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HTC Hero for Sprint – Any questions?

by Michael Oryl on September 23, 2009 9:39 am

HTC Hero for Sprint

I suppose I failed to mention that I have an HTC Hero for Sprint at the moment. I’m working my way through the phone, testing out the features and such, in preparation for a full review.

But while I’m doing that, if you have any specific questions regarding the device, feel free to post them in the comments, below, and I will try to answer what I can.

It appears that Sprint has left the UI pretty much in its original state, which is a good thing. There are, of course, a number of Sprint widgets available, but all of the original HTC Sense goodness seems to still be there.

I have to admit that I lamented the loss of the chin, for aesthetic purposes, but I really like the feel and handling of the Sprint version.

Michael Oryl

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Comments

luis

Can the hero be used as a modem
flammenwurfer

How is the battery life?
J5Chicago

2nd on the battery life. Also interested in the overall performance of the UI (sluggish or not), call quality, and visual voicemail.
Manny

Does it have a light sensor to automatically adjust the screen brightness?
Alexthearmo

What are those little button’s like that are built into the metal? Do you have to push them hard? Are they “heat sensitive”? Do they get pressed accidentally a lot?
StephenSaurusRex

There are some reports that the UI is STILL sluggish. The most notable improvements were said to be in navigating the home screens, but that once you dive deeper into the system, the hero shows its true colors. Is this true? If so, I’d rather wait for a better Android device (Sholes?), than be duped buy false positives.
Great American Hero

How is the call quality both Speaker and Earpice?
Is there voicedial?
Is there a speech to text app?
Big B

3rd on battery life.I have been seeing mixed responses on the UI performance and want to know if it is sluggish on th is one also
Pingback: Video: HTC Hero for Sprint – Hardware and UI:
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

I don’t know if the phone can be used as a modem. No obvious support there, but that doesn’t mean its impossible.

Too soon to say on the battery life, though it appears that this is still a device that all but the most conservative users will need to charge daily.

Yes, there is an automatic backlight adjustment mode.

The UI speed seems OK in general. It is not as smooth inside apps as the iPhone 3Gs, but I have not found it to be a real problem. I’ll pay more attention though and see if I notice anything.

The flat buttons on the front of the device are quite nice. They don’t require too much pressure and have a nice click.

There is a voice dialing application. I see no evidence of a built-in text to speech function.

The first part of the video has been posted…
flammenwurfer

Does it have the updated Sense UI from HTC that is supposed to smooth out all the sluggishness?
http://mythic.tv Bob Igo

Any word on when the Hero will get Android 1.6, and how this would affect the non-stock UI build that the Hero uses?
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

No word on 1.6 (Donut) for the Hero. But since the Tattoo runs 1.6 and it has the same basic UI (at a different resolution), I don’t think it would be unreasonable to expect a 1.6 update for the Hero at some point.
Big B

Oh and another one. Size, compared to the G1 and the mythouch and maybe the pre, how big is this phone compared to those.
Great American Hero

For the modem question, I read this:
http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/using-htc-hero-usb-modem

I am using a Blackberry Tour currently and cannot wait to try this one. My Sprint guy told me I can play with/use both and then decide which one I want.

Thanks Michael for doing this.

Any thoughts about the review from PCMAG with your experience?
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352854,00.asp
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

The Mobile Network Sharing (use as modem) option is disabled, and grayed out on the Sprint device. I can find no way to get it to allow me to enable it. Might require some particular grouping of settings to allow it. Dunno.

As to size, my personal measurements from my reviews are recorded as such:

114mm x 56.5mm x 14mm for the HTC Hero
101mm x 60mm x 17.5mm for the Palm Pre
113.5mm x 56mm x 14mm for the Magic/myTouch 3G
117mm x 55mm x 15mm for the G1/Dream
http://www.swagm.com David

Are you able to sync the device with your PC if so with Windows or Linux Mac ?
http://www.swagm.com David

One more Q .My palm 755 s buttons often gets pushed wile talking with the phone in my pocket and it ends the call . Are you able to walk and talk on a head set with the device in your pocket with out the buttons getting hit or screen .
Varun

How are apps such as Google Maps and Sprint Navigation on the Hero as compared to comparable apps on the iPhone, Palm Pre and Windows Mobile phones? Does Google Maps support multitouch (ie pinch to zoom)?
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

1) You can sync with a Windows PC with Outlook using HTC Sync:
http://www.htc.com/uk/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=631&news_id=222

2) The call send/ends require a fair bit of pressure, but are raised. I can’t tell you if you will have a problem or not, though. I certainly didn’t – but I haven’t had any trouble with other phones, either.

3) The apps are all different on all platforms. There are plenty of apps to choose from, most free or cheap. Like any platform, some are crap, some are great. Most are somewhere in between.

Google Maps does not support multi-touch.
Pingback: Video: HTC Hero for Sprint – Messaging and Apps:
Pete O

I have a HTC Touch and find the on screen key board awful, to small and not accurate. How did you find the onscreen keyboard? Large enough? Too sensitive like I found the I-Phone? I am trying to decide between this phone and the Touch 2 Pro. Thanks
lim

hi, i hv a hero. i am in malaysia. Why is t when i go to market..the only apps i can see are the free ones? also how do i upgrade to android 1.6 fr 1.5?
Pingback: HTC Hero for Sprint – NEW | von-unterwegs-gesendet
http://www.swagm.com David

would I be able to use the htc with my internet at home or at Starbucks with out sprints data package ? It would be faster if it would detect hot spots .Maybe using a mini wireless usb ?
David London

The Mobile Network Sharing (use as modem) option is disabled, and grayed out on the Sprint device. I can find no way to get it to allow me to enable it.

^^^^

you need to activate a data connection first, not wifi, then it will be visible, first off you must install the HTC sync to a pc and have everything plugged in
WillyWill82

How is video quality on the HTC Hero for Sprint? Not the Sprint TV, in-browser Flash, or YouTube, but in terms of sideloaded movies or other video clips in supported formats? Is it good quality? iPhone 3GS quality? Sub par?
Rick

Can you set a speed dial contact to automatically go to speaker phone when dialed?
- http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl
  
  @Rick – no. I don’t know of any phone that can do that. Speed dials just dial a number.
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

@Pete O – The virtual keyboard on the Hero is the best I have used. A lot of good intelligence in it. You can be wildly off the mark and it will still figure out what you mean.

@Lim – When viewing a list of apps in the store, press the menu key and select Change View. Make sure it isn’t set to Free Only. As to a 1.6 upgrade, that will come only when/if HTC provides one.

@David – Yes, the phone would work only over WiFi, but I don’t know if Sprint would sell one to you w/o a data package. Yes, it does auto-discover WiFi networks in the area.

@WillyWill82 – I have never side loaded any videos onto the device. I don’t mess with that kinda thing much. Sorry.
http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl

I never did get a full review posted for a number of reasons. The timing was bad with the release of a number of other phones, and I lost my desktop PC and a full week of work time trying to get it back up and running from the backups.

I failed at that, and gave up and ordered a new PC. Seems as though the motherboard is dying, after having only a month ago put 4GB of new RAM and a new quad-core CPU into it. Couldn’t get a fresh OS install of XP to even survive long enough to get the service packs in. Oh well.

Short version of the review here: Awesome device. Best virtual keyboard ever. Nice UI features in Sense. Questionable materials in the control cluster beneath the display, as mine is pealing back around the back arrow. Overall love the device and the reception it offered on Sprint.

If there are any more questions, please let me know. I’ll still have the device for another 10 days.
Michael

Hi Michael,

I am new to using a phone with apps. I bought my first the htc hero on sprint, on impulse and love it. I would like to know if you could elaborate on the safety of the android market and the apps? Are apps relegated some how? Are ones you pay for safer? How safe is my hero and what would suggest I do about it? When I download apps it asks questions pertaining to allowing the apps to communicate with certain features. What do you think about that? Safe? Please help.
thanks
Michael

PS. I tried to use my phone as a modem and it didn’t work for me. I get error code 67 and 65. I looked for an app to tether. I found one and it cost 30 dollars it’s called PDAnet from http://junefrabrics.com I don’t know much about it. Could it be sprint has a lock on it so you can’t use it as a modem? Can you please help with this. thanks again.
kay

i have to htc hero. my question is that when i receive videos i can them but i cannot hear any voice..and everytime i try to send a video it tells me its to large is there any way i can fix these things
http://wingaaaa@yahoo.com wing

Hi,

I have HTC Hero and Apple Mac book, I try to use it Phone as modem but it doesn’t work.
Do you have any ideal if I can use it?

thanks,

Wing
KM

@WING = You can connect to a mac, the app named PDANET just updated to allow android to connect to mac as modem.
cp

Why is that IE won’t let me access to the HTC sync installer listed below?

ftp://ftpaccess:Brightpoint1@ftp.brightpointuk.co.uk/Technical%20Support…
I’ll appreciate your help
CP
David

I can recieve videos but I can’t hear any sound
chad

hey…. can u get the fun apps from like the iphone or itouch on the htc because all my friends got the iphone but i have the hero is there anyway to get the apps on the hero like the iphone has
BT Tremblay

Hi…was wondering if the Hero can announce the name of an incoming call if that person is in your contact list. My sisterinlaw is with sprint and the phone (not a smart or touch) can do this…. a very nice fearure
- http://www.mobileburn.com/ Michael Oryl
  
  @BT – I don’t think it can, no.
Craig Eglin

Is there any way to delete the application search history, and browser history. Everything I’ve tried just doesn’t work. I don’t want to reset it to factory settings, that isn’t an option at this point, would just like to clean it up a little. Help if there is any.
mimi

Hi…my friend has an iphone & she has this application where by choosing a friend from her contact list she can see where that friend is (it only tells u the city & state) so i wanna know if theres any application like that for the htc hero..thanks
Janae

Hi, my HTC hero is not letting me get onto facebook or any other site. Every time I try, it says. This application requires network access. Enable mobile network or WiFi to download date.
How do I do that? I dont even remember hitting any other buttons on my phone to make it mess up like that. Can you please let me know what I need to do to fix it. Thank you.
- Alanarias
  
  Mine does.the exact same thing
karl

Why doesn’t text to speech work after 2.1 update.. even after download from market nothing shows up
Ben

i have the htc hero sometimes when i make a few calls in the row the phone get slow. going from one contact to another takes longer. anyway to speed the phone up and get rid of some of the unwanted apps. like peep, stocks or any other apps that wouldnt ruin the phone

thanks
Unknown

How do I get my downloaded ringtones into my music file? They wont go into it so I can’t listen to them
danny

how long can a video be to send as a message?
Graham!!!

I have the htc hero touch. And I record alot of videos and cant even send them to another cell phone or to an email. It says it’s too big or (Message size limit reached). Gaaaaaaaaaaaay! Why would they put a video recorder on there if you cant even send it. You know how it is these days. It’s only fun if you can post your videos online :) HELP ME S.O.S.!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lori Watson

I have the hero and i am having trouble, when i go to my photos and try to send a pic via email, sms, facebook, it always says my photo is too large and unable to send what can i do to fix that??
http:/ Leslie

why doesnt my htc hero not show my picture messages but i have the plan with picture messages but it doesnt have the arrow to download
Tonya

Message size limit reached????? Why can I not send a video to a friend or post on my Facebook?!! This is frustrating to pay this much for a phone that can’t even upload videos from!!!!!
GRACIE

HOW CAN I SEND A VIDEO WITHOUT IT SAYING THAT ITS TOO BIG TO SEND?
nicosashe

how can i send videos? i record videos on my htc hero, but it won’t let me send them. whether they be 2 seconds or 30 seconds.
raymond

On email or online games I can not read iPhone smiles help