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HTC Hero Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: The HTC Hero is a very polished touchscreen smartphone, running Google's Android operating system. HTC have raised their game for the Hero, with a new user interface making it a comfortable yet powerful platform for mobile communication. It's a very powerful phone and the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it's missing video calling and an FM radio.

Review: August 2009.

The HTC Hero is the third "Google phone" running the Android operating system, and these Android phones just keep getting better! The Hero uses very similar hardware to the HTC Magic, but there are a number of distinct improvements. The device has been restyled, giving it a much more polished look and feel. It feels nice in the hand, with the trackball and buttons angled forward and easy for the thumb to use. The Hero is the same size as the Magic, but is slightly heavier and incorporates a higher capacity battery, giving longer standby and talk times. It also has an improved 5 megapixel camera.

T-Mobile have released the Hero as the T-Mobile Touch G2, but it is basically the same phone.

The user interface has also been improved for the Hero, and this is the first phone to feature HTC Sense, a concept based around personalisation, communication and a third ingredient that HTC mysteriously refer to as "discover the unexpected." The personalisation manifests itself through customisable widgets that can be placed on the home screen. These give you easy access to the features that you use regularly, and you can change the size and design of the widgets to suit your taste. You can also create multiple profiles, so that your work, weekend and holiday profiles match the functionality that you need in each situation. Another new feature called Footprints lets you create virtual "postcards" related to a specific place, so that you can identify it by its GPS co-ordinates and then associate pictures, video and notes with that Footprint. There's no rocket science here, but it does lead to a very pleasant user environment that is highly tailored to your personal needs and interests.

The second part of HTC Sense is all about communication, and this is of course what a modern mobile phone should have at its heart. As well as the basics of making calls and sending texts, the Hero is a good platform for emailing, and is also intended for the Facebook age, with easy access to social networking and photo sharing sites. The third aspect of HTC Sense is called "discover the unexpected" and, we think, is supposed to be about connections between data. Not quite sure about this one, to be honest - if anyone understands the concept, please post below!

The touch based user interface certainly works well, and confirms Android as a solid platform for modern mobile communications. Whether you are phoning, messaging, browsing the web or taking photos you'll find the Hero a nice handset to use, and a pleasant overall experience. There's been some talk about lag in the Hero UI. We'd like to dispel this, as we didn't experience any lag that could be considered annoying, although to be fair it's not as responsive as the iPhone or the Samsung Jet. The screen is a good size, at 3.2 inches, and has a high resolution of 480x320 pixels (the same as the iPhone), but it's not as good as some other phones for outdoor use. Android also seems to be a robust operating system in our experience, outperforming Symbian in this respect, and on a par with Apple's OS X system when it comes to choice of apps. The Android Market is shaping up very nicely in fact, and you'll find a wealth of third party tools available for download.

The 5 megapixel camera is an improvement over the 3 megapixel one on the HTC Magic, and it can take high quality photos in good lighting conditions, with autofocus to ensure sharpness. But indoors it's another matter, with no flash on the camera, and to be honest it's below average when compared with similarly priced smartphones (but still as good as the iPhone!) And it's a mystery why there's no video calling option in any of the Android phones so far.

The Hero is outstanding when it comes to connectivity, as it has the lot - Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, mini-USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and a 3.5mm audio jack (so you can plug in any standard fit headset, hooray!) It also supports fast 3G data transfer with HSDPA giving download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. Quadband GSM lets you use the phone worldwide too.

Battery life, for a smartphone, is above average, maybe even good!

Overall, this is our favourite Android phone so far, although it's not such a big step up from the HTC Magic. The benefits of the Hero, compared with other smartphones, are the user interface, Android Market apps, and the overall polished nature of the operating system. There are nice touches such as the GPS with Google maps and digital compass, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. Aspects of the phone that are not so hot are the lacklustre camera and the lack of video calling and FM radio - features that have been standard on smartphones for years. It's disappointing that a brand new phone with an advanced new operating system should miss out basic and obvious features. But hey, that's what the iPhone did and it didn't stop it becoming a runaway success, so what do we know about it anyway?

We so wanted to give this phone 5 stars, but we just can't justify it. But still, a very polished phone, and so close to being perfect!

The new HTC Desire fills the few gaps in the Hero's armoury, and is absolutely a 5 star phone.

Features of the HTC Hero include:

  • 5 megapixel camera with autofocus
  • Video recording
  • Display: TFT, 320 x 480 pixels (3.2 inches) with auto-rotate
  • GPS receiver with Google Maps and digital compass
  • Music player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA formats)
  • Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
  • Ringtones: MP3 ringtones
  • Internet: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, mini-USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack
  • Memory: 288 MB RAM plus microSD memory card
  • Vibration alert
  • Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus HSDPA/WCDMA (900/2100 MHz)
  • Size: 112 x 56 x 14 mm
  • Weight: 135g
  • Talktime: 420 - 470 minutes
  • Battery standby: 440 - 750 hours

HTC Hero User Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

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Phone rating:

Average rating from 104 reviews:

Reviewed by Evie from England on 19th Aug 2012
I have had this phone for about two and a half years now, at first it never let me down but a few months ago a number of problems began to occur including the on-screen keyboard not working, typing totally random letters and the home screen flashing on and off. The battery doesn't last too long either. The camera is okay, but the picture quality is best in natural light. Basic games are okay, if a little juddery. Web surfing is also quite slow, but I think that's just to do with the age of this phone.
In general, if you're not going to have the Hero for as long as me, it is an excellent choice if you want a good Android phone-even if it's a little dated! :)
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Reviewed by Mr dictionary from clearly not your school on 5th Jul 2012
Hello I'm Jenny.
I'm going to write my review like a well educated being, as I read through the recent reviews I learned that around 89% of you shouldn't be allowed to have a opinion on the mobile in question, because you simply can't write with proper grammar, punctuation nor real words. For example phone is spelt p-h-o-n-e not 'fone'. Hopefully you would have all learned something from this and I shall now go on to my review.
Firstly I would to mention the bluetooth issue. We live in the 21st century no well respected person uses this or needs it. Secondly I would like to add the matter of the camera,yes this phone does not have a flash... but surely if you needed one you would have a handheld camera. The camera is perfectly compatible for a mobile and quick and easy to use,which you would want to a mobile.
Lastly if you want a Iphone buy one and stop complaining.
Yours sincerely Jenny.
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Reviewed by John O from England on 21st Mar 2012
This phone is by far the worst I've ever owned.
Utter dog toffee.
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Reviewed by JANA ONDREJKOVA from UK on 6th Dec 2011
NEVER AGAIN, AN ABSOLUTE WASTE OF MONEY. I BOUGHT 2 HTC G2 TOUCH, BOTH MESS UP AROUND THE SAME TIME. T MOBILE AFTER CARE SERVICE, REPAIRED ONE AND FIND A VERY SILLY EXCUSE ABOUT THE SECOND PHONE. FINAL RESULT I AM LEFT WITHOUT PHONE WHILE I AM STILL PAYING. AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER CONCLUDED THAT THE LIFE SPAM OF THE HTC 2 TOUCH IS APPROXIMATELY A YEAR BUT THE CONTRACT ISSUED IS 2 YEARS APPROX. TMOBIL AND HTC, NEVER, NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU SEE MY MONEY.
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Reviewed by Nathan from UK on 29th May 2010
i have had this phone nearly 1 month, and imo, it is amazing, the camera is great, i use it outdoors and INDOORS where somepeople have been talking about the bad lighting, i just took the contrast down and much better, the intergrated facebook is great so i dont have to get loads of apps and it is easy to upload pictures, calling quality is great and so is signal(on 3 in my area it is anyway) internet surfing is a breeze and loads quickly, no lag, music quality is great, bluetooth let it down a but with no file transfer, but there is an app on the market that fixes that, so, overall, a great phone, cant wait for 2.1 though, will make it even better :),
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Reviewed by john from england on 21st May 2010
The G2 mobile looks impressive but if its a true internet mobile that you want forget the G2. Its constant connectivity and error messages make a 10 second you-tube video last 1 hour. Its on screen keyboard is great for text messages but try using it for completing online forms and or entering search queiries in search bars - foregt it. the camera is useless as not only does it have no flash the picture gallery will only work if you reboot (remove the battery) the phone. An awful piece of junk which is such a shame as the G1 was brilliant.
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Reviewed by Erin Wilson from United Kingdom on 19th May 2010
Oh my gosh the hero is amazing! BUY BUY BUY!
Rating:

Reviewed by Luca from UK on 3rd May 2010
I bought my hero at the end of 2009 being reassured by the seller (three.co.uk) and in various press articles that the android OS 2.1 was to be released imminently and would open up the market to newer and even better apps. But after a few weeks I noted that the update was needed to get the phone workable; eg, my desktop win pc boots in less time than the htc phone :( I've been watching all the rumours fly around about late march, april 16th, april 26th, early may and now June... JUNE release date (the google release was in late october and nexus google-HTC phone with android 2.1 was in early january). Meanwhile on the HTC site there are NO clues as to what is happening or what might happen. It's still a good phone but I was very much hoping to use a few of the features of 2.1 and I couldn't be LESS impressed by HTC's attitude to keeping owners NOT informed about what's going on. I have *NO* confidence in a June release and am beginning to suspect that HTC are allowing these constant rumours to circulate to keep people buying heros whilst never actually bothering to update them at all. Why should they, with so many new phones to sell coming on line? In the end, this is the first, last and only HTC phone I purchased. no more HTC for me. or yes.... if you sell me it for £100, it does not worth more money...
Rating:

Reviewed by Paul from England on 29th Apr 2010
Excellent phone much more flexible than an iphone and very adaptable, great touch response screen, great call quality, my best phone to date.
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Reviewed by raby from scotland on 4th Apr 2010
i went back to my iphone after 3 weeks, its slow, clunky and annoying surfing the web. the biggest problem is when surfing it opens websites zoomed into the pagee...
Rating:

Reviewed by David from England on 1st Apr 2010
I've had mine for over a month now. Very stable and reasonable battery life (vertainly as good as my old SE W910i anyway) I feel that the positive side of thisphone has been wella dn truly emphasised already adn so I will share the 2 major problems that I have found. 1. Bluetooth file transfer is impossible (this is an Android problem) 2. WiFi is notoriously hard to keep working. It will connect but it seems impossible to get the data to reliably transfer and so the browser just pauses and times out. If you read the extensive contributions to the 'Android Forums' (just google it) and then search for 'Connect via WIFI problems' you'll soon get the picture. For this reason, my otherwise bargain phone only gets 3 stars tiny.cc/y12d3
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Reviewed by Dom from UK on 31st Mar 2010
iPhone killer this is not! Unresponsive and clunky touch screen. Frustratingly bad keyboard. Inputting correct key is a risky business - works better for text and emails as the phone brings up some word suggestions but still poor and be warned when having to input keys for any other reason. The battery life is poor has to be charged every night. Widgets are slow to load. Will not connect to my home wifi while all my other devices can. But my main gripe is its inability to sync to my work email account. Effects include no emails and contacts have vanished and then reinstated themselves for no reason. Factory restore did not help. Two of my work colleagues have had these issues with the addition of the music player switching itself on while on a call as well as the phone switching itself off on occasion. In all, the HTC hero is the poor sad cousin of the iPhone and does not in any way compare to the user experience on that device. To sum up – slow, clumsy and comes with a range of connectivity and syncing issues. Avoid.
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Reviewed by Mitch from Uk on 29th Mar 2010
annoyes me as it drops calls ALL THE TIME waste of money its that bad tht im trading it in D:
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Reviewed by laxipati ballagee from uk on 17th Mar 2010
i love this phone i had it for 1 months and the operating system by google is great the camaras gd very happy bit disapointed with the bluetooth
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Reviewed by alan baker from uk on 15th Mar 2010
Major problem with this phone is that there is NO bluetooth from handset to handset ! Bought for wife , had phone 5 days , cannot see benefits of all the widgets and very slow connection speed along with the inability to transfer by bluetooth all her music and pictures plus battery life v poor , so putting on ebay tomorrow .
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Reviewed by Sandeep.R from England on 15th Mar 2010
This is simply an awesome phone, I have been using it for almost 6 months now and completely satisfied with it's features and usability. The battery life is much better than the Smart phones available in market.
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Reviewed by tony from England on 13th Mar 2010
@ Boss that is simply not true everyone in my school chooses a hero instead of an iphone and my school isn't some kind of geeky school I'm gona get the legd as I prefer the amoled display, flash and up to 16GB expandable. This phone is great tho. Anyone who gets this phone now is a dumb person because they will end up regretting it in a couple of months when the legend comes out.
Rating:

Reviewed by SUPER HTC MAN from U.K on 3rd Mar 2010
people dont even do videocall, it is kind of awkward and uneccessary its better to download last fm than to have a radio app taking up space, as some radios do cause problems also ppl that use loudspeaker on radio are the iphone irritating type just like the ones in the tv ad prancin about, it is a very smart phone with a bit more common sense and maturity than the avarage iphone user, there is no tv ad for hero because it is like the ferrari of phones, if you want the quality and prestige that lets you make the right decision between a i(immature)-phone or a Hero, be new be different , be a HERO !!!
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Reviewed by Boss from UK on 2nd Mar 2010
I believe HTC Hero is for adults and iPhone for teenagers and women.
Rating:

Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on 2nd Mar 2010
Are women not adults?

Reviewed by Matt from Uk on 1st Mar 2010
This phone is simply amazing. Doesn't need the hardware that the nexus one or the touch hd 2 has to run smooth. Its off the pace of the iphone by milisecond(s)! Android is simply outstanding. There are so many apps that have so many functions. keep you entertained for hours...if you're even thinking about comparing it to the iphone, go for the iphone since you'll most likely have a biased opinion, even after using the hero. If you accept the hero open mindedly, its fabulous in the sense, it will do anything you throw at it. Still manage to be smooth and presentation is awesome! One downside for me is that some of the widgets take up one whole screen, like the (full) calender or the (full) music player, text messaging and the mail, they could've put in a bit of work for those, it could've been better but I'm nitpicking here...the androir market is on the rise and rising a hell of a lot faster than apples app store did...i wouldn't be surprised if it overtook it by the end of this year...
Rating:

Reviewed by tony from peru on 21st Feb 2010
I was going to buy this phone then i had my doubts: -the memory card only supports up to 2GB! -the media player isn't amazing -no 16m screen I'm going to w8 till the htc Legend comes out looks like its defiantly gonna beat the iphone but then they'll probably release something even better, i hate iphone but i have to say the rumours looks like it will be better than a netbook, anyway the phone is good but if you wana pend big jut wait till the legend, tho right now its the best phone on the planet right now
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Reviewed by JT from UK on 21st Feb 2010
No need to say much more as its all been said before this phone ROCKS!!!!!
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Reviewed by J from UK on 15th Feb 2010
Got the HTC Hero on Friday 12th Feb... So far, I'm impressed. Wireless connection was v.easy to set up. Email was v.easy to set up. Apps are easy to install and use and move around the screens. The only thing it could do with is a flash, you need lots of light for pics & vids...
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Reviewed by Ryan Curtis from UK on 12th Feb 2010
I've had this phone for a few months now, and i love it. It can be laggy at times, but the over all result is outstanding. Beats the iphone by a mile as there is endless amount of costumization you can do to the phone, and NO restrictions like the iphone either! Buy now! :)
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Reviewed by Kev from Scotland on 9th Feb 2010
I've had the htc hero (g2) for about 3 months now & I still can't put the device down! I'm constantly finding new features 3 months in. The sense UI is just AMAZING!I It's like having 4 different phones when you customize the different screens with htc & android widgets. The txtn is brill, I tend to use the "phone" keypad mode. I just find it really easy and fast to use, even if you type in a few wrong letters in a word the hero still gets the word you were meaning to type! I've tried this out a lot meaning to type errors but the predictive txt just comes up with the correct word. Internet browsing is a REAL pleasure to use, it's very fast on 3g/HSPDA I done a test using speedtest. net app from android market & I got a download speed of 3.6mb, now that is fast for a mobile smartphone! So I don't even bother using my home broadband WiFi router. It also plays flash content from the websites you surf & does it pretty well too. Now multimedia...the music player that is built in works well with good quality sound, I have a 16gb sandisk micro sdhc card in minds with nearly 10gb worth of music & video, they play just fine with No lag worth mentioning. I did download median player from the market just for an alternative, that app is good aswell as the default player. I just love the way everything just works on the phone, No hassles, just a great experience. I think this is a phone that people who are into their gadgets will love! But a friend of mines who isn't as interested in the gadget side of the phone as me doesn't really like hers, it's because she isn't using all the widgets and features as they should be used so I think it will be going on eBay. To sum it up in my honest opinion this is the best phone I've had or used in all the years I've had a mobile/mp3/portable internet device. who needs a mobile phone/netbook & mp3 carrying around when you can have it all in a great looking compact device? So glad I went for this choice. I also done a good bit of research before purchasing and the reviews say it all & it's won 4 or 5 prestigious awards too. Just have a go on a hero and I'm sure you will be hooked! . 5 stars :)
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Reviewed by mango from ireland on 7th Feb 2010
Brilliant! have had so many phones and this one is by far the best, The Sense UI is really polished and very smooth. The latest firmware has nearly eliminated all lag, and the 2.1 should eliminate further! apps are great too. Also, you DO NOT need specific software for this phone as you do with iphone/itunes, there are NO restrictions and it can be used as a mass storage device, so NO syncing and that rubbish with iphone. OUTSTANDING phone. Friend has the N1 but this is more polished (yes slower) and more user friendly. LOVE IT
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Reviewed by doug from england on 3rd Feb 2010
great phone battery on my phone last for about 2 days when i play with it alot and about five day on standbye great. no freezing. so much better than the samsung tocco ultra i had before. i give it top marks.
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Reviewed by Sam from england on 31st Jan 2010
very good phone that has everything you could ever want but the battery life really does let it down. i cant go a full day without it going flat so for that reason i really wouldn't recommend it. i bought this basically because i didn't want to pay for an iphone but it really is the only way to go.
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Reviewed by Norman Cook from England on 25th Jan 2010
I have to agree with the consensus; this is an awesome phone! The only serious omission is the inability to send files via bluetooth to other phones. Hopefully this will be addresses in 2.0 / 2.1 when it is released.
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Reviewed by McTavish from Scotland on 21st Jan 2010
I recently upgraded to this phone, having previously had a Nokia E71. I am finding the Android platform to be a revelation. Where my Nokia really laboured to keep up, this Hero seems effortless by comparison. The transition between screens and programmes is as fast as I need. Clearly, where several programmes are running simultaneously, there will be a degree of 'lag', though this is not a significant issue. I am particularly impressed with the App's available via the Android Market. Quite apart from the novelty factor of innumerable games and the like, there are some excellent, free and valuable applications: 'Beebplayer',' Taskiller' and 'SMS Popup' to name but three. I have spent much time working through this phone’s capabilities and I am very impressed. For me, the stand-out uses of this phone (apart of course, from being a phone), are wireless/internet capability and email. The technical capabilities make browsing a real pleasure. This is the kind of phone that unlimited mobile data geeks (like me!) are going to love. The touchscreen is clear and bright with the facility to customise the screens to suit your preference. I can’t say I need FM Radio. This phone offers every possible ‘want’ by way of Internet radio anyway. The camera does the basics well. If I want videocalling, hey, I use my laptop and webcam. This is a phone, which does many things but not others (it has no hoover attachment). The 2gb Micro SD Card supplied is sufficient to begin with, though I've substituted this for 8gb, as I like to have movies to hand. Quite apart from merely being a sharp communicator, it'll keep you amused in a myriad of ways. Simply pop into Android Market and clean up on the vast array of freebies of almost infinite variety. The phone has a sure-footed and robust feeling about it, striking a pleasing balance between style and functionality. I particularly appreciate HTC Hero being so different in styling to the smartphone competition. This is the best mobile phone I've had, by far. If you want a stylish yet practical smartphone that’ll perform most tasks extremely efficiently, then HTC's Hero will make an excellent choice.
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Reviewed by daz from wales on 15th Jan 2010
great phone had 2 weeks no freezes .no problems,only problem getting used to it ,always had sony ericssons
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Reviewed by John W from UK on 14th Jan 2010
So easily worth 5 stars. Your site lists the Nokia 5800 as 5 stars and this phone is available on similarly priced plans and wipes the floor with the Nokia. With the exception of FM radio and video calling (but who ever uses that?) it has everything you could want at this price. Best phone I have ever owned by a long way.
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Reviewed by rob from england on 14th Jan 2010
ght this phone for christmas and its been great no problems and i think harry from england has got a dud one if it keeps breaking. i've had no trouble of signal thts ur netwrk usually not ur phone and its not slow no problems brillant phone worth buying any day unless u want 2 be a sheep and have a iphone :) lol
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Reviewed by Harry from England on 8th Jan 2010
Good phone to start, then just gets annoying, the touch screen is useless trying to text is a nightmare the calibration is terrible, it is so slow constantly freezing, i have done rom updates, its still bad and i never get any signal, hardly an iphone competer, do notbuy!
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Reviewed by Jonesurf from UK on 8th Jan 2010
Don't understand why this website only gives this phone 4 stars, when most of the consumer reviews give it 5 stars, along with most of the very positive reviews on other more notable sites!!! Strange. Don't listen to the reviewers of this website, listen to the consumers and other more technical reviews. This phone has set a new standard in phone tech, and it's awesome that they've managed to pack so much into what is comparatively basic spec. Android is well utilized here. I would imagine there will be quite a few phones based on this phones skeleton. GREAT phone!
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on 8th Jan 2010
Different people have different opinions. Ignoring minority opinions is called "intolerance."

Reviewed by Danny from England on 7th Jan 2010
What can I say. Ive had soooooo many phones over the years and this one tops them all including kicking the iphone!!!! I should ive had two. I highly recomend this phone. If your stuck in the world between the Iphone or the HTC, trust me and get the HTC Hero you will not be dissapointed.
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Reviewed by Rick from UK on 7th Jan 2010
Had Hero for several months now. I was very unsure about choosing this phone. I've been a long term user or Windows Mobile on many touch screen PDAs. I can genuinely say Android is like a breath of fresh air after WM5. If you are in the same predicament, don't hesitate a moment longer. There is not a single thing I miss about WM, and I felt sure I would! In spite of a couple of mealy-mouthed people below, I agree that this is most certainly a 5* phone and no mistake, and I'm no easily impressed 12 year old either (add 40 years!) LOL No phone of this calibre is entirely glitch free and this is no exception, but there is nothing I'm not entirely happy living with, and the coming firmware upgrade to 2.0 will really move this devise forward! iPhone? Strictly for chavs now!
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Reviewed by Graham from Scotland on 31st Dec 2009
Had this phone since September and I still love it. It has so many features and I never run out of uses for my phone. I came from a K800i and own an iPod touch (familiar with the iPhone OS), and HTCs SenseUI simply owns all other interfaces out there. Get this phone, it's awesome.
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Reviewed by Dave from UK on 29th Dec 2009
Excellent phone, does nearly everything well, and has great battery life.
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Reviewed by Niki from UK on 29th Dec 2009
I bought this phone about 3 weeks ago. And i am still amazed by everything it does! Its so good, it keeps doing these little things that impress me further! I was a bit worried about buying it, becuase i originally wanted the iphone, and wasnt sure how the Hero would compare. But I personally think its better! It does everything the iphone does, in most cases better than the iphone, and it does more! And it was about £300 cheaper! If your having any doubts by this amazing phone, dont worry! Its amazing! :)
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Reviewed by steve from england on 16th Dec 2009
WOW , what a phone,had a lot of phones in my time but this easily beats them all. Fantastic apps,looks and feels great,would have this phone over the iphone anytime. Only downside to this phone is the lack of a flash on the camera,but with all the other features it more than makes it up.
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Reviewed by sid from uk on 15th Dec 2009
WOW,defo great fone
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Reviewed by Lauren from Englnd on 14th Dec 2009
Hate THIS PHONE. SamsuS5600 is bettaaa goodd i hate it
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Reviewed by WANTS THIS PHONE from HTC HERO on 14th Dec 2009
everyone loves this phone there is only like 1 person on the whole list that says its rubbish, and that guy probs was just unlucky cos it was a manufacturing mistake, IT HAPPENS TO ALL OF THE MANUFACTURERS.
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Reviewed by Kris from UK on 12th Dec 2009
Moved from a Samsung Omnia 1, which, I have to say is possibly the worst phone I have ever experienced using, and completely put me off touchscreens. Having been stuck with it for 15 very long months, but reading the good reviews ab out this phone, I thought i'd risk going for another touchscreen. Receiving and using this phone in comparison to the Omnia felt like what people must have felt watching TV for the first time. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. The look is great, Android OS is amazing, wish more than anything it had a flash, but for work, communication, browsing and loads of fun, this phone IS outstanding. -and not a ****** I-phone which is even better!!
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Reviewed by Amy.S from Scotland on 11th Dec 2009
AMAZING PHONE. Sooooo worth the money, its really responsive and i like the little ball that you can move at the bottom of the phone, lol. Good camera, not so good at night tho. The battery lasts ages so im happy. Great internet and supports flash, the apps are awesome.
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Reviewed by layla from UK on 7th Dec 2009
i love this phone the only thing i despise is the price i wish it was cheaper on pay as you go but still fab phone!
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Reviewed by Lee H from UK on 27th Nov 2009
What can I say about this phone. My first touch screen phone and it is excellent. Upgraded with Orange from Nokia 6500 slide. What an upgrade!! As everyone says shame about camera, yes could do with flash but then my old nokia had flash but pics also came out great when turned off flash and they do on the Touch, though would recommend downloading camara zoom fx app as vast improvment on standard camera widget. There are so many great apps to download from the market and so easy to search, install and use. My app recommendations are: Shopsavvy - scan cd,books etc barcode and it will list cheapest places to purchase the items. PKT Actions Ebay - Ebay app Gmote - connect to your pc and use phone as remote to control your music/films but will also allow you to stream to your phone! There are loads that could put, but half the joy is finding them for yourself, also search for HTC Froum for great help and tips. Overall does everything I need and more, was considering Iphone from Orange but for £34 month contract for 600 mins and 500 texts(compared to £20 contract currently on with 200 mins and unlimited text, dont need many mins with magic numbers and my text usuage is a lot!!!!)and also pay either £80 something for 24 month contract or £187 for 18 month contract not worth it. Get this phone you will not be disappointed.
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Reviewed by Mr Plow from UK on 24th Nov 2009
I love this phone as much as anyone but come on people we all know it's not worthy of 5 stars! Three simple reasons - no flash, no fm radio, poor battery... can everyone stop pretending these things don't matter. Loren, people are only giving it 5 stars because it's the first real alternative to an iphone. Now let's all calm down before we hurt ourselves :)
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Reviewed by Loren from UK on 23rd Nov 2009
OK - had the phone for just over 4 months now. And have upgraded my score from 4 to 5 stars. The phone just gets better. How many phones can you say that about. My girlfriend who hated the phone (partly cos I love it so much), now loves it & admits it's a great phone. She loves the apps, that are easily downloaded and deleted again. And with the new firmware - I have no problems with it being slow in any way! You know every now and then a gadget comes around that makes you wonder how you ever got on with out it. This is that kind of gadget! If you wondering whether to buy, just look at all the 5 star responses. The iphone didn't even get this much positivity. Well done HTC
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Reviewed by Chris from North Wales on 12th Nov 2009
I've had this phone for about a week now, I upgraded on Orange from a Nokia N82. I have to say that it simply is the best phone I have ever had, It excels in every respect... The touchscreen is very responsive and everything works fast with no lag like previously mentioned. The several home screens is a fantastic feature you can just about customise everything you could think of!! I love the fact that everything is so accessable. The only real downside to the phone is the lack of flash on the camera... but personally I didn't use the camera much on my old phone and for takin photo's outside the Hero is perfect at 5MP. To sum it up this is a must have phone... iphone's are all to common and having compared them side by side the Hero won.
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Reviewed by nobby from uk on 12th Nov 2009
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.Kids said i wouldn't be able to use it,proved them wrong.What a great phone. Take a couple of days getting to know it and then you'll love it.Don't be like the rest and want the i-phone, get a hero.
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Reviewed by Ben B from UK on 12th Nov 2009
I have now had this phone from t-mobile for 4 days, and can seriously say that the only problem with it is the Battery life, I can live without the FM radio, and video calling, which you can get anyway if you really want them.... It could however do with a flash on the camera, but if u want a near perfect camera, buy a camera not a phone... The 7 home screens are brilliant, I have widgets everywhere, perfectly integrated with my twitter and facebook... My favourite app at the moment is imusic, download songs straight to you phone, and I can use them as my tones, perfect... Android will soon take over the iphone and itunes, its only a matter of time before all the little things that are missing all come into place... I have had alot of phones and this is the best one so far...
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Reviewed by Dave B from UK on 12th Nov 2009
Had this phone about a month and LOVE it. It keeps getting better too as HTC upgrade the operating system to the latest Android version and more apps come out. I really think there will be more android apps in the next year or so than there are iPod ones. The only thing it's missing is a flash on the camera. That would really make it brilliant. As it stands it doesn't take great photos inside.
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Reviewed by Neil from UK on 11th Nov 2009
Update. The WI-FI does log you back in to a paired network! Widgets are cracking, just got a free eBook reader with a huge catalogue. Going to London with work so have downloaded loads of apps for restaurants and POI. Cant recomend this phone enough.
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Reviewed by David from UK on 8th Nov 2009
My first touch screen phone, first HTC and first review! Had the phone just under a week and already feel compelled to write some thoughts down, i upgraded to the Hero on Orange, after having the S.E C902 for 15 months, i went through 3 of those handsets so whilst i cant yet comment on the reliability of the HTC i am certainly hoping its better than the S.E...The Hero reminds me of an Apple product, packaging, design etc, its all a nice experience from the start, upon first powering up it can be a touch daunting, but the phone is quite intuitive to navigate around and quickly i found out where things were, i havent touched 75% of what this thing can do! Ergonomically i find the Hero is great, the back is a soft touch plastic which feels warm and tactile in your hand, the chin feels natural too, screen is simply fantastic with definition to die for, and the whole design of the hardware and screen works beautifully together. The touchscreen is fine to get on with, quick to resp ond with just the odd time it takes longer than normal, i noticed this to be the case more so when the battery was low. Visually the operating system is very cool and customisable which is nice, with multiple screens to flick to, to set up the things you want to use on a regular basis. The phone comes with a very good pair of in ear headphones which sounded surprisingly good through my ipod classic, and very close to a pair of Sennheisers i recently purchased, which was a refreshing change to see these bundled with a phone, i found it easy to transfer music and pictures across, sound quality from the music player is more than good enough, and im so impressed i will use this in the car and while on the move, saving my ipod for the house hifi a bit more. Im not using a lot of the social networking features but i do have unlimited internet for free with Orange so can leave it switched on meaning the phone updates the weather and things, its all very slick, hopefully it will last and not breakdown! All in all 5 stars from me, i can forgive any potential failings other people see, because its a phone, it was a free upgrade and it does everything really really well, top marks to HTC!!
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Reviewed by jai from uk on 8th Nov 2009
amazing phone,bought it after reading the reviews here. still early days, however very happy and totally worth it.
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Reviewed by aran from uk on 7th Nov 2009
Simon from China writes "this phone is not for average user. There is a learning curve to understand the android system eg upgrade the rom, root, widget etc." I'm a programmer and technically proficient in messing with phones. I havent "Rooted" or "updated the ROM". As for widgets, piece of cake! I've had it for 4 months, its an Awesome phone, best phone I've ever had, not had a single problem with it, yet! Camera is not to shabby and takes decent shots if the light is good, no flash though :( Battery life is a little poor, but makes it through the day no problem, it gets alot of use too. Get a desk charger, car charger and a spare charger for the bedroom (I bought all three on ebay for less than a tenner, with a car cradle and screen protectors), problem solved. android market place is cool and easy to get apps and games. Good solid phone.
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Reviewed by Neil from UK on 4th Nov 2009
My first HTC and my first touch screen. Out the box its very user-friendly asking a few questions it will soon have your email and social networking sites all nicely synched. However its doesn't synch with iMac, not a biggy as I can get my calendar off my Gmail account. Next problem i had was searching for contacts to send SMS/Email I had, a long time ago, lost all my contacts after my phone had been water damaged, since then I have stored all contacts on the SIM card. To get the most from the OS you have to save all contacts to the handset, this was when you search for people it will very quickly find them. I dont consider this to be a negative, just a bit different from what I'm used to. Contacts or People as the widget says can easily be sent messages in any form quickly and easily. Andriod has lots of widgets already built in. FaceBook, Twitter, Flickr, you tube, gmail, a weather app and a number of games, google maps. More can be downloaded from the Market. The size of the handset is nice and is a good weight. The screen is nice and bright and the definition is outstanding. I found the touch screen very responsive, only requiring the lightest of touches. I would like the WI-FI to automatically log into a network once it has been turn on and found an already paired connection, or again i might be doing something wrong. Texting is simple even my mans fingers can mange to hit the right keys when its in landscape mode. A great handset that I would recommend.Oh the ringer is nice and loud and the sound quality of the earpiece is also very good!
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Reviewed by David from UK on 2nd Nov 2009
my first touchscreen and it's going to take me a while to get used to it. i love it, but i find text entry a bit fiddly at times and im having some wifi issues at the moment. it's a really solid handset though which makes a nice change for me, and it feels really nice in the hand. I really like the physical design - the chin/chamfered edges is a refreshing change. the main reason why it only gets 4 stars from me is because it doesn't have an fm radio. yes i know you can download last.fm but i havn't got an unlimted data plan for that.
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on 2nd Nov 2009
Wow, someone agrees with us!

Reviewed by Wotan from UK on 30th Oct 2009
Why do u need FM radio when u can down load an app that gives u internet radio with around 500 stations? Looks the best android yet untill we get the motorola droid.
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on 30th Oct 2009
Because you need a reliable 3G connection and unlimited internet access.

Reviewed by Zayid from New Zealand on 29th Oct 2009
Imported this and LOVE IT. I am usually very cautious with enw technology but this phone is AMAZING
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Reviewed by dave from uk on 25th Oct 2009
Had hero for 3 days and its brilliant. Always had nokia but not anymore. 5/5 10/10 Just get it.
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Reviewed by Simon from China on 24th Oct 2009
I have hero for almost a week and my comment is that this phone is not for average user. There is a learning curve to understand the android system eg upgrade the rom, root, widget etc. I have to find a widget to patch the phone because the earphone cannot works....that's embarrassing. overall the phone is quite well built as expected from HTC but will not shine if shown next to iphone. It is a 'Google' phone which need to connect to web most of the time, be careful if you are travel overseas due to the high rates. As mentioned by others it is not a lousy phone and the new android system has potential but let see.... 3.5 star for me.
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Reviewed by kevin from uk on 23rd Oct 2009
i had same problem as you jake from uk, trackball & backlight, and headphones stopped working. I contacted t-mobile & they sent me a brand new phone 2 days later ( i was out of the 7 day return policy) had it about 1 month! the courier just picked up the faulty phone (swapped it for new one) so im guessing it`s a common problem as ive read before the firmware upgrade alot of ppl with the same problem...my replacement has been great!! so far so good!! i too love this phone...best out there & 10 times better now that t-mobile has upgraded the firmware to fix lag.If you havent updated it yet get over to t-mobile forum & get it done..you wont be dissapointed people!!.The new replacement you get jake will probs have the updated firmware...goodluck. ps: just say on the phone that u know other users who have had same problem & got a replacement handset sent out ;)
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Reviewed by Jake from uk on 21st Oct 2009
I still love the hero/g2, but mine is slowly dying... First of all the headphone jack, backlit buttons, trackball, and charge lights died after about 3 weeks. And recently its become slightly sluggish and the main speaker is faulty (some kind of skin-thin membrane covering the speaker has perforated) so ringtones sound terrible. This is unfortunate, as it is still amazing and the best phone i've ever had. Ok so the media player is a bit disappointing, as is the camera and video recorder but those features were only missed momentarily. Apart from the inability to transfer files via bluetooth... extremely annoyed! The screen is awesome both in quality and its touch responsivness. Level of personalisation makes it seem built just for you, can't really fault any of its other features (messaging etc). And regarding battery life, weirdly enough that has improved over time to my relief. If it weren't for the technical faults i'd highly recommend this phone to everyone without feeling guilty... I just hope t-mobile replace mine :(
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Reviewed by A Jane from UK on 19th Oct 2009
i got to play with this phone for a while and it is absolutely gorgeous. first off, when you get it in your hand it feels luxurious. it actually fits so perfectly, it is as if it is part of your hand. the screen is crystal clear and the touchsreen is highly responsive. it feels homely and only requires one hand to operate. the customisable home screens are beautiful and the network operates pretty seamlessly. it comes with an SD card to expand the phone memory too. i do feel however, that while it may take influence from the iPhone, it does not try to compete with the iPhone in any way. instead it just tries to look like itself, and sticks to being itself. i fell in love with the phone, and would prefer this phone over the iPhone any day. this phone gently, but stylishly, ushers you into the age of touchscreen, widgets and smartphones, whereas the iPhone is best suited to someone who wants a phone for absolutely anything and everything [and i mean ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING - i tried the iPhone, and it is MAJOR!] life has to offer. Remember, everybody is different. So some may prefer the HTC Hero, whereas others may be suited to the iPhone. But for me, i feel much more at home with the Hero. I guess you could say it's my hero! [i know that was an AWFUL play on words, but i just HAD to do it!] :-)
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Reviewed by htcuser from uk on 18th Oct 2009
some cases this phone is good but this is the second one i have had in 2 months due to problems with google applications. The battery life is v poor has to be charged every night without fail. No bluetooth and no flash for the camera which i would of expected on this phone. phone keeps cutting out during calls and does not log missed call. Applications are good would like to see more variety. Would still consider getting iphone over this one.
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Reviewed by dr jay from england on 16th Oct 2009
I love the g2 the only thing is that u can watch tv on the g2 like the iPhone witch let's the phone down also a lot of The app don't work property. Even so it is a great phone.
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 15th Oct 2009
The Hero is 95% as good as the iPhone 3GS at 50% of the cost. Simple as. I've used both extensivley and if I had unlimted money would probably have the iPhone but as I live in the real world the Hero wins hands down. Feels great to use and has everything a real-world person needs. Oh and before the iPhone police come round I love the iPhone but it's just too expensive.
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Reviewed by Gen from UK on 14th Oct 2009
I dont know why this dint get 5 stars! Who uses video calling?! And if you want a radio get the spotify or last.fm apps, if you want to check the traffic or news headlines there are plenty or widgets and apps to do that at a touch of the screen. The customisability (is that a word?) is what really swings it for me, it's fantastic. If anything could be better its the battery life but it can't be perfect, nothing is. :D
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Reviewed by Ash from UK on 13th Oct 2009
Had the Hero for roughly 2 mths. Got to admit that I was on the verge of returning the handset during the first week, would definitely have returned if Orange had supplied iPhone. However I'm now pleased that I didn't. Agree with most previous reviews, got to sort the camera & inability to download flash player is a joke. However most of the reviews that I've read have failed to mention that file xfer via Bluetooth isn't compatible, which disappointed me the most & for these reasons I can't possibly give it any more than 3 stars. Hopefully the next version will be more complete.
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Reviewed by Terry from UK on 10th Oct 2009
who uses video-calling anyway? Really?
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Reviewed by Craig from UK on 8th Oct 2009
This phone is a whisker away from perfection, simple as. Starting with the basics, the phone is stunningly designed and very well built - you can feel the quality. Some reviews question whether people will loathe the jutted lip at the bottom of the handset; believe me, it makes the phone so much more comfortable to hold. The touchscreen is an absolute joy to use, the best I've tried. This makes messaging and general typing so easy, you immediately forget the drawbacks of using all-touchscreen - amazing spell checker and autocorrect makes it easy to learn to type with 98+% accuracy. Unlimited personalisation and seven screens to fill with widgets and apps - all easy to download from the app market. Battery life is excellent for such a powerful phone with a bit of tweaking. There's seriously nothing to dislike and considering free apps can provide the functionality some reviews slate the phone for not having, there's no reason for the lower ratings. If you're considering an iPhone, try this first. In my opinion, it's better and doesn't cost an arm and a leg on contract. Can't recommend enough!
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Reviewed by toriaoxford from UK on 2nd Oct 2009
Further to my previous review from 26th September, I was obviously having a blonde Essex girl moment or three! Because the handset is NOT Mac compatible, you HAVE to sync it with Windoze XP or Vista. You have to download and install the sync software and ROM update directly from the HTC website and Bob's your uncle! It's all set up now, working as it should. You will find the software on the SD card if you hook up your phone to a PC in 'hard drive mode'. You can then, whilst you're there, add all the photos and music you want as I don't think you can use bluetooth on this phone for transferring files either way! All in all a great little handset but I still think it's probably too much for me and I don't think I'd utilise all the options on it - but I guess it's better to have too much rather than too little. I'd say go for it - you've got nothing to lose but make sure you get a decent case for it and a screen protector, especially if you buy it SIM free as I did!!!!

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Reviewed by Toria from UK on 26th Sep 2009
Hmm, not sure about this one! It's a great little handset but I cannot for the life of me get it set up. I haven't been able to find the software on the included SD card so unsure if I've done everything necessary for the handset to be set up correctly. I've managed to set up Google email account and work account but can't see how to upgrade the firmware, despite finding the firmware option - perhaps it's up to date already! It is infinitely configerable but perhaps too much so for me. In two minds as to whether to keep it. Will give it a go for a little while (it's SIM free). Any advice gratefully received as there is no complete setup guide - perhaps I'm being a thicky blonde!
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Reviewed by Nozzy from UK on 22nd Sep 2009
This phone is awesome...you know when Google gets behind something, that its gonna be awesome, and this is true for the phone. The good: capacitive touch screen fast and responsive, bright, good size not too big or small, 7 home screens, easy to download loadsa useful apps, games, all for free - still haven't needed to buy any apps!! fast wi-fi, google integration with search functions, maps, sky map, compass, widget functions work very well, no need to even go into menu if you set it up good enough. Ultimate customisation possibilities - suit individual needs. Mp3 player, GPS, wi-fi, facebook integration, track ball, motion sensor, youtube viewing is great. The bad: it does have am adverse effect on the battery, probs 2-3 days max with moderate-high usage, camera not great, no flash, loudspeaker not very loud and oddly positioned at back, instead of sides like is the norm now, problems syncing with windows, required some googling to find guides and a widget to fix it in the end, awkward volume button location, small internal memory, could do with extra ram and faster processor. Overall still a 5 in my book, and with google and android market it will always beat apple. 5 Stars
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Reviewed by Loren from UK on 16th Sep 2009
OK - so I loved "Ed" from the UK's comment about the phone. Basically it's rubbish because the iphone is better... I think he's only made himself look dumb, and he adequately represents most of the iphone user community. It's better than anything, but they don't know why or how... probably because it's better colour!!?! Ok - so firstly, the "chin" looks stupid and your friends will initially make fun of you, but once they actually hold the phone in their hand - ALL of my friends agree it's more comfortable to hold and therefore, use. Ergonomics is so important. Too small - too fiddly, too big - to embarrassing. This phone is just right! And buttons on the phone all in the right places creating an almost ...organic(?) experience, and only takes a short while to get used to it. Android is awesome, and again the software matches the hardware in its usability. The pairing of emails and Facebook is simple to use and actually quite cool, allowing maximum exposure to your social life. IT ALL SIMPLY MAKES SENSE! After having a Sony phone and seeing the improvements on the latest Samsung phones though, the camera was a bit of a let down. HTC needs to sort this out. To make such an incredible phone, then give it an OK camera without even a flash, is just strange, let alone leaving it without a video- calling function!?! My other issue is with the processor and memory. Considering the phone is so highly tunable, it doesn't make sense to run it off a mediocre processor, and seemingly minimised memory. As a consequence, iphone users will find using the Hero like suffering from jet lag. It can be slow at times which is frustrating to say the least. The Hero IS awesome in so many ways! HTC just need to add: a video calling function, much better camera WITH a flash, a faster processor and larger internal memory; THEN this phone will definitely be an iphone killer. As it is, it's only an alternative.
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Reviewed by kevin from uk on 14th Sep 2009
This phone is EXCELLENT!!! sooo many different options to customise the entire phone. Why is there no tv ad for this though? alot more sales would go on if there was, i miss not having a dedicated camera key and a few other tiny features, but there is just so much to this smartphone that the little things don`t seem to bother me. If you are considering buying this.....GO FOR IT!!! 5 STARS :-)
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Reviewed by Howard from UK on 14th Sep 2009
This is my first 'smart' touch screen phone, getting the hang of it now and the more I learn my way around it the better the phone gets! Mind you, I still cant get email reminders from my smtp based email address. "Server not responding" is all the phone says. Nor have I worked out how to download music onto my phone from Microsoft media player. I am assuming this is due to my ignorance and nothing to do with the phone. I can download photos and apps' This must be one of the best phones on the market right now I recon!
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Reviewed by Ed from Uk on 8th Sep 2009
Had this phone for 1 week and it's rubbish. Took it back and got an iPhone 3gs that is much better, faster and love the apps ! Please don't buy this phone very poor
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Reviewed by Alvinboy from UK on 7th Sep 2009
Dats a wonderful phone.. People who find it bad because of its caera need to buy a camera for their pictures.. Its just an outstanding phone which kills the iphone 3gs..
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Reviewed by Buddha's Fat Brother from Scotland on 4th Sep 2009
I have to agree with the majority of reviewers on here and ask WHY NO FIFTH STAR?? This is my fourth HTC phone and they just get better and better. I did consider going to the darkside but everyone I know who has an Iphone has had to return it at least once for repair of some sort. Not something I have heard of any HTC. This latest HTC phone offering has everything a grown up user would want. If I want the radio I have one in my car ETC if I want to use Flash on my camera I use my camer this is a phone and communication device and for that I think this is still untouchable.
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Reviewed by the prof from scotland on 3rd Sep 2009
the t-mobile G2 touch ( or the htc Hero ) is the phone you have been waiting for, but not with out some faults which once you use the phone these can be easily over looked . the look the feel of the phone is just right , fits the hand and not to big in the pocket looks very chic with only 6 buttons and a roller ball on the front( nice in black i think). the screen is nice and bright and very crisp, very on par with the iphone . setting up was very easy and to be honest only took a couple of hours mucking about to find my way about the phone itself . setting up wi fi was easy and once connected the widgets were flying down and everyone of them was free . the camera is maybe a bit of a let down but this is not a camera phone. if you want a phone to take good picures in all lighting conditions light/dark ect ..dont buy this buy something else this is not to say it can not take pictures , it has a 5 mp camera at the back ,and in normal light conditions can give good results but anything dull or low light the pictures are dark; to be honest a flash would of been the bees knees. getting around the phone is easy once u have gotten used to the UI which is excellent adding removing widgets is very easy, every screen you can have you're own way whatever you want; the widgets pre installed are very nice from the start before downloading any which were on the same par . there is a few things i am having to get used too, like messaging and useing the screen to type but the more i am using the G2 the easier it is getting. the screen its self is very responsive even with my big fingers . this phone is all about communication and that is what a phone is for ,not taking pictures or sounding like a mini stereo but communicating and in this day and age it is the internet which we use and this phone is brilliant very fast excellent sizing of pages and text running off the wifi in my house it was on the same par as my lap top 'it is that good '. if you go into a shop for a demo of the phone try google maps look for a place get onto street view and when you physically turn round 360 degrees the view on the phone does as well ...amazing . you have direct access to facebook myspace ect youtube works a dream though some flash on some sites wont work but hey i get the same thing on my laptop.phone calls are just about the norm for anyone has has used mobile phones before so nothing scary there . the phone sounds fine as well not fantastic but not the worst ,same as battery life which will probably need a full charge every second day or every day if heavy with use (which trust me you will) but you have to expect this from a phone of this kind , i would have no problems buying a second battery and haveing it spare in my jacket in case the battery went dead on me .blue tooth is a bit of an issue as it is only intended for connection of headset not to other phones ??? found this strange but there is a widget that lets you connect if you really need it . so too sum up excellent phone many many uses and expanding all the time with widgets . no flash no radio so what the iphone aint got them and i have never used the radio on a phone communication+internet this has to be the best there is if it did have full bluetooth and a flash for the camera it would of been perfect mobile phone to date without doubt still it gets 5/5 with no hesitation from me. defo better than iphone p.s. full instructions are on memory card in adobe reader format and take a little while to learn the phone and how it works every make model is not the same again do not know why this site only gave it 4 stars it has got to be 5 if the iphone gets 5 and THIS IS BETTER ???????????
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Reviewed by Jas from UK on 3rd Sep 2009
Had the G2 (what it is known as on T-Mobile) for a week now and it is a great phone. The only difference on T-Mobile is the branding of the phone and on start-up screen. The touch screen is very responsive and I have not noticed the slowness mentioned by others, only the video playback is a bit sluggish. One problem is apps can only be installed on the phone memory (ways round this are available but I will not risk messing up the phone) so it is a bit limited to how many you can have, but is plenty of space for apps you will actually use. The apps store is not as large as apples but is growing and has plenty of apps to keep you busy. Very happy with this phone and agreed if the iPhone is 5 stars so should this.
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Reviewed by Anthony from Cov, UK on 25th Aug 2009
Just got my Hero today and am completely chuffed with it! It's was a hard choice between buying the hero or iphone (I think I spent less time choosing my first son's name!)both phones have there pros and cons, overall the hardware on the iphone is better and more powerfull, but with the hero you get a much better user interface. And so the Hero won it or me in the end, and all pretty much due to the price, the iphone is more expensive and has a longer contract, compared to the better deals you can get for the hero. The touchscreen is a joy to use as you flick your way through the phone, and it's all so easy to set up and use (very intuitive). From the web browser to the all the free social networking apps, being online and intouch has never been easier.I have however noticed a bit of slowness on occasions as the Hero's hardware struggles to keep up with the software, but it was in no way something that would greatly disturb me (THERE IS AN APP FOR THAT - all you need to do is download the task killer app, which lets you turn of unused apps/software running in the background using up system resources). Anyhow, serously consider this phone as your next !
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Reviewed by Rob from England on 23rd Aug 2009
If this doesn't get 5 stars only because it lacks an FM radio then why does the iPhone 3gs get 5 stars. This phone is much better alla round and the battery lasts much longer, deffinately look at this phone if your in 2 minds about buying an iphone.
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Reviewed by D from UK on 22nd Aug 2009
THE HERO IS A SWEET PHONE I HAD IT 4 DAYS I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IT ONLY THING I THINK NEED CHANGIN IS U CANT CONECT BLUE TOOTH TO OTHER PHONES NOT GOOD WHEN I WANT PICS AN SONGS OFF OLD PHONE BEATS ANY PHONE I HAD
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Reviewed by Nedz from uk on 21st Aug 2009
G2 Touch..... good phone but unable to down load any apps or connect to WIFI, T mobile not that help full. However quality bit of kit
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Reviewed by Jamil from UK on 21st Aug 2009
Fantastic. I returned my N97 (although was in two minds at the time) after having used many N series devices including N82 and N78..but once I got the Hero very impressed...my first HTC and couldnt be happier....I'm sorry Nokia but sort it out...all the frustrations waiting for updates is gone...yes minor bugs MAY exist in the Hero (havent found any) but definitely not as the state of the N97. How Nokia expect to allow customers to wait for updates with obvious bugs that should be sorted before release is beyond me. Anyway with this phone only problem im having is inputting text (at high speed)..dont think I could use this to work on documents...email/sms is okay Form factor, size, even the 'chin' absolutely fantastic...weight feels good, brushed aluminium borders fantastic... Trackball, touch screen brilliant... Some people whinging on abt Apps compared to Apple...visit youtube....the Market place (android) probably has more FREE apps than iTunes apps or whatever...and seriously theres so many anyway...and it can only improve...(tho google need to clean it up abit and allow more search filters) Im sold with HTC..heres to a new long relationship! Say No to Nokia.
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Reviewed by Jamie from UK on 19th Aug 2009
Reading these reviews is so frustrating. My G2 touch is a very good phone but I am unable to download any apps, sync my tiscali e mail or play BBCiplayer vids - it doesn't let me download flashplayer. Have been on phone to t-mobile support for hours and they're able to offer next to no advice, apart from saying it does not support flash player so I can't watch BBCiplayer, and that I should contact google. Currently 3 stars for the phone and none for t-mobile. I just want someone to help me get it to work. Am still in the seven day approval period, so may well hand it back and go over to 02 for an i phone.
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Reviewed by jim from uk on 18th Aug 2009
I agree with adam and mevster. 5 stars please.
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Reviewed by adam from UK on 17th Aug 2009
The main reason for the site not offering the HTC hero stars is due to the lack of FM radio and video calling. The lack of Fm radio concerned me but the lack of video calling is not a problem. Anyway to get to the point I found three different apps for FM radio on the phone and do believe that the phone NEEDS to be bumped up to 5 stars
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Reviewed by mevster from UK on 16th Aug 2009
So you take away one star from this because it does not do video calling or radio. Does the Iphone 3gs have video calling or radio? You can download Last.fm from Android Market for free, you can listen to all BBC Radio Broadcasts live over the air thanks to BEEB Player, again free from the Android Market. You can do voice memos, vido recording, infact everything the iphone is doing on its 3rd attempt, you can do on this phone and the G1. So please why is one star missing? Whats the real reason.
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Reviewed by Rampart from UK on 11th Aug 2009
The HTC Hero, hero by name and nature. This phone, although far from perfect, is the Buzz Lightyear to Apples Woody. The iPhone has become something of an industry standard and yes, some would argue deservedly so but you know when you get something that is just a bit 'too good' for its own ...good? To me the Hero is the grown ups' iPhone. I got mine barely a week ago and have rarely put it down since, I've downloaded apps, watched movies, listened to music, set my Footprint and set up about a dozen favourite web pages. My contacts are set up with their pictures, such is the customisable home screen, even my sausage like fingers are becoming acclimatised to the tiny (even on side on view) keyboard. No camera flash? Dubious video camera? Annoying volume that you press every time you are watching something lengthways on? Stuttering video playback (whereas the iPhone has flash memory, the Hero has to read from the Micro SD Card)? All of these annoying 'isms' pale into insignificance when the phone in its entireity just works. I love the angled 'jaw', the iPhone-esque sensitive touch screen, the windscreen wiper that clears your screen when a rain cloud from the weather widget pours droplets of water that obscures your view of the homescreen, there are just so many lovely, well thought out touches to the Hero. That said, you really should be able to send files by bluetooth, that you can't without going into the root is a serious slap on the wrist for HTC. I've reserved my main gripe for last though: the battery life, but truth be told that is my own fault, when you have a phone this good continual use and playing with it is always going to wear the darn thing down. Bottom line, I love it and with the prospect of more and more Android apps of higher and higher quality being developed as we speak the iPhone has a proverbial terrier snapping at its all singing heels. No question, five stars.
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Reviewed by Kris from UK on 11th Aug 2009
Recieved my phone this morning. Was in two minds whether to go for this or the iPhone, think i made the right choice. Superb touch screen, brilliant software, camera is good, ability to customize everything is fantastic. will have to see how things like battery life work out but for me its beating the iphone in every department, including looks.
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Reviewed by Antony from UK on 10th Aug 2009
brilliant phone, fast internet, easy to use, great applications, loud speaker, good camera. Only downside is the battery life is rubbish if your using the internet but thats to be expected! would reccomend to anyone
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Reviewed by Browny from easytown on 6th Aug 2009
Quality phone, it beats the iphone hands down, better camera, faster internet, cooler design! 5star rating from me
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Reviewed by Jim from UK on 5th Aug 2009
Had this phone a week now and love it. Great shape and excellent UI not to mention the ability to customize everything make this phone a real head-turner. My mates are seriously jealous! There are so many apps available to download including games, utilities, entertainment and networking not to mention them all. The only downside for me is sometimes is a little slow to respond to touch and the processor has been noted to be a little too slow for a device of this calibre. Still wouldn't swap it for iphone though! Android Rocks!
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Reviewed by A.B from UK on 4th Aug 2009
amazing phone! Much better I phone.
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