HTC Launches Android-Based Hero Smartphone
Man, what a month for cellphones! The Palm Pre, iPhone 3GS and T-Mobile myTouch 3G were just the beginning, as HTC has revealed its newest smartphone in back-to-back launch events in London and New York. While the handset hums along on Android, it's not a typical version of the OS. HTC asserts that its Hero is the world’s first Android-based phone with a customized user interface, a feature it's calling "Sense."
The Hero doesn't look all that different that the T-Mobile G1. There's still a crooked chin, a full touchscreen and a rectangular design. According to HTC, it boasts an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge resistance and a longer lasting, clearer display. The white model even includes an industry first: a Teflon coating. Talk about durability!
Other specifications include a 3.2" HVGA display, GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. There's also a dedicated search button (to battle Apple's Spotlight), which lets you explore Twitter messages, your contact list, your inbox, or anywhere else within the phone. The Sense function is built around three main pillars: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected. All of these enable customization options never before seen on an Android device, which is probably in response to the highly flexible Palm Pre.
Another huge win for the phone is its integrated support for Flash. You heard right--Adobe has joined in to make the Hero the first smartphone that natively supports Flash web pages. For years, smartphone owners--particularly those who own an iPhone--have longed for this ability. Now that the Hero has it, we'd expect other smartphones to follow suit shortly. After all, Apple never has been too fond of playing second fiddle in anything. The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer, while a "distinct" version will land in North America later this year. The full specs and a few other highlights are below.
The Hero doesn't look all that different that the T-Mobile G1. There's still a crooked chin, a full touchscreen and a rectangular design. According to HTC, it boasts an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge resistance and a longer lasting, clearer display. The white model even includes an industry first: a Teflon coating. Talk about durability!
Other specifications include a 3.2" HVGA display, GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. There's also a dedicated search button (to battle Apple's Spotlight), which lets you explore Twitter messages, your contact list, your inbox, or anywhere else within the phone. The Sense function is built around three main pillars: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected. All of these enable customization options never before seen on an Android device, which is probably in response to the highly flexible Palm Pre.
Another huge win for the phone is its integrated support for Flash. You heard right--Adobe has joined in to make the Hero the first smartphone that natively supports Flash web pages. For years, smartphone owners--particularly those who own an iPhone--have longed for this ability. Now that the Hero has it, we'd expect other smartphones to follow suit shortly. After all, Apple never has been too fond of playing second fiddle in anything. The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer, while a "distinct" version will land in North America later this year. The full specs and a few other highlights are below.
Specification
| Processor | Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz |
| Platform | Android™ |
| Memory | ROM: 512 MB RAM: 288 MB |
| Dimensions (LxWxT) | 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm ( 4.41 x 2.21 x 0.57 inches) |
| Weight | 135 grams ( 4.76 ounces) with battery |
| Display | 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution |
| Network | HSPA/WCDMA: - 900/2100 MHz - Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.) |
| Device Control | Trackball with Enter button |
| GPS | Internal GPS antenna |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Camera | 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus |
| Audio Supported Formats | MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media® Audio 9 |
| Video Supported Formats | MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media® Video 9 |
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1350 mAh Talk time: - Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA - Up to 470 minutes for GSM Standby time: - Up to 750 hours for WCDMA - Up to 440 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage.) |
| Expansion Slot | microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) |
| AC Adapter | Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz DC output: 5V and 1A |
| Special Features | G-sensor Digital Compass |
