HTC Hero

Ben Davies24 July 2009

I had this phone for 9 to 10 days and hated it so I had to sell it and opted for the new iPhone only sold it for about £200 but glad with the new one.

AndyGlass27 July 2009

Ben, what were the reasons for hating it? I'm thinking of buying this phone, and from what I've seen so far, it looks like a really good phone.

JusticeLeague28 July 2009

The HTC Hero Has Hit The UK @ CleverKit.com I was shocked but apparently Google has approved it.

Pete McGeet29 July 2009

Ben never owned this phone much less give you a reason to hate it. This phone only just gone on sale. And when I say just gone on sale I mean today. He certainly wasnt available to buy 10 days ago let alone 10 days before his comment. Just another case of a typical fanboi.

Cynabal30 July 2009

I have just got this phone, and i have to say its an impressive bit of kit, there are litterally thousands of apps in the android market place for free, some of the best are skymaps, shazam, shopsavvy. The screen feels really nice to the touch, i dont know what kind of coating they put on it but it feels like slipping your finger over warm ice, its weird in a nice way. the phone feels nice in the hand and the build quality is top notch. The camera is adequate, lack of flash is a bit of a let down but to be honest the iPhone dosent have a flash either so you get similar picture results. The Touch resonse is really nice and features multi touch for thos large web pages and images, the TouchFLO gets a little choppy at times but not half as bad as all the reviews ive read have made out, the good thing is many of these kinks will probably be ironed out in future software updates. The QWERTY Softpad is a dream once you customize it to how you place your fingers on the screen, and the spellcheck and predictive is a nice feature. This phone is massivly customizable i litterally spent an hout deciding what to have on wat page and what size i wanted the clock :) The only niggles i really have with this phone is the trackball is a bit pointless as you never really need to use it, and the back button can be a bit arkward to press using the pone with one hand. (probably be ok for lefties) All in all im very happy with the phone, and im glad i chose it over and i8910, LG Arena and the iPhone, i do really like the iPhone but so many people have it now its almost uncool to have one because your just following the flock, if anyone has any reservations about this phone, dont hold back just get one you wont be dissapointed. I think gadget shows score is pretty fair, if this phone had a decent flash and dicthed the trackball, smoothed out the TouchFLO and wee bit and aimed for less old fashioned buttons it would definatly be a 5 G worthy phone. And on a final note, you know that little security thing at the bottom of the page? well it just asked me to type 'infested judea' before i could post 0.o

roakes03 August 2009

I got this phone SIM-free on Friday and have loved every minute of owning it so far, the integration with social networks and google mail are great and enable me to stay constantly connected while away from home. It is my first experience of a touch screen phone and I couldn't be happier, so easy to use, so very customisable and as mentioned above the android market is great with many useful apps along with fun and sometimes pointless ones but for free. Also Copilot Live 8 is available for Android now and for only £30 (not subscription based either) for the UK maps, speed camera database etc. I am well impressed, it works like a charm! My Hero really is my current Hero :)

moojw6705 August 2009

I've got this phone and I think it's great, the link between Facebook, Flickr and Google mail are excellent, the applications are good now, but I'm sure they will only improve with time. As for the lip on the bottom, I quite like it. It's a great phone and only gets better the more I use it :)

Calum Darroch08 August 2009

QUOTE "iPhone, if you're listening... you've got a real contender at last." if this is the case, why was this not on the touch screen phones section in new york on the most recent eppisode (3/08/08)?

Anonymous10 August 2009

Hey, this phone is great I am getting mine next week! Although the iPhone is amazing, the one thing I dont like about the iPhone is that in order to see Facebook, Twitter ect you have to open a separate application, however on the htc hero you dont its all done for you! :D

Phil Cordell11 August 2009

I've had the HTC Hero since Aug 5th and, although still getting used to it, I love it! I'm having trouble getting onto google, as it won't connect?? And I'd like to get my TomTom on it too, as I had it on my previous phone HTC P3300. Both of those issues are to do with me not knowing how, rather than the phones ability. I was a bit thrown on not getting a user manual in the box, found that it is on the phone!!

Treay11 August 2009

I am an Apple fanboi. I wouldn’t change my macbook or iPod for the world and like a normal fanboi I was looking at the iPhone 3Gs thinking it is the greatest phone to walk the planet and it might be better then the Hero but I have gone for the Hero. I have done this because it doesn’t make sense getting the iPhone when the contracts are terrible. For the same price of the 3G 8Gb iPhone I can get the Hero and that is with a lot more minutes and texts. People have compared the iPhone 3Gs and the Hero but what’s the point when its quite a lot more money then the Hero. I might be found very wrong on this but out of the two when they both very similar phones why pay more.

John12 August 2009

Had the Hero for two weeks now and so glad I went for it over the iPhone. I could just not justify the extra cost for the iPhone over the Hero and actually when you get your hands on it you realise it is actually just as good. Yes the movie playback isn't as good as the iPhone but apart from that it works like a dream. It also syncs with Hotmail and Googlemail automatically without the need for third party apps. In summary, amazing phone and a third of the price of the iPhone and available on much cheaper contracts. In response to Phil Cordells problem setting up Google if you haven't already fixed it, I had exactly the same problem. Unfortunately it only seems to let you Sync your phone with Google if you set your account information up as soon as you boot your phone for the first time. If you try and do it retrospectively it seems to kick up a fuss. Luckily I figured this out before doing too much with the phone and therefore did a factory reset and went through the initial boot up set-up process.

gamblor1517 August 2009

I can't quite work out how the magic got 5g and the hero got 4g? I am glad I waited for this instead of the magic and have been very impressed with it so far. Its nice to have a phone that is capable of running multiple apps (cough iphone). The android market is easy to get to and most apps are free :) I am looking forward to spotify app (more likely to get approval on android), but will make do with lastfm app for now :)

Christopher Tsangari17 August 2009

I waited since Christmas 2008 to buy the Nokia N97, until Nokia finally released it in July. I battled with ignorance and said no-no-no, but it took me a week to ween me off the N97 and progress to the HTC Hero (aka T-Mobile G2). I would have stuck with the past had I got the N97, where a battery of web reviews from real users have put me off. I want the HTC phone NOW, and I'm pleased I can upgrade THIS FRIDAY!!!!!

Ducksydo20 August 2009

Just ordered a hero from my vodafone shop any problems with sim free use?

liam cody24 August 2009

This phone has so much potential but HTC seem to have thrown it away. On the whole the phone is really good, but there are just too many naggingpoints to make it the real iphone beater which it ought to have pitched itself as. Breifly, the most annoying "features": 1/There doesn't appear to be any way to stop it going to "sleep" when you don't touch it, and that happens all too regularly! Pretty annoying if you're using google maps for navigation! 2/The battery life is just too short, i tend to find myself, more often than not, having to charge over night EVERY night. The real shortcoming here is that if you're using it heavily, with GPS, bluetooth, phone, camera and internet browsing, then it WILL run out before the day is through! Considering it is primarily a phone this can be pretty difficult to stand! 3/ The camera is distinctly average. There is no easy way to go straight into the camera mode (HTC should have taken hints from sony ericsons side mounted dedicated camera button). Instead you have to take photos using the roller ball, which can be awkward. Further, the camera colours are pretty dull, and the camera is all but useless in the dark (if there's no flash, then a led isn't too much to ask for guys) Those are the oustanding points, there are a few other nagging points (for example, the screen auto shifts to landscape screen only in one direction - when the lip is on the right and not the left, this is a software issue but it cant have been too difficult for them to fix before release!). There are also a few more software issues. mostly to do with not being able to access settings functions, on the plus side the settings are very easy to use, but perhaps this is due to the lack of in depth control :s. All in all, a good phone, but it could so easily have been a 5 out of 5 phone. 3 1/2 out of 5

noone197027 August 2009

I've had the hero for a couple of days now and really impressed with it, was initially waiting for the samsung galaxy but glad i went for the htc instead; its got a more solid robust feel to it. I'm still finding my way around the phone so have no negatives yet, i heard alot of complaints about the poor quality camera but am happily suprised by it. If i want studio quality photos i use a camera, after all this is a phone.

AndyGlass27 August 2009

Liam, you can access the "Screen timeout" by going to Settings -> Sound & Display -> Screen timeout, where you can set it from 15 seconds to Never. As for Google Maps not keeping the screen alive, thats more of a failing of the app itself, as there are other apps that do keep the screen alive - Google probably need to change this. The battery life is an issue, but many of the smart phones are like this, and I believe the iPhone also has issues with battery life. There are ways to minimise battery usage by disabling certain functions (i.e. Wi-Fi, always-on mobile data etc..) The easiest way to start the camera is to put a shortcut on your homepage, then it's just one click away!!. But I would agree that the main issue with the Hero is that the camera is not good enough. In regards to the screen shifting only in one direction to landscape, this is very standard for all smart phones, and I'm not aware of any other phone that shifts both ways - I'm no expert though, so there may be one out there that does.

Kabojja128 August 2009

I have to admit to Waiting for the N97 havin heard all the good things about it and not wanting an IPHONE because lets face it everyone has one these days and honestly didnt want to feel like i was just jumping on the band wagon. Anyway having realised the N97 wasnt the finished article and way too expensive opted for the T-mobile G2 touch which is the hero in Disguise. I have to admit to being blown away. I have heard alot of negative comments about the chin, trackball, back button and touch response times and to be honest they havent really been an issue for me. I have had the phone for about 3 weeks now and in that time i have grown to love the chin, back button has become second nature to me and actually quite like where it is, the touch screen is absolutely perfect and i have never actually used the trackball and love the way it flashes when i have an e-mail or txt when in silent mode. The thing that should elevate this phone to the 5 G's i think it deserves is definately the apps store. Thousands of apps, alot free and really useful, personal favouries are the advanced task manager, Layar, Google Maps and the various quick toggle widgets available. Apps store is quick and simple with no stress and you can find the most stupid and useless apps that soon become must haves. You can also customise the phone into next week. Different scenes available almost seem endless and the 7 difference screens can be customised to your hearts content. Probable downsides for me would be the camera which isnt the best, when first booted it up i did have a problem with forced close messages and battery does die quickly but 1 didnt buy this to be a camera 2 Layar makes you forget the crappy camera 3 forced close issue has come to and end and the battery issue is probably my fault because cant help but have loads of different apps at the same time. I have to admit to having fallen in love with this phone, i havent owned an iphone so definately not in a position to say this is better but for half the price of an iphone and amazing price plans available, you would find it hard to get a better phone at the moment.

punvikash03 September 2009

i think it is brillient phone

lollyboy04 September 2009

i change my phone evey year and this year i traded a Samsung Tocco for a G2 Touch (HTC Hero) on T-Mobile. All I can say this is the best phone i have ever had . Receive all e-mails from 3 accounts have sat nav gsp golf and hundreds of other aps to use free or purchase. i have all footy live results around the world and a guide for everything from restaurants - taxis. I LOVE THIS PHONE,

T boy08 September 2009

Still the best smart phone yet, get it!

Objazz10 September 2009

A good friend has one, I saw it and fell in love. Was thinking of get the iPhone; but now it think I found a Hero!! Waiting for mine next week in BLACK... BTW! What are the business apps like?

Davey7014 September 2009

Ive had the HTC Hero for about a month and I am sorry to say iphone but it walks all over you. The app are brilliant and loads to choose from as for the iphone the price and its only on O2. My friend has the iphone 3gs and its a good phone dont get me wronfg but the hero beats it hands down

Michael-W15 September 2009

Looks OK, Would be good if the gadget show did more recent phones and more than 3 in each category :)

htcmanson17 September 2009

This phone is fantastic, it is the best Gadget I have owned so far!!!

prym_admin18 September 2009

I rate this phone 9 / 10 (nearly excellent) ... This phone would have got 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for the following bad points Bad points 1) Crap camera(no flash), it takes a really long time to take a picture when you press that button.... and most of the time it come out blurred no matter how steady your hand is. 2) No send receive bluetooth files with the default apps installed, you have to search the android market to download an app for that.(this is annoying as probably most phones these days have this feature) Apart from does 2 annoying things its an excellent phone and they have improved on the battery life problem that the older HTC phones had..(although still have to charge it at least once a day) In fact i'm so impressed that i'm gonna try and write my first application for it soon...

fastest finger20 September 2009

Best phone I've ever owned by far. All the net reviews that claim it is badly laggy were based on a pre-production version. The retail version is much better, and the recent ROM upgrade improves things further still. In terms of actual hardware the Hero seems to be on par with the iphone 3GS, but i love the fact that you can have multiple apps running simultaneously and the open source OS means LIMITLESS potential for apps, many of them for free and without the hassle of unbricking your phone. Highly recommended.

thomsk21 September 2009

Im Hopefully getting it this friday!!! i have read many reviews and seen one from a collegue and, from what i see, it seems stupid not to get it... especially as i hate the iphone!, simply because everyone has one, and that every phone is compared to one!

JoshD-B30 September 2009

i want to get this phone for my birthday, i want to know will it be worth my £166 for my birthday???

daverave3811 October 2009

I am getting the htc hero this friday 16th from orange,can not wait to get it . iphone has got the thumbs down for me ,because you have to pay for most of the apps,when you can get most of the apps free on htc hero.

charlie13 October 2009

HTC Hero is brilliant, works really well. Andriod is good, much logically than other mobile operating systems.

mickyc14 October 2009

I've had this phone a week now and have to say its fantastic, but not perfect. The way it intergrates with twitter and facebook is brill the touch screen and apps work fantastic, there is so many avaialbe on the market place planetaria is just amazing point to the night sky and it will tell you the constallations your looking at, wow. Areas it could be improved on. 1) Battery life, i've turned off all the usual stuff but still its very heavy on the juice. 2) Camera its rather pants, no flash and always seems to take blury photos, maybe donut will fix that heard it might. 3) loudspeaker i use this a lot alone in the house and this phone has to be the worst loudspeaker i've had, but nothings perfect all in all im very happy with this phone, look forward to donut and see what improvements that brings.

PhilBowen17 October 2009

I have had the G1 since January this year, and got to love it with all its little faults. I was really looking forward to getting my hands on it young little brother, and a can tell you I am very disappointed with the G2. Yes its got lots more home screens and the gadgets are very good, I must say the rain display for the weather gizmo is very good, But the speed and the lack of processing power drives me crazy, not going to talk about the speaker and battery life. Here's hoping a software update can make this a much better phone.

Martyn Wilson18 October 2009

Great phone, only problem is the battery! DON'T GET AN I PHONE Because everyone else has it and wants does not mean it's a good phone! I recommend this phone :)

gerald19 October 2009

I have the HTC hero and love it.

Cain30 October 2009

I've upgraded my phones each year and I always try to get hold of the best smartphone on the market. I've looked at Iphone, N97 and Palm Pre. Each of these phones have features that are better than the Hero (I use Tmobile G2 Touch) as mentioned in comments above. But ... and this is a big BUT... the feel, functionality, flavours (scenes), friendly (social integration) and free (open apps) features of the phone are outstanding, particularly if you consider that this is based on an OS in its infancy. I have an Ipod touch and now only use this for music (because I can't copy my music to the Hero) and video. The Hero is so good that I rarely turn on my laptop when at home... it does almost everything I need a laptop to do (when I'm not working!) and I think this in itself indicates that the Hero offers the nearest to a 'smart' smartphone that's available on the market at the moment!

dave.ski31 October 2009

Brill phone, but they need to sort out the bluetooth handshaking beyond headphones, Android 2.0 please T mobile . Cain - why can't you copy your music over? is it the wrong format (which there maybe an app to suit) or you can't physically transfer it over (connect your hero to your PC, choose USB mount rather than sync and the phone will show up as an extra drive to move around any files you wish)

Moses05 November 2009

I have this phone and i think its great . I can use it for all my needs ( email , web surfing facbook etc... ) . Its got a very user friendly interface and would urge anybody who was even thinking about geting a smart phone to get it !!!!!

mac09 November 2009

awesome phone - new android range of phones coming which give the experience at much lower cost than the robbery of iphone and o2.

Matt24 November 2009

Easily the best phone I have ever owned, It has many advantages over the Iphone. The apps are mostly free, its user interface is probably the best out there. The only thing that lets it down though, in my opinion is the camera, the Iphone suffers from this too but you can't have it all!

CarlSB28 November 2009

I've had lots of phones including the Heros Big Brother the TytnII and the Hero is the best phone ever. All phones have their weaknesses but this one has far less than most. A flash? if ya want a flash get a camera!! The software is top, the feel is brilliant, Android is the future - watch this space... it is very flexible on the right tarrif and will impress many users. I've got it and I'm keeping it!

Gillian Brades07 December 2009

I have had the HTC Hero for a few months now and it is the best phone I have ever had. I love all the apps it comes with and the Android market just gets better and better. Downloads are generally quite fast and the range is good. Would like to see more UK based designs, but that is down to the developers. The HTC Hero remains the best phone on the maket.

JohnOh19 December 2009

I really want this phone to be as good as being claimed. I bought the HTC Diamond touch after listening to claims that finally a phone had came along to take on the iPhone. I was very disappointed. I had bought a phone with a battery that only lasts 45 minutes if being used, and switches itself off because it would quickly over heat. Has only one owned this hero long enough to ensure that this won't be the case for this

Anonymous20 December 2009

Great phone, loads of apps and features. Only negatives are battery life and camera. But then I use this as Last FM radio player via 3G bluetoothed to my car stereo, whilst GPSing for Speed cams and taking calls using hands free. BIG TIP Get battery management tools to turn off things you are not using.

andy073601 January 2010

I was looking for a good touch screen phone and considered the LG Renoir or the iphone3gs. Whilst searching for the best deal on these phones I came across the HTC hero and got that instead. I have now had the phone for two months and I have found the hero really easy to use as I am a bit of a twit when it comes to working new gadgets. I like the free apps especially the metal detector and advance task killer. Yes the camera is not the best on a Smartphone but more than good enough for showing your picture's on a screen. As for the battery life I have had no problem's and have not drained it totally yet. HTC also have a wide range of accessories for the hero. I like the fact you have up to 7 home screens to customise with all your apps. Would I recommend this phone to you? You bet I would, all I can say now is keep the good work up HTC.

Jake_Emerson9703 January 2010

I dont see why people are that fussed about the camera without having flash. The iPhone hasnt got flash and has lower megapixels, and people STILL love the iPhone so why cant they love the HTC hero?

vineet arora06 January 2010

i have bought this phone after loads of research, going through tons of reviews and i am so glad of my decision. I think its not too far from Iphone 3GS but costs much less. I have it on orange at £25 month. The best thing is its exclusivity, because most people by default don't go for HTCs. I must say i strongly recommend it and this will virtually run your life. This is only the second phone which i have loved since Sony's W900.

jojo08 January 2010

I had 3 of these phones in 8 days - they are pitifully unable to keep a consistent signal. It's a huge shame, it's the best phone i've ever had. I love the android os, it rocks. The orange customer services person i've been dealing with said that orange are in talks with HTC about the quality of the phones. I hope HTC rectify the signal issue soon, it's the only thing stopping this phone from beating the iphone into submission.

mike13 January 2010

@jojo hi i have a hero and in some area's 3G is poor so you just select use only 2G networks in the settings>mobile networks it could be more to do with ORANGE than the phone ariel mike

mike penley16 January 2010

Love it to bits. Great tool for work. Takes a bit of playing around with to fully understand. Well worth printing off user manual for reference. Do it in draught. Will not take so long to print off. 5 stars.

simon25 January 2010

I have had my hero phone for about a month now and so far I love it. It's the first phone that I thought was good enough to replace my old xda2i. I love all the apps you can get especialy as most of them are free.It sync's great with Gmail. But it's a pitty it dosn't sync with google bookmarks. The only complaints I would have about it is the keyboard is a little small in portrait mode. but turn the phone to landscape and the keyboard is allot better. and it would have been good to have a flash for the camera. but the camera still take quite resonable phones.

redtec25 January 2010

ive bought this phone and are whating for it to arrive, but as far as all the reviews ive read including the gadget shows review, is that this phone is realy good, so im not selling mine.

Harry27 January 2010

I got this phone from 3 and after 1 day found that the bluetooth wasn't working also found out the the software was old and out dated and that they knew about the problems with the bluetooth, ie not receiving or sending data...( 3 new about problem but still selling it) sent the phone back...not impressed with the phone or 3

dawn29 January 2010

29/1/2010 I have had this phone from the 2nd day it came out, no problems at all with it Fantastic little machine, it does everything it says it does and downloading updates from HTC is quick & easy. All the features are easy to use, its location nav. system is great I never get lost now when trying to find friends or resturants. Easy to text and browse internet, bluetooth is clear, speaker phone brilliant. Easy to send / receive emals and the web brower bookmarks make it easy to call up pages when needed instead of having to type address's all the time. The HTC website come in handy for setting up all my shortcuts & custom screens Not worried about the camera as I dont use the phone for that very much and the photos and videos I have taken have been fine for a camera phone. The touch screen works well as it is now calibrated to my touch, and the security features are brilliant. If I lose my phone it is no good to anyone unless they know both the startup and the screen code

flute01 February 2010

I have this phone, never di i expect such a great bit of kit NOT to allow me bluetooth voice dialing, a real pain in the **** as i use my phone a lot hands free on blue tooth equipment, a real disapointment!!

Nick02 February 2010

It doesn't come with proxy support on WIFI :(

ray butler03 February 2010

i did not like phone at all you could not blue tooth any one and when i tryed to conect to computor it would not have it got in touch with h.t.c and they tryed it and they said they did not know this there self but no you could not use blue tooth so they had to change it for a 5800 nokia becouse they sold it to me under force pertences you could use blue tooth devices but not share blue tooth with other phones

Mollie03 February 2010

This is by far the best phone i have so far. i have only had the phone for about a month works perfectly and its a great to use. much prefer it over the iphone !!

cat in the hat15 February 2010

I have the HTC hero and loving it! I thought the trackball was useless at first then I realised it was best for copying text and using on landscape mode. Made websurfing so much easier. Definitely a contender against the iPhone. I got mine on a 12month contract with 3, you know just in case I don't like it, I can then shift to the iPhone. But..I can't see that happening now!

victor15 February 2010

I love my HTC hero is the best gadget you can have!@@@

connor15 February 2010

i was thinking of buying this phone becasue i herd that you have to have a contrack with the i phone but with the htc you can do contrack or pay as you go

DrewXander16 February 2010

I was tempted by the Sony-Ericsson Satio when I first started my search for a new handset. I soon discovered that I should give the Symbian OS some distance. The Motorola Droid was suggested but, to admit my prejudices, I've never got on with Motorola. I also find nothing that magical about Nokia handsets these days either. So, this lead me to discover a name I hadn't taken seriously.. HTC. Sporting the OS that seems to be the future by most accounts, the Hero ticked most of the boxes for the perfect iPhone alternative. It's now been a couple of weeks and I don't regret my decision. Being tied into a contract with this handset is like being locked in a room with Jessica Alba... fine by me! The only niggles are not being able to completely remove some apps, and the lack of apps in the Market compared to the feast of selections from Apples version. This is, however, early days and with this being open source, the future looks very promising. 9 out of 10.

steve16 February 2010

i had a hero and i have to say i loved it. but i have to say that im glad i got it on contract as the signal loss of this phone is abysmal ( well the three i had were). if it wasnt being able to use it as a phone i would of said it was the best phone i ever had. loved everything about it, i found it so easy to set up and use that i thought it was going to be a pleasure in having it, but like i said due to the no signal issue its a no go for me. it isnt due to the network i was on as theres been alot that i have seen on the web on different networks reporting this. if the signal was sorted i wouldnt think twice in getting one.

rob19 February 2010

iv had this phone for about 2 months and im really happy. i wanted a cheaper alternative to the iphone and thats exactly what it is, the only big problem with it is that it can be a little slow at times but its quite rare. good apps. good screen. good sound, everything i wanted. (dont let the chin put you off, its not as bad as you think)

graham24 February 2010

HTC Hero - 6 months GGGGg (4.5G's) I took a free upgrade to the Hero at the end of my contract and intended to give it to my wife. I had a Nokia N95 8gB which is still a really good phone and I was used to using it. That idea lasted about 30 mins after the Hero arrived. After setting it up and "trialling" it my mind was made up, the wife got the N95. The Hero is tactlie, easy to use and has a brilliant interface. The touch screen is better than my son's apple iphone and my "builders" fingers completes error free typing, and moves easily around the various functions. The Android platform and HTC interface is brilliant and the amount of useful free applications available is mind blowing. I currently have 80+ that I use regularly such as Astro, Beebplayer, Layar, Shazam, ShopSavvy, Aloqa, Soccer livescores and managers for Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, music & media. (all free) Connecting & browsing via the network or wireless is simple and the bluetooth worked first time with my Nissan car SatNav. Switching between them is done with one touch of the screen. The PC connection works well, I use it to sync with outlook and manage my music/videos via itunes. The only downside is the camera and video which is not as good quality as the Nokia N95 but it is slightly better than the Apple. The upside is the free apps available, such as Photoshop, Qik, and PicSay for managing your photos and videos. My first experience with an HTC product has been good and I will definitely consider upgrading the N95 to the HD2 which also looks like a "proper" phone as well. I now have confidence that the HTC / Windows interface would work well. Hero - 9 out of 10 A phone for those who use their mobile as a multi purpose communication tool and have lots to share with lots of people a lot of the time. In fact it was built for the non apple version of Jason Bradbury !!!

Terry Owen25 February 2010

I am gutted with the lack of research that went in to checking out this mobiles features,, yes its a good phone with many downloadable apps,,, one question,, but what about bluetooth... it simply dosent have it,it says it does but it dosent, you can pair a device, (a hands free kit, according to the HTC helpline) but nothing else works unless you get a bluetooth app,,, you are unable to send and recieve data between any bluetooth devices, what a joke, , i watched the gadget show on a regular basis and with their fairly possitive review i got this phone,,, what a total waste of my time,, you guys should reserch your phones better,, its the simple things that matter,, i am taking my phone back to the store tomoz,, only one day after getting it,, i wouldent use this phone as a door stop,, with the weird shape, and lack of simple features, its all its good for!

George Gibson25 February 2010

I love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couple of slight niggloes 1) In this day and age why can you not connect to another phone via Bluetooth - Come on HTC - get this sorted!! 2) Google - plese list all android apps on your Market Webpage - I am fed up searching the internet for information on apps

Steve Sheldon26 February 2010

Only had this phone a week so Im still getting to grips with it. Got lots of great features. Now Im used to the touch screen I find it easy to use. My main gripe about this phone is it does not support Bluetooth File Transfer - in simple terms I cannot Bluetooth between other phones. HTC have advised me that they are looking into updating to Android 2.1 which will enable this, but only if T-mobile have plans to release this update. I can however connect my headset via Bluetooth. So, come on T-mobile I like to use Bluetooth!!

Scott Gardner27 February 2010

I've had the Hero for just over a week now and I love it. The phone feels very natural to use and its not 'over intuative', okay that might sound a little daft but I like my gadgets to be gadgety and enjoy working them out (who needs user guides ey!?). My only niggles are the lack of flash and the shocking shutter speed (my photos are all blurry because of the camera movement pre-capture). However, I don't have a real issue using the ball to take the photo, you only need to get used to using your thumb rather than your index finger to take a photo. Oh, and if you feel that getting into the camera mode is an issue then just put the camera shortcut on the home screen ..... simples!!! In conclusion, you get alot of gadge for your cash. This is the thinking mans (or womans) iphone and is MUCH better value for money. Enjoy.

GMurray05 March 2010

I'll be getting this phone in a couple 'o' month when my contract is renewed with Three. £25 for unlimited (4k) texts, unlimited internet (not sure on what the fair usage is quite yet), unlimited 3 to 3 calls and 500 minutes to anything else, along with threes normal free skype and msn, the Hero is free... I hope everyone has gotten the updates for this phone which fixes a number of "bugs" and optimises the hardware a bit more... http://www.htc.com/uk/SupportDownloadList.aspx?p_id=283&act=sd&cat=2

Pete06 March 2010

I've got this phone and what can i say but WOW. A cracking little phone, does the job of an iphone but on cheaper tariff

Sarah18 March 2010

I must admit, I'm in love with this phone! It's great. Who needs to make calls and send texts, when there are so many apps to keep you occupied! My only major complaint is with the phones speaker. Why is there only one, and why have HTC put it on the back of the phone? Does it make any sense to have your phone face down to listen to music, or have your ringtone volume up on max just to hear it?! This is a major disappointment in what should be a triumph.

colin garrod19 March 2010

I have both the iphone 3GS and the HTC HD2. I "have" to use the HD2 - because it's provided for me FOC. I got the iPhone as a gift - because everyone else said I was missing out - badly! They are absolutely right! The iPHONE is THE Phone for ease of use, navagability, speed, but most of all intuititive and FUN to use. I can understand now why everyone is clamouring for this phone, quite simply it's the best! I don't want to unecessarily knock the HTC- it's a great phone with loads of high quality features - it's just an absolute pain in the butt to use!.

Cragadom20 March 2010

Ever since Apple failed us on the first iPhone by not even bothering to include video capabilities (to take or view) I've had a real grudge at them just wanting to sell it based on their name. I've had a my HTC Hero for a couple of weeks now. I LOVE it! Get one. There are a few things I'd change like give it a flash but one of the main problems is that it does SO much that by the time you're attention has been turned to who said what on Twitter, what the weather's planning for your day or the Facebook updates that automatically appear in your 'People' (contacts) you've gone and forgot to reply to the person that you originally picked your Hero up for! :oP

Michael Roberts21 March 2010

Hi all. I have my HTC Hero arriving from Orange and I have been told from various sources that I should have gone for the Nokia X6. Any opinions as to which one is better?

joez30 March 2010

the asda link goes to band hero for ps3 not the htc hero do they even sell the htc hero in asda

Donal malzokid Dungannon lawd31 March 2010

How do you get the phone from asda cuz it dosn't even come up

Caroline Banton02 April 2010

I've had my HTC Hero for 7 months. It's been so durable and I'm quite clumsy with my phones. The 7 screens are so adaptable, the feel of the handset is fine and the lip design doesn't bug me at all. It is the poor-mans I Phone, but I don't think there is much in it, my partner often compares his I Phone to my HTC Hero, and whilst I don't win often, I do occassionally win. I love being able to have photos and any website favourites on my homes screens, the apps on both phones seem to be endless, my phone is much more tailorable and the fundamental phone sound quality is much better on the HTC. My few gripes are limited to the delay in the switch between horizontal and vertical when composing text messages and the fact that I can't see postal addresses on the pre-installed contacts screen. Other than that, if you can't afford the I Phone, rest easy, don't feel like you're going to lose out, as the HTC Hero is here to make you feel you've made a much more sensible purchase, with no loss of functionality and you will still get your friends attention down the pub. Have fun with your new HTC Hero.

storky9322 April 2010

hey what would you guys recommend for a first time user of smart phones i like my music and games but also i like to have alot of important stuff like keeping in touch with friends and useing social network sites like facebook etc should i get an iphone 3g thats all i can affored or the htc hero phone plz help

bill gates23 April 2010

Theres way tp much advertising on here …. Not coming back

nathan9225 April 2010

@storkey93 compared to the iphone 3G(not the S version) the HTC hero beats it hands down especially with some of the multimedia functions. my friends ofen gawp at collage at how customisable the htc hero is. and in regard to social networking its like a dedicated twitter phone and facebook everything can be linked to both of them from contacts to pictures that you can upload straight away. hope this helps

Elvis Presley01 May 2010

HTC Desire! Irons out a few of the hero's issues e.g flash for camera!

GerryBelfast05 May 2010

I am getting this phone tomorro on 3 contract and i hope the phone lives up to its rep as i have been told to Get this i was Going to get the Desire but i though i was way to Big lol

shaner37714 May 2010

BEST PHOEN I HAVE EVER HAD, its just amazing. wow. and if you download easyphonetunes on market, you can get your itunes library (just songs) for nothing, virtually an ipodphone

Dan smith 14 June 2010

I have owned the htc Hero now for 2 months and i think its the best phone i have ever had..pictures not as good as n95 or n96 but other then that its a great phone.

Trevor king19 June 2010

Hi I Have a HTC Desire and I like to download a sat nav wich is the best free sat nav from the android market thans

Luke Elwick23 July 2010

Trevor, download CO-PILOT LIVE, it's about £27 for UK + Ireland maps and you get the software for one year with all traffic and travel reports free (unlike TomTom who charge more for updating the maps and added extras). Co-Pilot can be bought from the Android Store. I've had the HTC Hero, unbranded and SIM free in white cince November last year and to say I'm pleased with it is an understatement. Yes, the lack of a camera flash is a bit of a let down (as many of you keep going on about - there are already reviews saying this.) but really, who takes photos at night? Yes it might be choppy on the old OS but there's an android 2.1 update out now so get it and you'll be lag-free AND it updates the camera so you can adjust the colour and contrast to compensate for crap looking photos. Apart from those niggles (which, really are ages old and mostly sorted by now), it's still one of the best and most sought after handsets of it's type and has an operating system that will dominate the world of mobile communication for years to come. No, I don't work for Android or HTC, I just know a good thing that's not the iPhone when I see one.

David21 September 2010

I've had this phone for almost a year now (brought in November 09) and I still love it! It does everything I want it too and responsive even when using the touch-screen keyboard and hasn't let me down. It's a good all-round phone and great for peeps who don't want to folk out for an iPhone. One negative really is not as many good games oh the Android Market, the graphics don't rival that on the iPhone. Last note if you brought this phone last year like me oh just got one make sure you update the firmware too Android 2.1! Way more better then 1.5/1.6 and new features and improvements.

Kernal7230 December 2010

Had this phone on contract from T-Mobile as G2 touch and its THE worst phone I ever owned. It can not even do the most basic tasks well. It refuses to pick-up and connect with my in-car bluetooth device. My friend's £15 Alcatel phone did it with no problem. Don't think the Android OS its as good as people make out to be. Personally I find it very sluggish, un-responsive and the touch screen keyboard is awful to type on. Hated it so much that I went out and bought a Blackberry Curve 3G months before my contract ends. The Blackberry connected to my bluetooth device without problem. I'am sure Google is doing exactly what Microsoft has been doing all these by influencing manufacturer to put their product onto their devices and floods the market with it. Just to make a point how many Netbook now that you can buy that is running Linux? I rest my case.

bluecharnce12 December 2011

had this fone 2 years,, greaaaat fone sad 2 see it go, but cant wait 2 pick up my new HTC SENSATION XL,,