T-Mobile no longer has the exclusive market for Android devices in the United States with Sprint coming out with a real winner in the HTC Hero that passes up both of T-Mobile’s offerings. The HTC Hero from Sprint is the US CDMA version of the Hero that launched on GSM networks overseas in a form factor more like the T-Mobile myTouch 3G. Andrew had a chance to check out the Hero when it first launched and posted his first impressions. I’ve now spent over a week with the Hero and can say it is the best Android device I have used yet and my statement about the Hero meeting both user interface and functionality needs in a single device looks to be quite accurate. Check out my image gallery that shows the hardware and some screenshots, along with my video below. Unfortunately, one weakness of the Android platform is that screenshots are not easily captured on the device so my video shows more of the device in action than the screenshots.
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| Image Gallery:A look at the upcoming Sprint HTC Hero launching on the 11th of October. |  |
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The T-Mobile G1 was launched over a year ago and Google Android devices and updates have been very slow to roll out. I was expecting more from the platform and a device like the HTC Hero was what I have been expecting for a while. The customization provided by HTC and the services provided by Sprint combine to make the Hero an extremely compelling device. Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones out of the four major US wireless carriers with the HTC Hero, Palm Pre, HTC Touch Pro2, BlackBerry Tour, HTC Snap, and more. I wish I had better Sprint coverage where I live, work, and play because I would be all over a Sprint device with their outstanding EVERYTHING data plans.
Specifications
Here is a rundown of the specifications of the Sprint HTC Hero:
- 3.2 inch 320×480 pixels capacitive touchscreen display
- EV-DO Rev. A support for 3G data
- 528 MHz Qualcomm processor
- 288 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM
- Google Android OS 1.5
- 2 GB microSD card included
- Integrated Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo support
- Integrated 802.11 b/g WiFi
- 5.0 megapixel auto focus camera
- Integrated GPS receiver
- Trackball navigation
- HTC extUSB/mini USB port for charging and PC connectivity
- 3.5mm headset jack
- 1500 mAh Lithium ion battery
- Weight of 4.5 ounces
- Size of 4.46 x 2.22 x 0.54 inches
Looking through the list of specs you will see that the HTC Hero has almost the same as the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, except for the 5 megapixel camera and 3.5mm headset jack. However, as you will read below HTC added quite a bit on the software side to make the HTC Hero even more attractive than the myTouch 3G in a few respects. The inclusion alone of the 3.5mm headset jack is big in my eyes and I just haven’t been able to embrace using a device that requires and adapter to use my favorite headphones.
In the box
Unlike the slick packaging of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, the Sprint HTC Hero comes in a fairly standard Sprint retail box. Inside you will find the Hero, battery, USB cable, wired stereo headset, and Getting Started Guide.
