HTC Hero Coming to Sprint, What Does it Mean for the Pre? 146
As noted at sister-site Android Central, Sprint and HTC have announced that the HTC Hero is coming on October 11th for $179.99 after rebate.
The Hero is probably the most exciting Android device out there right now (but there are many many more on the way). Like the Pre, it has a Linux core that powers a user interface that's intuitive and, well, 'shiny.' The Hero also has a lot of features that will seem familiar to Pre owners, including a rational notification system, push Gmail (naturally), and more.
Our readers know (and according to this poll, agree with) the Palm Pre's $199 price point, but the Hero undercuts that by 20 bucks. Does this mean that Sprint is going to throw less support behind the Pre? It probably means that Pre sales are going to take a ding starting in October. If Palm knows what's good for them, they'll have the Pre ready to go for other networks the moment Sprint's exclusivity runs out.
What do you think the Hero on Sprint means for the Pre?
146 Comments
Trouble! That's what it means for the Palm Pre. Palm better get a move on with video recording, CPU Scaling and everything else. We know the Hero comes with Visual Voicemail,5mp camera plus video recording. If palm wants the PRe to remain on top in sprints grand game the new software release needs to happen before October 11th or you might have some people jumping ship.
Maybe palm already knows about this. That might be why there is another (supposed) pre model in sprint computers.
Perhaps it means Palm will get its act together and fix the glaring problems WebOS (oh, pretty much what the poster before me said... it posted as I was typing!)
How was the Treo fine when the Centro came out? The Centro was faster, had sharper screen, more features, and had some bug fixes. The only Treos that were fine were ones that didn't have Centros to compete with on the same network.
Comparing the Pre to the rumored EOS downgrade isn't the same at all. The centro was an upgrade from a treo. The rumored EOS is a downgrade from a Pre. The EOS will cost less..but then there's a 16gb Pre coming that may reduce the cost of the 8gb version.
Ever use one or compared? I thought this was common knowledge..
I've always considered the Centro to be the cheap version of the 755p, even though it has more memory. The screen is "sharper" because it's the same resolution but smaller than the Treos. And the keyboard sucks compared to the other Treos.
This is OMGWTFBBQ! This phone is about to undercut the PRE and has visual voice mail to boot, among other things.
Pre owners just the the shaft. I can't believe that the PRE doesn't have visual voice mail. I surely hope it gets it in a future update!
So sprint just skipped visual voice mail on the Pre and put it on the Hero?
And the Hero have video something I need.. if I wasnt stuck in a 2 year contract.....
I see the current Pre being reduced in price as the 16gb version will be appearing soon. So price isn't really a concern.
That said, i still think the palm/sprint thing was a flop for sprint. But its really of their own making. They should've nailed a longer exclusive and gotten more out of it.
As mentioned, people already on Verizon or AT&T are simply waiting and not switching to sprint because its a short wait.
Out of curiosity, why do you have 3 mobile phones? Short of being a mobile phone reviewer, I can't fathom the need for more than one.
I agree with you. Nothing beats the native apps and SDK.
webOS is just not that interesting if you want to do serious stuff, e.g. Open GL ES gaming... accelerometer readings, and stuff.
The Hero has been getting terrible reviews. The T-mobile sister-device has also been sub-par. No physical keyboard? Less powerful CPU. No true multi-tasking? Terrible lag for a OS that has been around? No thanks. I'll stick with the Pre.
Dude. Wrong phone. T-Mobile does not have a sister device. The MyTouch 3G is totally different inside. Much slower and w/o the new interface. No comparison.
Total false statement. if you do your research you will know the my touch 3g the Hero and most of the G1 are the same G1 just having a little less memory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Htc_hero & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mytouch_3g & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_G1 notice between the two each one has the same Qualcomm MSM7201A ARM11 @ 528MHz processor Hero has 512 ROM 288 Ram MyTouch 3G has 512 ROM 192/288 RAM and the G1 has(this is where the G1 has downfalls and can't run HTC sense builds very well) 192 DDR SDRAM and 256 Flash. So Hero and MyTouch 3G are very little different and from the looks of things I would say the Hero runs slower with the sense build on it compared to the MyTouch 3G which doesn't.
UPDATE:
I will have to admit though the other features are way better on the Hero like the 5 megapixel camera vs the 3.2(MyTouch 3G and G1). The battery is better on the Hero(1350 mAh) vs the MyTouch 3G(1340 mAh) and the G1(1150 mAh). All tied on the touchscreen technology since they are all capacitive. Well the Hero wins for the multitouch. Oh yeah and the Hero has flash but soon enough they will all have it more then likely. Tied on screen res(320x480). Plus the sense UI has a lot of potential on the HTC Hero but then again that right now is one of the downfalls of the phone as well cause it causes lag with too many widgets open.
The Pre does have some issues that need to be worked out. I think that the problem is that Sprint isn't working on it as a team. They are just about getting their subscriber #'s up instead of working with Palm to get the "flagship" phone. In the end it doesnt work because they just piss people off who leave for a different phone and a different network. Kinda frosts my ass when I just bought this phone and it was just like their baby two months ago and now because the sales figures aren't like off the charts they want to dump a new phone on.... I mean its starting to seem like putting boxes of band aids on a broken leg and expecting it to heal... probably wont work. Need something solid like a cast. Sprint needs to pull their head out of their ass. That said, I am still quite happy with my Pre. And if anyone cares, you can get the Pre for 10 bucks cheaper then that still at letstalk.com 169.99 on a two year with no mail in rebate and free overnight shipping.
Like the first guy said: It means TROUBLE for the Pr?. ALOT of ppl are dissapointed with this so-called "smartphone". For example; I was reading this in landscape, but I had to flip to portrait to type this. This is because Palm never realized (or even cared) that we might need to type when the screen is sideways!
And don't tell me about Homebrew. We shouldn't have to do Palm's work for them AND pay them hundreds of dollars.
I think Palm does plan to add a virtual keyboard but not at the expense of adding other features. They will get to it.
I think they (rightly) realized that most people do not care about flipping the phone once in a while to type. You and some others are the exception. But I would rather flip and type then have a virtual keyboard (a HW keyboard is one reason I bought the phone) that takes up half or more of the screen in landscape mode. That just doesn't appeal to most of us and we would seldom use it.
I was just reading around and found there is no exchange support... if that is true, the Android will never be a option... no multi tasking also sucks! Yeah the Pre needs some more love in apps and updates, but thats ok... its a new idea and new os.
I'm not sure what you were reading but you are wrong on both accounts. http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10271808-251.html
It has Exchange support and it is based on Linux. It definitely multitasks. Just not as cleanly as the Pre IMHO.
Competition is good, and will move the webOS forward. I wouldn't be surprise if there's an OS update and/or hardware (storage) bump for the pre pretty soon. The Hero looks nice, but unless I missed something it's just a reskin of the Android OS, right? I've played around with the OS on a G1 and found the user experience really clunky. A good user experience is more than just visual design. But like I said before, I am happy to see more competition because in the end we all benefit from better products. Palm, are you listening?
I was waiting for the HTC Hero to hit Sprint, but I'm glad I didn't. The phone is now FUGLY with even sillier chin. The UK version is almost sexy with its chiseled looks and bent chin.
BTW, a $20 price difference would have made no difference to me. Nor would a $50 difference. $100 maybe, but if you want something bad enough, you'll pay for it. Just ask the iPhone early adopters who shelled out $600, like I almost did.
It's the network first, then the hardware/software/phone performance combination. The only reason I gave up waiting for the HTC Hero is because the UK reviews mentioned sluggish performance, but the new ROM firmware upgrade apparently has that solved.
Maybe its just the white version, but that new Sprint chin is Sucktacular-looking...
I am unsure what this means for the Pre. Like many people have said, they will appeal to different people. Some like myself love the option of the physical keyboard, though I will be using the Hero to at least check it out. People keep saying that Sprint is the one dropping the ball here and I disagree. The third largest carrier in the States has been bleeding customers for a while now. While they could have taken some steps with the Pre to increase the total number sold, why shouldn't they release another phone that could possibly draw customers away from other carriers? For a long time Sprint was the last to get any good devices and they've landed the last two GREAT devices this year. I say good job Sprint on getting the Hero out before the holidays and... competition breeds innovations so it'll be interesting to see how Palm reacts to having such a competitor on it's own maiden carrier. I'm excited to see how both phones progress via software updates in the future. I'm gonna go with the Pre, but get it within 30 days of when the Hero does come out... just in case.
I agree with Cmike04 that it's about time Sprint gets great choices with phones. I do think Sprint could have done a better job marketing the Palm Pre. But with capital being a problem with sprint I can see them cutting back with advertisting.
Both OS can stand on their own two feet, so to speak. And may the best OS wins. As for me I can see more potential for WebOS than for the Android. Plus the WebOS looks sexier in comparison.
Yep, the only phone with a decent notification solution is a disaster. [Where is the rolled-eye icon?]
After reading the reviews for the Hero I see that it has many good points but without true multi-tasking and a physical keyboard I won't get rid of my Pre. I still think Palm will be in trouble if they can't update the WebOS to do video recording and other small notifcation tweaks. I'm confident Palm will come through before October 11th with the 2.0 OS update.
I looked at Android back when the Palm announced ditching the PalmOS. I like it in theory but the actual phones are less than stellar. I'm going to ignore the lack of keyboard because that's an unambiguous decision: you either want a hardware keyboard or you don't care.
The review on Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/#content) of the Hero shows that the hardware is laggy, even compared to other Androids. Sure, its battery life is better than the Pre but that's because you don't do as much with it. (And the 15% larger battery helps) Sure they've got Flash but the web browsing has gotten mediocre to poor reviews.
On the app front, the G1's been out for a year and they've got all of 40 apps in their Marketplace. We've got more than that in the Catalog on a platform that's been out for 3 months. That doesn't include the 180ish apps hosted here.
The things the Pre lacks are software based. The Hero's flaws are hardware. We can get software patches but I've never had a CPU upgraded OTA.
I agree... I feel like people are too quick to jump ship here. Maybe one person who has posted here actually has touched a Hero with their own hands. Both phones are really cool, true. However, the main point that kidmatzomat brought up is true, the Pre is going to continually get better with software updates. It's shortcomings can all be fixed that way. If you think about it, it's almost like comparing it to the iPhone again. While the Hero and SenseUI havent been released yet, it is still Android, which does have a head start over webOS. Patience will bring great things to the Pre. The gaming, while it may be a ways off still, is something that Palm is addressing and the Apps are looking promising. What types of things are people wanting in terms of the Apps that they don't see becoming available at some point on the Pre. Thats the great thing about today's smartphones, they will grow with you!! I'm sticking with the Pre until I get some solid hands on with the Hero, and even then...
Only a matter of time before they stop updating the phone and sell a newer model and update that and forget about the PRE....marketing.....
Newer model webOS phone doesn't mean webOS stops being updated.
Verizon is forcing carriers to use their own App Store. App will probably flow less on Verizon.
Does that mean Verizon iPhone will not have the huge App Store? I think Verizon's stance is phones can't have another store app INSTALLED initially. Think Pre w/o Filecoaster and App Catalog (and all the others). We'll see once the big "i" hits and others follow if add-on catalog apps are excluded like you're saying. :)
it means I getting a Hero. Come on Oct 11th!!!!
Don't think its worth me leaving my pre for a hero! I've had HTC products in the past and they all ran very slow... Not too forget the three soft resets a day, by far pre wins.
I have to say I love the pre but mainly due to being poor built quality and lack of Programs and General options like changing a damn sound for txt msgs and such I will probably pick up a Hero unless there is a very very good update and allot more apps before then.
this phone is so sweet dude, I'm sorry guys but I'm going to let you guys down, the 5 megapixel camera, Flash browser, easy integration with facebook and gmail, copy and paste anything from anywhere, android apps, photo share.... sorry Palm I gave you one last try but my phone is pretty boring already and I'm tired of waiting... you just lost another customer.
Can we get that active homescreen, or options to change the theme and not just the wallpaper SOON????
Oh, and video?
Oh, and visual voicemail?
Thanks, go PALM!
I think that means nothing for the pre. Well, I live in Germany and already had a Hero for about 1 and a half weeks. It was a great device, but to point one thing out:
I have a HTC Touch Pro, an iPhone and had a HERO. From this three, the iPhone is best, the Touch Pro is second and the HERO is last. It has a great interface (as the Touch Pro) but Exchange-sync is really bad. Multitasking is kind of not really working because of the huge memory-consumption of the new UI and the apps are more or less worthless. Sorry folks, but I think that Android will be good in about 1 or 2 years. Palm Pre was great as I tested it some days in the States. The Exchange-Sync works great and even syncinc with 2 Exchange Servers works great. The Usability is even better than on the iPhone and at the end it was the best device I ever used. So I'm waiting for my Pre here in Germany at the end of the year.
Excellent points from someone that's used the Hero (and other current smartphones it seems). Thank you for this comment.
We'll see people leave (the Pre) but if this comment illustrates what the general "geek" audience that this site seems to attract will see, we'll see them come back.
Thanks Calvin.
Actually I have only an iPhone 2G and a colleague of mine has an 3G. Even he is eagerly waiting for the Pre. He sais the 3G is a great Multimedia-Device, but nothing for "business-people". That begins with the missing hardware-Keyboard and mostly missed: Multitasking. Another thing which is very annoying for both of us:
As a "business-man" (I'm self-employed) I always need to have a charged phone as I use it a lot. About 45-50 hours of Talking per month BUT a lot of eMail-Push and our online-ticket-system in a good web-browser. The main thing which bothers us with the iPhone is the unrepleacable battery. It's not the fact, that you cannot replace it when it's broken, but you don't want to charge it while it still has 50% because you don't want to ruin the battery but you know, that it is very likely that it won't last for the rest of your day if you don't.
With my Touch Pro (or even the Androit HERO), I put in a charger every time I can, at home, in the office, in the car, even sometimes at the customers, when there's a mini-usb-plug free ;-)
So the thing is: I don't even care when the battery get's old. I buy a new one for 30 bucks and change it. For the iPhone I have to LET it change (takes about 80 bucks for service and price for battery) AND the store has to send it in here in Germany. They send it to the Service-company in Northern Germany. It takes only about 7 work-days till you get it back. 7 WORKDAYS? Without my MAIN PHONE? No way. That's the reason why I gave the 2g iPhone to my girlfriend and use the TouchPro till the Pre comes out.
Oh, and another good thing at the Pre: The Cam is great and FAST. The Hero's cam really is only average compared to that. The iPhone ones even bader (despite the 3Gs). The one from my Touch Pro is really great with AutoFocus and that stuff. Now you say: What do you need it for in business. I tell you: I am also a "field service person" if it's called so. So if I'm at the customer and need to change a router or a modem or a Harddrive or sth. like that I have to write down what I sold him for billing. I also need the Serial-No. and so on. So I take my Touch Pro (soon Pre) and take a GOOD photo of the name of the product and the serial-number and mail it to my colleague in the office and he can bill it "just-in-time". That's the way it should work. No possibility with the iPhone 2G or 3G (crap camera) and not really clear pictures with the HERO either, althoug it's also Autofocus.
Well enough written. I'm waiting for the pre since it's first announcement, and even more since I used it in the states in June. Can't wait till it becomes available here in Germany.
It will be available here at o2 (besides that I'm a customer of them since 6 years). The contract I use is a flat-fee for phone to landline and other o2 customers for 20 EUR per month and another 20 EUR for unlimited surfing with UMTS/HSDPA. BUT i also have 2 other SIM-Cards on the same contract, one in my spare-phone (if I forget my first or don't have enough battery life) and one in my Laptop. ALL together use the same Surf-Fee togehter and can be used at the same time. Besides that o2 allowes even Skype and other VOIP. So 40 EUR per month for phone flat and surf-flat for 3 devices at the same time. Now the pre can come :-)
Oh, and just one more thing (that's what steve always sais ;-): I also have the SDK installed and checked already all the Exchange and Facebook and Synergy-stuff. It work REALLY well with all my accounts and Servers. (that's 2 Exchange, 1 Gmail, 2 others and Facebook). Simply a great OS. Waiting for the Hardware.
Hey NiTeSHiFT,
Thanks for your input, from someone that has used all of these elite devices. Good thing Sprint will have 3 of the 4, hopefully that can boost sales and stock (I want to cash in on a rise, hopefully). But regarding your job, you should look into Evernote. I think you may find it handy. Trust me. Thanks again.
My guess would be that a new 16GB Pre comes soon (given catalog numbers in both Sprint and Verizon systems). The 16GB Pre will stay at $199 with a plan, and the 8GB Pre will drop to $149 or possible $99. This would allow the EOS (Centro replacement) to come in at $99 (if the 8GB Pre is at $149) or possibly $49 or free with contract (which it will probably end up at eventually in any case).
Rumors hint a substantial OS upgrade is in the works. One is needed to address bugs, continue adding features (especially ones of interest for enterprise use), and, most importantly, taking the app store out of beta. While homebrew apps are important for enthusiasts and developers, most Pre buyers don't fall in this category - getting the final app store done properly in a way that can hopefully satisfy the various competing interests (commercial developers, open-source/enthusiast developers, casual users, enthusiast/power users, and enterprise IT departments) is a challenge.
I can only hope that Palm/Sprint allow Pre early-adopters an easy way to upgrade to Pre models with more memory/storage. To me (and others part of a vocal minority unhappy about the storage size and lack of expandable storage), this is the single biggest deficiency on the Pre. It would go a long way to generate good will with this group of users if an upgrade came in at a good deal less than full price.
Palm would have my undying gratitude forever if they offered a trade-in/trade-up deal for existing Pre owners. I'd be willing to pay another $50-100 for an upgraded phone with more memory or (better yet) a micro-SD slot-- even if they have to modify the form factor a bit.
Look at the Seidio 2600mAh battery/cover combo. It makes the Pre a little fatter, but it still maintains the basic shape and lines. Plus there's more than enough space in that shell for a micro-SD connector.
I think they have already crippled the phone by not adding specs that are standard in every phone these days. This was supposed to be a flagship phone for a pioneer that has been struggling. How do you explain these short comings? I understand that a phone maker will never give you a perfect phone the first time around because that's how they make their money. They leave room to improve so they can come out with a better verstion every single year. I've been a Palm faithful since I picked up my Treo 750P 5 years ago but I will be checking out the Hero. I'm not saying it's better but I like the specs better. However, I'll wait for a month after release date to get it. I just don't want to be a test subject for these companies. Thank God for competition.
i AM STICKING WITH SPRINT NO MATTER.
I pay 63.12 for my sprint plan. I just paid my wifes iphone plan 150.56. THAT IS INSANE.
I am so freaking glad sprint is getting awesome phones.
ATT IS A RIP OFF AND I DONT CARE HOW GOOD THE IPHONE IS.
come on android.
I am very disspaointed with the pre overall. Miss my iphone but i can live with an extra 80 bucks on my pocket from savings monthly.
+1. Sprint's coverage may not be the best but for now no one can beat their pricing on data plans. Plus I got a 22% discount for being a member of a volunteer ambulance corps (if you're a volunteer firefighter you get 25% off-- an extra 3% for running toward the fire!) Simply Everything for my wife and me is a hair over $100/month. No other carriers even come close.
As for the Pre vs the Hero, well different strokes for differnt folks. The Android device has a lot going for it, but some strikes against it too, same as the Pre. I'm enjoying my Palm WebOS phone and I look forward to its continued evolution.
The Pre is my hero!
My sentiments exactly my friend... As the webOS code is optimized and made better over the coming months, it will be nothing but Victory to us webOS adopters. Nay-sayers, say what you want, but this is a (barely)3-month old device and software nipping at the heels of the "best" phones on the market. That's really sayng something. GO PALM!
Im loving the Pre's keyboard one downfall that the hero does not have that I really need and love. If the hero had the same concept with a keyboard not a touch screen keyboard i would go with the Hero. But for now I will stick with the Pre. The Hero def has a lot of good features that Palm should come out this month like video recording, visual vm, and apps that we can use other than finding food. I dont need 20 apps to find food. Small things the Pre should have in the year 2009. Come on we are still waiting, more and more waiting. Thanks Homebrew Dev for picking up the slack for Palm love the apps you have brung us.
Er, the only people who are excited about Android phones are Linux fanboys like me (there must be literally dozens if not hundreds of us) and many of us have already gone for the Pre.
The Pre has all the Palm fanboys, the iPhone has all the Apple and iPod fanboys, there are plenty of Crackberry fanboys, and there must even be some Wince fanboys out there somewhere to keep buying WinMo phones. If it comes down to specs, the Pre and iPhone are hard to beat; if it comes down to apps, Apple's the 800-pound gorilla no matter what your opinion of their quality is (Windows didn't exactly get to the top of the desktop heap because of its stability.) If it comes down to coverage, you won't be buying a Sprint or T-mo phone regardless.
So apart from appealing to forum trolls who'll say anything to poop on Palm, what's Android's differentiating factor besides the Google name?
I'm very upset with sprint right now. This is to close to the Pre Release date to not tell consumers ahead of time it was coming. Palm needs to step up their game on the Pre and sprint better hope so also, because if not they are about to get a lot of nasty phone calls from people who feel like they got screwed.
To be fair and Honest, Sprint doesn't owe anyone any notices about what they are releasing for their company. Simple and plain. If you went out and wanted to get the Pre or whatever else phone, too bad. You should have waited with that off-chance thought of something else coming out later. The 'problem' is nothing but the consumer's fault.
they will take sales from pre. but now sure how many. Regular people don't care about android. If it looks cool they'll get it. Android only a selling point for tech nerds.
AMEN. Hopefully the rumored Pre upgrade I heard about will be next. It will blow Everything away, including the iphoney. And with webOS development over the months with more improvements and features.... Whoooo, I hope my dreams come TRUE!
It means this damned Pre of mine is going in the trashcan.
Five weeks and nary a word out of Palm. Anticipated a more regular series of minor updates. Still prefer QWERTY keyboard over virtual. If a decent Android DCD (Data Centric Device) with keyboard comes to market, I may just be tempted. Going to be interesting to see how an HTC DCD without WinMo will run.
Not me. Pre is for me.
The Pre IS my Hero. You'll be back. PLEEEEASE post your disappointment once you wasted your money, sir. Thanks. And seeing as though you have the Pre... Hero @ full price too?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
yeaaaa.... pre... we need to have a talk.... it's been cool and all, but you're not THAT attractive for being such a bitch, and with all your problems... it's just not worth it anymore.... I think we should see other people.... oh and by the way... there's someone else, her name's android and honestly she's alot hotter than you are. C-ya hoe
oh and palm... little suggestion that's been brought up before... join the open handheld alliance and bring what you brought to the table with webos and give it to android, this phone is seriously going to give you problems from the same target demographic and on the same carrier..
you will be assimilated... resistance is feutile... we are android
...androids would probably spell futile correctly.
I'm just sayin'...
Actually, given the relatively open nature of both Android and WebOS and the fact that both are Linux based, it wouldn't surprise me if the two OSes partially or completely "merged" - that is, if it wasn't ultimately possible to run both sets of apps on either OS.
In theory (at a high level), to run Android apps on WebOS, you would need to install the Android Java virtual machine and need a plugin that would allow the app to run within a WebOS shell (a la Terminal).
Similarly, to run WebOS apps on Android, you would need to leverage webkit locally as Palm has done with the Pre and need to have the WebOS javascript libraries already installed (mapped to the appropriate Android system calls - I presume that Android is doing this today using JNI).
Yes, I know that I'm glossing over a lot here (in addition to techincal challenges, there may well be legal issues - I'm not aware of which OS components are proprietary and must be licensed or reverse engineered), but, as I said, at a high level, it should be possible.
It means time for a unlimited family plan with two lines...
LED flash on board.
This is more a story of how Sprint is trying to maneuver rather than what will happen to the Palm Pre. As has been mentioned before, the Pre is mainly a competitor for Blackberry - not just because of the keyboard, but also because of multitasking. And that's what Sprint wants is a strong enterprise smartphone. The Hero, on the other hand will be the Iphone competitor, more about fun than work based functionality.
For those who either haven't experienced the Pre, there's simply no way to explain the multitasking functionality other than to compare it to a a palm sized laptop. It just doesn't feel like a smartphone as much as it does a small (and sure, slower speed) laptop.
"Palm-sized laptop" have been my words from day 1. They way this thing multi-tasks is amazing. And sure, the background processing taxes the battery more than other one-app-at-a-time phones, but that software code will be optimized eventually. I don't have too much of a problem, just use some battery-saving tips and you can get the most from your phone. I'm just waiting on more and more updates and see what Palm can do with this OS. Very, very, VERY promising. And to think... Pre just had it's 3-month bday. Awesome.
"I'm amused by all the people ready to jump ship to the Hero before it's even released, because they're so disapointed in the Pre."
it is already releases. I can buy it today, if I want.
UMm...this phone scares me more than the iPhone. But the hero doesn't have synergy, a keyboard which I prefer. I saw the apps on board and the way you can customize the phone. Me likey! I saw the memory on board so it will come with a sd card? 512mb is small compared to 8gb. but it looks shiny and new, we don't know what it will do. What does it say about upgrades? Will you have to pay for them?
If I had seen this before the Pre, I would have opted for it instead. Since I am stuck in a 2 year contract...Palm better step it up with the upgrades and app store. I am not even going to say how many apps this thing is going to have...it monstrous
not like iphone...but its huge.
I think the Hero is a rather impressive phone. However, Android really is not as fluent of a system as people think. It's an EXCELLENT system, but in my opinion, webOS is more polished. The Hero will be the best phone (by far) available on an Android system, but again, the Pre is simply more polished in its OS and UI. I love the fact that the Hero will allow multi touch input, which is BIGGIE FOR ME. As far as the camera, the Pre has an amazing camera... lacks features, but it takes fast and excellent pictures. The Hero does have a 5mp camera, but if I compared the Pre to phones like the Samsung Behold (which has 5mp), I prefer the Pre's camera. So that remains to be seen with the Hero. Palm will update to video support soon (im pretty sure), if the don't I will be significantly upset :-)
Overall, the Hero is an excellent phone, with great features, and some that it takes from the webOs ideas (sync and stuff). Again,in my opinion, webOS is far more polished than Android is. The open source in android is good, but the Pre just beats it in User Interface and overall software usability.
Look all of us reading these forums, rooting and homebrew installing, and tweaking our phones are tech junkies and/or power users to some degree...but I say if you are "bored" of your phone you need to get outside and live life a little bit. It's a freakin phone, it's not your life. There are days I forget I have a phone, and yet I am not bored. I bet the people who are "bored" are the same people that (assuming they have friends) hang out with their friends with their heads buried in a screen pounding out facebook updates, tweets and text. Put the phone down, enjoy your LIVE friends, and get a grip on reality.
WebOS and the Pre are gen 1 products, no neither is truly finished and we all obviously expect WebOS updates to keep rolling out, but as I've said in the past, this phone exceeded my expectations in stability and features (features to a lesser extent) from day 1.
What it lacked, the homebrew community has largely filled in. Forwarding, landscape email, OSK, tether, etc.
Sure I want the phone to make me breakfast and look sexy doing it, but it and the OS are 3 f'ing months old, give it a little time.
As far as saying, yeah but it should have been released with this stuff, tough crap. You knew what the phone lacked when you bought it, and you still HAD to have the new shiny gadget to impress your virtual friends. Anytime you buy into a 1st gen product you should have to sign a contract that you won't whine and complain that it isn't finished....NO CRAP, you are a beta tester, and if you didn't know that before this rant you do now.
Didn't see this posted but all those Hero lovers, check the Engadget review. The videos show some disappointments. I'd go Pre.. ;)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/
I went and watched the Palm Pre vs HTC Hero dogfight on Phonedog. If the Hero is even more sluggish than the Pre, it won't be for me.
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-dogfight-...
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-pt-2-cont...
https://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-pt-3-web...
This criticism about the commercials, and not buying a pre because of them consistently surprises me. The purpose of a commercial is to make familiar those who are unfamiliar with a product. I would agree that those commercials... well they sucked. But if the product was good, a bad commercial would not keep me from buying it. It just might make it hard for those who are unfamiliar with the product to be come familiar with it.
In a review of the Hero I saw (on Engadget, I believe) they said the Hero was slow as well. They said the reason it was slow was that the software ends up pushing the hardware too close to its limits.
I have never owned an HTC phone, or had a phone running on Android. But, I have used them. WinMo makes me sick; and HTC has yet to have the kind of hardware specs that live up to the demand. This new Hero may be the answer, too bad I already went with the Pre. Not that the Hero will be the better choice, but who knows... The microSD expansion is beautiful, the 528Mhz processor is impressive, and the 5.0 Megapixel is awesome.
The release of the HTC Hero on Sprint means My Pre, with all the accessories, Phone, Leather Case , Seidio Snap on case and holster , Car charger, Touchstone charger with back cover , extra battery with original back cover and a Phantom Skinz screen protector ( already installed ) are all for sale . If anyone wants my pre with everything mentioned above , just send me a note with offer to scea0512@gmail.com . Otherwise I list on Ebay to the highest bidder . My Hero will be here tomorrow
Not that it matters, since I own one already, but for those undecided, the PREs have gone down to 150.00 at RadioShack no mail-in rebates. New and Upgrade Customers. Of course keeping that in mind the HTC might be even less there now that I think about. Maybe this isnt a convincing argument. Lol. Nevertheless I love my PRE.
I have been lurking on this site since for months, and I finally got a Pre 3 weeks ago. Nothing really prepared me for the resulting disappointment. The battery life was abysmal. Last Sunday, I took the phone off the charger at 11:15 am after charging all night. Very few phone calls, some browsing and emailing, a few games played, and it was down to 5% when we needed to leave the house at 5:15 pm. Battery that poor is a huge liability to me. I have tried all the tweaks and adjustments - they helped, but still could never get me through 6 pm on a weekday. I have friends whose Pres seem to have significantly better battery life. Great for them. Perhaps my particular location at home and work is just exceptionally poor, or maybe I was the recipient of a lemon.
Had the battery been the only problem, I would have taken it back to Sprint to get it replaced. I was disappointed from day one with the lag in transitions, especially something as simple as switching from the keypad phone screen to the call log. The hardware felt fragile and rickety. The USB/charge port is in a horrible location, especially for someone who wants to charge the phone while using it.
Long story short, I managed to borrow a trial Hero yesterday and last night, and the decision for my wife and me was surprisingly easy. I swapped my Pre for a Hero this afternoon with no regrets.
Best of luck to Palm and to everyone who has their products. This one just wasn't nearly the experience I had hoped it would be. I hope WebOS 1.3 improves the lag, but even that isn't enough for me to stick around.