link up the download as soon as it's ready for consumption. Time to start enjoying that Google Maps Navigation magic and all the other goodies constituting Eclair's delectable filling.

Update: It's now available direct from HTC's website, as well as Sprint's own site. Thanks, all!

[Thanks, Jonathan]

Sprint's Hero finally gets official Android 2.1 upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint: Samsung Moment and HTC Hero Android 2.1 updates now coming 'in Q2'

Darren Murph — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:54:00 EST

Ouch. Just a few days ago, it seems like a certainty that Sprint would be pushing out Android 2.1 updates to the aging Samsung Moment and HTC Hero, but now a company admin has stepped in to assure us that things aren't nearly that close to go. The full text is pasted in after the break, but the long and short of it is this: the long-awaited 2.1 update is now on track "to be available in Q2." The carrier did confess to wanting this out sooner rather than later, but hey, at least your patience is really, really appreciated.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Sprint: Samsung Moment and HTC Hero Android 2.1 updates now coming 'in Q2'

Sprint: Samsung Moment and HTC Hero Android 2.1 updates now coming 'in Q2' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero won't see upgrade to Android 2.1 until June, at least in Europe

Vlad Savov — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:24:00 EST

Plenty of UK Hero owners were disappointed this morning upon hearing the news that free Google Maps Navigation had spread beyond the borders of the USA but required Android 1.6 as the minimum OS version. Stuck in their Android 1.5 world, they must have hoped that HTC would just hurry up and open the gates to Eclair heaven, but hurrying up is, regrettably, the opposite of what's happening. Tech Radar heard from a Google rep that the Hero's move to Android 2.1 won't be happening until June, and followed it up with HTC directly. The official response was that a free update for European Hero variants will indeed be provided "starting in June." At least this cloud of disappointment will only hang over Europe, as other territories -- like Taiwan -- might still get the update reasonably soon.

[Thanks, Paul]

HTC Hero won't see upgrade to Android 2.1 until June, at least in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iPad vs. Dell Mini 5 / Streak... fight! (Bonus: smartphone pile-on!)

Richard Lai — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:18:00 EST

Occasionally we've had strangers -- very likely non-Engadget readers -- coming up to us and ask, "Sorry mate, but is that the iPad?" To which we reply, "No, it's the Dell Mini 5." This may sound like a silly boo-boo to make, but there is this common misconception of the iPad being just "a bigger iPhone" while not knowing how much bigger it is (despite our best effort). To clear this up once and for all, we've brought the two devices in question together -- the Mini 5 / Streak smartphone on the left, and the iPad on the right. Now it's up to you guys to spread the love.

As a bonus, we also threw in various phones -- HTC HD mini, Nexus One, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and HTC HD2 -- to pile on top of Apple's latest toy, just to kill the Sunday afternoon. No magical and revolutionary devices were harmed in the making of this article.

[Thanks for the toys, Chris and Andy]

Gallery: iPad vs. Dell Mini 5 / Streak... fight! (Bonus: smartphone pile-on)

Apple iPad vs. Dell Mini 5 / Streak... fight! (Bonus: smartphone pile-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero update to Android 2.1 on April 26th in home country of Taiwan

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:11:00 EST

We're past mid-March and rapidly approaching the early Q2 launch estimates for the Android 2.1 update for HTC's Hero. Now Engadget Chinese has tipped us to an official HTC release date issued on Plurk (a very popular, Twitter-like social service used locally) in HTC's home country of Taiwan: April 26th. So we should see the update go hot globally, with the latest version of the Sense UI in tow, at about the same time. You know, if you haven't grown tired of waiting and already hacked it in.

HTC Hero update to Android 2.1 on April 26th in home country of Taiwan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint to release Android 2.1 update for Hero and Moment 'over the coming weeks'

Richard Lai — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:27:00 EST

If you recall, about a month ago Sprint tweeted that it was working on delivering Android 2.1 upgrade for its HTC Hero and Samsung Moment in early Q2 this year. An optimistic guess would be April, right? Funnily enough, Techie Buzz has heard that two eager customers managed to squeeze a more precise date out of Sprint over a phone call -- end of March or even March 26th. Don't go reaching for that champagne just yet, though -- a self-proclaimed Sprint employee shared a recent internal memo on XDA-Developers forum, revealing that it's "actively working on having the Android 2.1 platform available to our Hero and Moment customers over the coming weeks," and that "more information coming in April." Oh Sprint, you do love playing with our little minds, don't you?

Sprint to release Android 2.1 update for Hero and Moment 'over the coming weeks' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint: Android 2.1 update for Hero, Moment coming in early Q2

Donald Melanson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:34:00 EST

And there you have it, folks -- word straight from Sprint that the much-anticipated Android 2.1 update will be coming to the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment "early" in the second quarter of this year. As you may recall, Sprint has actually been talking about this update since December, but "early 2Q10" is at least slightly better news than the previous "1H2010" estimate the carrier's been dishing out.

Update: Sprint has posted a follow-up tweet saying that OTA vs. PC-based or in-store upgrades are "still TBD upgrade options."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sprint: Android 2.1 update for Hero, Moment coming in early Q2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC enhances Sense with Leap and Friend Stream (updated with video)

Vlad Savov — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:34:00 EST

Our recent chance encounter with a multitouch-friendly iteration of HTC's Sense UI turns out to have been a preview of the company's latest version of the software. Announcing that it has "enhanced" the already quite delectable skin, HTC has noted it'll be available preloaded on the brand new Desire and Legend handsets, and as a free download for the venerable Hero. So what's new? The press event this morning told us about Leap, the new pinching function that allows you to view all your home screens at once (see above), and Friend Stream, which aims to be your social media aggregator du jour with its one stream combining Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates. There's also a new newsreader application and widget, along with additional improvements to the browser and web client. You'll find the full PR after the break and early impressions of the new interface in our hands-on with the new phones.

Update: See a full walkthrough of the new UI in a video after the break.

Continue reading HTC enhances Sense with Leap and Friend Stream (updated with video)

HTC enhances Sense with Leap and Friend Stream (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero shows off multitouch-enabled Sense UI on video

Vlad Savov — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:19:00 EST

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]

Continue reading HTC Hero shows off multitouch-enabled Sense UI on video

HTC Hero shows off multitouch-enabled Sense UI on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero-controlled Mindstorms bot hints at Android uprising

Nilay Patel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:01:00 EST

Using a cellphone to control a robot -- or a pretty sweet helicopter -- isn't exactly a new idea, but there's something about the combination of Android and Lego Mindstorms that promises to break the possibilities wide open. Swedish tech company Enea Linköping is one of the first we've seen to directly link an Android app to the Mindstorms brain over Bluetooth -- they're using an HTC Hero to control two simple rover bots. Unfortunately, since Android 1.5 doesn't support the Bluetooth serial profile, there's a hack involved: the phone actually sends out commands over WiFi,which are passed through a WiFi-Bluetooth tunneling app on laptop before hitting the bots. That means there's a little lag involved, but now that Android 2.1 has serial Bluetooth support we're hoping things get a little more streamlined in the future. Video after the break.

Continue reading HTC Hero-controlled Mindstorms bot hints at Android uprising

HTC Hero-controlled Mindstorms bot hints at Android uprising originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android display battle: In the end, there can be only One

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:25:00 EST

It's not everyday you get to see six (6!) Android devices pitted against each other in a display-quality grudge match. No, not that sensor sensitivity nonsense again, rather, just a plain ol' video playback comparison for your subjective observations. Fortunately, the Android-loving kids over at HDBlog shot a video of the MyTouch 3G, HTC Hero, Motorola Milestone / Droid, Acer Liquid, Nexus One, and Samsung Galaxy (laid out clockwise in the image above). In our opinion, the Nexus One with its 3.7-inch AMOLED display packing a 800 x 480 pixel resolution comes out on top with the best overall image (though slightly on the red end of the color spectrum) -- good thing the video wasn't shot outdoors where that AMOLED is all but unreadable. But hey, that's our opinion, form your own in the video after the break.

Continue reading Android display battle: In the end, there can be only One

Android display battle: In the end, there can be only One originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russia gets mocha-edition HTC Hero, plastic flavor coming soon

Tim Stevens — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:51:00 EST

Sure, you lament about this or that certain smartphone not coming to your wireless provider of choice, but imagine if that phone hadn't even been released in your country. For those who are Russian and for whom That Certain Smartphone is the HTC Hero, your time is finally coming, and soon. HTC sent out devices to many members of the .RU press, but rather than providing functioning ones they received models made entirely of chocolate. Not entirely encouraging, but the company's Cyrillic Twitter page (which has been responsible for creating a stir in the past) is saying the phone is coming soon, as in the next few weeks, and HTC also created a Facebook fan page for the phone over the weekend. So, buckle up Russian readers; looks like you're getting your Hero soon.

Russia gets mocha-edition HTC Hero, plastic flavor coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero gets firmware update (no, not you, Sprint customers)

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:14:00 EST

The GSM version of the Hero just got hooked up with a new firmware update, version 2.73.771.73 (H3G). We don't know what's in here yet -- HTC hasn't offered up a changelog -- but we're foolishly hopeful that it's something newer than Android 1.5 (emphasis on "foolishly"). Let us know how it goes, folks.

[Thanks, Nabeel M.]

HTC Hero gets firmware update (no, not you, Sprint customers) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero's Android 2.1 ROM hacked onto Droid with all sorts of busted

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:52:00 EST

We don't really recommend trying this yourself if you like "using" your Droid for performing "tasks," but if you're the 1337 type or you're just looking for a quick, easy, and fun way to brick a perfectly good Eclair device, you might want to take a look at this ported ROM that's just hit the streets. What we're looking at here is an early, half-baked conversion of that leaked Hero ROM with Sense and Android 2.1, apparently with functional messaging and calling (whew) but without a working WiFi stack. If nothing else, this is a good start for the community; hopefully we'll see something a little more solid soon that can actually be used day to day without an iron will and a brass pair.

HTC Hero's Android 2.1 ROM hacked onto Droid with all sorts of busted originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus One stands with iPhone and Hero, interface gets a 5-minute walkthrough

Ross Miller — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:27:00 EST

The Google Nexus One trickle continues. Today's two menu items include a 5-minute demonstration of the Android 2.1 interface -- shaky, sure, but it's a pretty thorough rundown of all the menus. We're also serving up some low-resolution picture comparisons of the Nexus One laying side-by-side with the iPhone and HTC Hero. It still eludes us how all these leaking parties don't seem to have in their possession a decent DSLR or camcorder (feel free to give us a buzz, we'll gladly help out). Video after the break.

Gallery: Google Nexus One stands with iPhone and Hero, interface gets a 5-minute walkthrough

Continue reading Google Nexus One stands with iPhone and Hero, interface gets a 5-minute walkthrough

Google Nexus One stands with iPhone and Hero, interface gets a 5-minute walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC exec promises Hero successor in 2010, debut at Mobile World Congress

Ross Miller — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:06:00 EST

Yet another reason to love the Swedes: they give us juicy details. Former LG Sales Manager turned HTC Sweden exec Patrik Andersson has dropped word that a sequel to HTC Hero is coming next year. We know what you're thinking: an upgrade to the company's successful multi-carrier flagship Android device? You don't say! The real interesting point here is when it'll make its debut, and that's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this February. Happy Valentine's, indeed, and if you get to the press conference early, save us a seat?

HTC exec promises Hero successor in 2010, debut at Mobile World Congress originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero gets a leaked Android 2.1 ROM with Sense

Nilay Patel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:02:00 EST

We just saw some leaked shots of a Hero running Android 2.1 with HTC Sense a couple days ago, and now it looks like you can get in on the action yourself, thanks to a leaked ROM now up on XDA-developers and AllDroid. Installation appears to be pretty straightforward, but there are some steps involved, so make sure you backup and set aside some time to get things right -- and let us know how it all goes in comments!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC Hero gets a leaked Android 2.1 ROM with Sense originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid Eris available for $30, shuns Black Friday theatrics

Paul Miller — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

From everything we can tell, this new Droid Eris deal has nothing to do with the day after Thanksgiving and everything to do with the pure insanity of Walmart Wireless / LetsTalk.com. The same people that brought us the $30 Pixi have slashed the $99 Eris down to $30, which does wonders for removing the Eris from regular Droid comparisons. Judged purely on its own merits, $30 is a pretty smashing price for this handset, but in two years when that hefty Verizon contract is up it's probably going to seem even more outdated by new versions of Android and faster processors than it does now.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Droid Eris available for $30, shuns Black Friday theatrics originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy

Donald Melanson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:00 EST

Leaning back and forth between the $100 HTC Eris on Verizon and the $179 HTC Hero on Sprint? Well, your decision just got a bit more difficult, as Best Buy has now kicked off a new holiday promotion that'll net you a chin-less Sprint Hero for the same hundred bucks as Verizon's Eris. If you prefer, you can also now snag a Samsung Moment for the same price, but each will of course have to be paired with a new two-year activation, and you'll have to take the plunge before the end of December -- although there's at least a decent chance there will be another discount / price drop by the time this one ends.

[Thanks, Daniel]

HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy

Donald Melanson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero, Samsung Moment now $100 on Sprint courtesy of Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Paul Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST

Now that we've got the DROID ERIS in the mix, we're up to our ears in HTC Hero-derivative devices. We decided to sit the whole crew (GSM, Sprint and Verizon editions) down for a little modeling session, and we're finding ourselves reticent to pick a favorite. There are really plusses and minuses to each of them, but any way you lean it's a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint (on Verizon, anyway) and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices, faster processors and wild new screens rolling on in. Check the video out after the break and you can make up your own mind.

Continue reading HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Filed under: HTC, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Android

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Paul Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST

Now that we've got the DROID Eris in the mix, we're up to our ears in HTC Hero-derivative devices. We decided to sit the whole crew (GSM, Sprint and Verizon editions) down for a little modeling session, and we're finding ourselves reticent to pick a favorite. There are really plusses and minuses to each of them, but any way you lean it's a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint (on Verizon, anyway) and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices, faster processors and wild new screens rolling on in. Check the video out after the break and you can make up your own mind.

Continue reading HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5

Paul Miller — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST

Like it or not, we've got it on pretty reasonable authority that HTC's first "DROID" phone is nothing more than a rebadged, shape-shifted Hero (something we've been hearing for a while now), and that it'll be launching on Verizon on November 6th, the same day as Motorola's DROID. That means Android 1.5 "Cupcake," Sense UI, 3.2-inch screen, 528MHz processor and so forth. The Eris will retail for $199 but with a $100 mail-in rebate. It'll pack in an 8GB microSD card and the hopes and dreams of a generation of cheapskates that will be hopin' and prayin' that HTC manages to push Android 2.0 onto this thing so they don't look too bad in front of their DROID-toting buddies on Verizon.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Gallery: HTC's DROID Eris leaked docs

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA

Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5

Paul Miller — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST

Gallery: HTC's DROID Eris leaked docs

Filed under: Cellphones

Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Workaround for HTC Hero battery life issues discovered

Donald Melanson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:26:00 EST

Well, there still isn't a fix for the problem some people seem to be having with receiving text messages on their HTC Hero, but it looks like a workaround has been discovered for another pesky issue that can put a strain on the phone's battery life. Apparently, the phone has a bit of trouble going back into sleep mode after you send a text, or after you simply turn on the phone and immediately disable the screen without any activity. While some fairly elaborate fixes were tried by some users initially, it looks like the simplest actually works the best: just don't use the default SMS app to send texts. Instead, you can use a third-party app like ChompSMS or HandCent, which apparently have no problems letting the phone go back to sleep after you send a text. Of course, an official fix would still be the best but, in the meantime, you can hit up the link below for all the necessary details on making the (hopefully temporary) switch.

[Thanks, Sean]

Workaround for HTC Hero battery life issues discovered originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Workaround for HTC Hero battery life issues discovered

Donald Melanson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:26:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Workaround for HTC Hero battery life issues discovered originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow

Donald Melanson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST

Telus already announced that it'd be launching the iPhone in November, but it's just now gotten official with an actual date: November 5th -- which just so happens to also be the day that it lights up its brand new HSPA+ network. Unfortunately for anyone hoping that a little competition would spark a price war, Telus is matching Rogers' prices across the board, starting at $99.99 for the basic 8GB iPhone 3G, and moving up to $199.99 for the 16GB 3GS, and $299.99 for the 32GB 3GS (all on a three-year contract, of course). What's more, Telus has also taken the opportunity to offer the first official confirmation of some of the other devices that'll take advantage of its new network, including the HTC Hero, the previously rumored LG New Chocolate (a.k.a BL40), the Blackberry Bold 9700, and the Nokia E71 (plus a USB stick, for good measure). No prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but the Hero and New Chocolate are apparently Telus exclusives.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, LG, Nokia, RIM, Telus Mobility, Apple

Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow

Donald Melanson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

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HTC Hero having intermittent text messaging problems?

Donald Melanson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:38:00 EST

There's not exactly much in the way of official statements on the matter just yet, but it looks like support forums have been piling up with reports of text messaging problems on the HTC Hero over the past few weeks, and with no signs of a fix in sight. Apparently, the phone can send texts just fine, but runs into a little trouble when it comes to receiving 'em, with most folks reporting only intermittent problems, and at least some not receiving any at all. Interestingly, the problem seems to be occurring in both the US and the UK, so it would seem to be a problem on the phone's end and not the carrier's, and a few people seem to have had some (brief) success after resetting the device. Of course, there are also plenty of folks having no problems at all, but there doesn't seem to be any question that the issue is out there. So, have you been missing some texts on your Hero? Let us know in comments.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Sprint, Android

HTC Hero having intermittent text messaging problems? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero having intermittent text messaging problems?

Donald Melanson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:38:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Hero having intermittent text messaging problems? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

Darren Murph — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:00 EST

Ruh roh. Without claiming that there's some sort of high-speed conspiracy going on at Sprint (read: there's not), we'd like to point out that quite a few early adopters are claiming that their Hero refuses to hop on the carrier's EV-DO Rev. A network. We took a peek back at the company's press release for this very phone, and sure enough, the Rev. A experience is promised. We're guessing that a simple firmware update will be all it takes to remedy the issue (if there's truly an issue at all), but 'til then, there's always WiFi! Right, guys?

[Via Examiner, thanks Tracknod]

Update: We just heard directly from HTC about this snafu, and as it turns out, the message that Sprint Hero users are seeing is merely a mislabeling. If you're within an EV-DO Rev. A area, you'll get Rev. A speeds -- despite that fact that your phone says it's only on Rev. 0. We're also told that a future maintenance release will address the message. Check the full quote after the break.

Continue reading Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA, Android

Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

Darren Murph — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:00 EST

Continue reading Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)

Filed under: Cellphones

Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint HTC Hero now on sale to everyone

Nilay Patel — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:57:00 EST

Sure, you've been able to get it a little early in one way or another, but the Sprint HTC Hero officially launched today, which means a second US carrier is now selling an Android device. High five. Now, is anyone spending the $179 ($479 off-contract)? And Sprint customers, we have to ask: Hero or Pre?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Sprint, Android

Sprint HTC Hero now on sale to everyone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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