I've been with Sprint for awhile (out of contract now, so I'm supposed to get a discount...)
Is the Best Buy deal restricted to new contracts or does it include renewals? And if I got the phone via Best Buy, is it still possible to get a plan using Sprint Employee Referral or other such voodoo? #htchero
@Red_Flag:
I believe BB can't do employee referral accounts. You could always sign up with them and then change your plan- but that may be more work than it's worth. #htchero
@mawcs: Oh, bravo, Merriam-Webster. Because everyone knows that there is no such thing as fine print, exceptions, or ways to negotiate anything from corporate reps ever, and that all questions and disputes are always solved by a single screenshot of an offer, rather than contracts or paperwork of any sort. Bravo. #htchero
You asked a question, I answered. Sorry you don't like the answer; but if you felt that "negotiating" might get you the same deal, you might have said that in your original comment and save me the effort of being a smart-ass. #htchero
Sorry HTC, but after gazing my eyes upon the Moto Droid; I'm going to wait to see whats next in the pipeline...plus I have Sprint. :( #android20onhtchero
@Neimo:
Negative.
I'll probably rue making this statement but I work for Sprint, and I currently have a Pre. I love my Pre, and Sprint is the tits, especially the plans. I'm just open minded enough to realize hotness. #android20onhtchero
This sounds wonderful to me, I really can't wait for Sense UI + Eclair to come to my phone.
Anyway, I am also getting a bit annoyed by the general tone with the Hero. I can't speak for the GSM version, but the Sprint (CDMA) version is very polished as it is. Personally, I think the Sprint version looks a bit better, with the exception to the button area. If you look at the back and top of the phone, you'll probably agree.
Far as I can tell, there is no lag in the UI, it does take a second to switch from portrait to landscape. It can tend to bog down if I am running too many applications in the back, but taskkiller eliminates that problem. Website zoom is very smooth (as opposed to one review video I watched). The ability to continuously type on the virtual keyboard is unmatched by almost anything. I miss the keys A LOT, but 95%, it knows what I want, and it's seamless, you just keep typing.
If you ask anyone who has the Hero, or even a few fans of HTC, they'll tell you this phone is the one to get for 2009, and probably most of 2010. #android20onhtchero
@Ninety-9: Presumably sometime next year HTC will come out with a Super Hero using a Cortex-A8 and most people won't bother with the original. So with respect to your prediction the question is will it come out before July? #android20onhtchero
@Ninety-9: The software update a while back fixed most of the lag. I was running the original Hero ROM on my HTC Magic -- it lagged like shit. I re-flashed my Magic with the updated, faster Hero ROM and its very fast (but obviously still no where near the iPhone's speed).
Typing is great, though, except for in the web browser, where it's practically unusable due to the lag. I can type very fast on my Magic, and even though the iPhone allows me to physically type faster due to the better responsiveness, overall the Magic wins because of its superior spell-check. #android20onhtchero
I still don't understand as to why Gizmodo keeps harping on the "tragically flawed" aspect as the firmware update that's now standard issue on the phone virtually eliminated all the sluggishness they complained about. Seemingly every other gadget site out there have acknowledge the speedier update yet Giz seems either oblvious to it or unwilling to mention it. #android20onhtchero
@TheScantronman: Here is the simple breakdown for you: We hates Android, my iPrecious, we hates it forever! Oh wait.. Android 2.0 has a lot of nice features... uhhh Uhhh UHHH GIZ HATES FILTHY ANDROIDSES! Niiiice iPhone, my iPrecious... iPrecious... #android20onhtchero
We're still not 100% sure what android 2.0 really looks though if I'm not mistaken.
We've got a Moto version of it but I've seen nothing to indicate that is how the regular 2.0 build is going to look. I'm sure that sense will look just fine on top of it and all features will be preserved.
@tande04: I'm pretty sure that motorola said this is your basic "google experience" android phone.. I interpret that as run of the mill android 2.0 #android20onhtchero
@Sir Gibler: I just took that to mean they didn't re-purpose it like they did with blur. I never got the impression that it wasn't still skinned. Could be wrong. #android20onhtchero
@tande04: we know how it looks, they officially released the 2.0SDK (Which includes the 2.0 emulator, which you can play with on your pc). #android20onhtchero
Why is this news? Shouldn't this be a given? That's why I love my iPhone. There's no question of whether or not I'll be getting an update.. -_- #android20onhtchero
@jellotime91: It is a given. How is there even an iPhone comparison in there? Maybe if they were charging $10 for it you could at least make a iPod touch comparison. #android20onhtchero
@tande04: it's not really a given. Are we forgetting that Android phones from the same maker (HTC) don't all get the same software officially? And there are Android phones still being sold while we have no idea if they will get the 2.0 update or not. The G1 likely will not, yet it is still being sold on contract on many carriers. #android20onhtchero
@jellotime91: You know I'm going to have to give you that.
Its still mostly a given though. Android has pushed all updates just like apple has with the iphone. There is hardware limitations here that will likely prevent it from being on the G1 (which is a current phone but defiantly at the end of its life). Thats just how it works though. Even the updates on the iPhone is still hardware limited. #android20onhtchero
@jellotime91: I still have no idea where this idea that the G1 won't get anything past 1.6 popped up. It just seemed to spark out of nothing, never really get confirmed, and is now treated as fact despite that no figures on how much space the 2.0 update will take have ever surfaced.
Besides, it's never really a given that you'll ever get an update for a device. Eventually apple will release a new version of the iPhone that will software that is just too much for the old 1st generation iPhones to handle. It just so happens that Android is evolving quite quickly now, so hardware is more prone to being tossed asunder.
Besides besides, the carriers have a lot of say about what updates they push, and carriers can suck sometimes ;) #android20onhtchero
@fryhole: The point is Apple hasn't sold the first gen iPhone for 2 years now, so after they haven't been selling it for 3 whole years come June, they shouldnt provide updates for it anymore because nobody who bought it on a contract during the time it was being sold still has to use it.
The G1 and other android phones are still being sold on contracts and we don't know if they will receive the 2.0 update. The G1 is being sold in Canada on THREE YEAR contracts. Do you honestly think that the G1 is going to get an android 3 or 4.0 update when it comes out? HELL NO.
They shouldn't be selling the device anymore when they don't have plans to continue releasing updates for it. It's totally unfair to the consumer, and the way android updates are done the consumers are pretty much in the dark, whereas with the iPhone you plug it in and iTunes tells you there's an update. :/ #android20onhtchero
@jellotime91: I get what you're saying, but I think what's worth keeping in mind is that there hasn't been any substantiated proof that the G1 and the Magic won't get the update. Beyond that, I think when you lock yourself into a phone for 2 years you just have to expect that something cooler is going to come out before your contract is up, software or hardware. You buy a phone for what it is, not what it could be. Receiving updates after purchase isn't a guarantee, but the android companies seem to be continuing the trend of updating as long as it is reasonable (see the 2.0 rumors working on the G1, or the Hero getting 2.0).
The fact is, no one is yet selling a phone that for sure won't get this update. All we have are rumors, and the telecom's shouldn't stop selling a phone that people will buy just because of a rumor it won't get an update in the future.
Of course none of that changes the face that if I don't get the 2.0 update with my G1 from T-mobile, I'll be upset. But the benefits of an open platform are that someone will get the update to the phone if it is possible, it just may be a bit more work. #android20onhtchero
@fryhole: Your posts on this subject have been the most logical and well thought out that I've read in a while. Please, keep up the great work, but be forewarned: Logic won't always save you from the trolls and fanboys. No doubt, with commenting this sharp, you'll soon have a star to shield you, as well. #android20onhtchero
@tande04: Did you? Tragically flawed meant it was slow and slugglish navigating through the phone. If you have been keeping up with the hero you would know that that article is old and the software was optimized way before it was even released on Sprint.
The hero is one of the top of the line Android phones and it can remain that way with the new 2.0 update. #android20onhtchero
@NyC88Rican et al.: Hero is already outdated even with 2.0 and its quickly getting more so.
The "hero" is the "other" droid launching on VZW. The cheap one that no one really cares about.
The specs are seriously outdated when you start comparing it to android phones in the pipeline.
Software updates don't make it more current. They don't fix processor or screen resolution. It may change how the processor crunches on the sense UI but thats still the limitations.
If I were deciding between an android phone and an iPhone (which I think was the original poster's real intent). The hero isn't even on the list now 2.0 or not. #android20onhtchero
@tande04: Software was what made it tragically flawed, that was the whole point of my first post and yours. You tried to blame the hero on something that had already been fixed, so I thought that comment was out of line.
Software updates don't make it more current? I hope that's a joke because that is exactly what it does, for software not hardware, which is we were talking about.
Obviously, the hero is going to be outdated when comparing it with phones that haven't even come out yet. Isn't that the point? Right now the hero is out there and people want to be included with the new updates that android has to offer, more and more android phones are going to roll out and at least half of them are going to be better hardware wise than the ones before it.
Lastly, i'm pretty positive that they are deciding between the iphone and the hero that is on sprints network which is already out. And by no means is the hero not on the list. It definitely is still and will be one of the top sprint phones for awhile. #android20onhtchero
@NyC88Rican: Actually my whole point is that I think he got it confused with the droid in all of today's android hoopla.
But on your other points...
No, no joke. Software doesn't change hardware and that was my point. It may add features but if the hardware can't pull its weight its pointless. The underlying problem was never "just" the software. It was the hardware running it that strained to keep up.
And you're right it is the point to compare it to phones that aren't out yet. When some one says "should I get this or this" at this point you're silly to not say "why not wait a week and get one of the best reviewed android handsets yet". Thats why we read stuff like this and come here. Hell I tried to convince my friend to just wait a week for it when he thought he lost his phone. He didn't like that idea for some reason. So no, its not about whats out right now because right now there is no hero with 2.0 so its silly to buy one on the promise of 2.0 when there is a phone with better hardware and software only a few short days away.
Again, I'm not 100% sure he even knew what he was really comparing it to, but the hero currently on Sprint is the same as the phone thats going to be on VZW (thus the quotes) which is going as a budget phone. It may be on a Sprint short list but its a stretch to infer thats where he was going with it. Its not on any other short list that I have though.
@logicalnoise: I'm in the same boat. There are quite a few interesting Android phones coming on the market this fall. I can't see jumping in until I've seen a few more.
I still don't understand in the slightest how they can think THAT is in any way, shape or form better then the actual Hero.
The Hero is a BEAUTIFUL device, the design is the only reason I would buy the phone for, its much better looking then an iPhone and just about anything else to have ever landed on the gadget landscape.
Why oh why did they go and make HTC change the look of the frigin Hero? Make it ugly at that.
The Hero went from a beauty in HTC's hands to a dumb generic brick at sprint.
Sprint changed the way they do rebates now... I went in to get a Hero yesterday and what normally happens is I upgrade whatever phone on my plan is eligible and put it on my number, but now you can't get the MIR if you do it that way...
Since I would loose $100, I'll be waiting a month.
@UnderLoK: When did they change this?
I got a new sprint phone in mid-april (of this year), and as far as I know, received the full rebate on it (samsung rant), even though I used the eligibility from a different phone on my family's account.
have they really changed it since then? i feel like i may be missing something, but maybe there are still ways to get the MIR?
@Sam Blitzstein: The phone has to be on the number for 30 days before it can be moved to another number otherwise you forfeit the MIR and manufacturers rebate...
I think it's a new thing, because I've done it before. Either that or there were some tricks they used to be able to pull.
@UnderLoK: it's nothing new. it's been done for years. and it makes complete sense. the point of the contract is so they recoup the money they lose on the front end. by upgrading an eligible line so you can swap it to a line that isn't eligible that is a scam and essentially fraud. it shouldn't be allowed at all. at least they give you the option of doing it and just making you forfeit the MIR. completely fair and more than understandable.
@quitcherbichinn: I understand why it is that way, however it's not a scam when upgrading a 4 year old phone and swapping numbers around. The phones still carry the same fulfillment dates which are independent of the phone number.
If I take a phone which becomes eligible on say December 12th and swap that with a new phone from another number that doesn't change the fulfillment date on that device which would still leave me with one phone that fulfills on December 12 and one that fulfills a year from now.
Either which way like I said it's not a big deal, just have to wait a couple weeks or maybe switch all together depending on what deals other carriers have going on because come the 1st I'm totally off the hook :)
@Kcm117: I don't think it's ugly but it's not as interesting as the original version. It was nice to see HTC do something a little unusual for a change. Their phones usually have good guts but unrefined looks.
November for the HTC Hero? Hmm, that's a little too long for me. My contract with Alltel, I think I've been switched to Verizon now, is up October 27th. Too bad, if it had been out sooner, maybe they'd get us to stay on. But, alas, Sprint's calling.
Plus, as far as I know, Sprint isn't full of lying bastards who nickel and dime you at EVERY turn and try to punish you for not being an equal asshole to them.
@Anonymoose: One time I brought my phone along to dinner with my girlfriend's parents. It kept chewing with its mouth wide open. When I asked it to stop, it spit meatloaf down my girlfriend's mother's blouse.
@OCEntertainment: forealzies? sorry to hear about that dude. so, uhh...does that mean your phone is fair game? i'm not saying i would do anything with it, but...you know
@OCEntertainment: That is impressive! My phone used to be a pretty standard, well-mannered device.... until it found the reefer.
Now it just spends it's days idling around, not responding to any of my simple queries and just laying on the couch, spilling cheetos crumbs all over the cushions.
11/17/09
Is the Best Buy deal restricted to new contracts or does it include renewals? And if I got the phone via Best Buy, is it still possible to get a plan using Sprint Employee Referral or other such voodoo? #htchero
11/17/09
I believe BB can't do employee referral accounts. You could always sign up with them and then change your plan- but that may be more work than it's worth. #htchero
11/17/09
I'm not certain, but I think "new" means "new." #htchero
11/17/09
11/18/09
You asked a question, I answered. Sorry you don't like the answer; but if you felt that "negotiating" might get you the same deal, you might have said that in your original comment and save me the effort of being a smart-ass. #htchero
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
Negative.
I'll probably rue making this statement but I work for Sprint, and I currently have a Pre. I love my Pre, and Sprint is the tits, especially the plans. I'm just open minded enough to realize hotness. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
ps
the Sprint NFL app sucks balls. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
Anyway, I am also getting a bit annoyed by the general tone with the Hero. I can't speak for the GSM version, but the Sprint (CDMA) version is very polished as it is. Personally, I think the Sprint version looks a bit better, with the exception to the button area. If you look at the back and top of the phone, you'll probably agree.
Far as I can tell, there is no lag in the UI, it does take a second to switch from portrait to landscape. It can tend to bog down if I am running too many applications in the back, but taskkiller eliminates that problem. Website zoom is very smooth (as opposed to one review video I watched). The ability to continuously type on the virtual keyboard is unmatched by almost anything. I miss the keys A LOT, but 95%, it knows what I want, and it's seamless, you just keep typing.
If you ask anyone who has the Hero, or even a few fans of HTC, they'll tell you this phone is the one to get for 2009, and probably most of 2010. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/29/09
Typing is great, though, except for in the web browser, where it's practically unusable due to the lag. I can type very fast on my Magic, and even though the iPhone allows me to physically type faster due to the better responsiveness, overall the Magic wins because of its superior spell-check. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
We've got a Moto version of it but I've seen nothing to indicate that is how the regular 2.0 build is going to look. I'm sure that sense will look just fine on top of it and all features will be preserved.
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
Its still mostly a given though. Android has pushed all updates just like apple has with the iphone. There is hardware limitations here that will likely prevent it from being on the G1 (which is a current phone but defiantly at the end of its life). Thats just how it works though. Even the updates on the iPhone is still hardware limited. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
Besides, it's never really a given that you'll ever get an update for a device. Eventually apple will release a new version of the iPhone that will software that is just too much for the old 1st generation iPhones to handle. It just so happens that Android is evolving quite quickly now, so hardware is more prone to being tossed asunder.
Besides besides, the carriers have a lot of say about what updates they push, and carriers can suck sometimes ;) #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
The G1 and other android phones are still being sold on contracts and we don't know if they will receive the 2.0 update. The G1 is being sold in Canada on THREE YEAR contracts. Do you honestly think that the G1 is going to get an android 3 or 4.0 update when it comes out? HELL NO.
They shouldn't be selling the device anymore when they don't have plans to continue releasing updates for it. It's totally unfair to the consumer, and the way android updates are done the consumers are pretty much in the dark, whereas with the iPhone you plug it in and iTunes tells you there's an update. :/ #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
The fact is, no one is yet selling a phone that for sure won't get this update. All we have are rumors, and the telecom's shouldn't stop selling a phone that people will buy just because of a rumor it won't get an update in the future.
Of course none of that changes the face that if I don't get the 2.0 update with my G1 from T-mobile, I'll be upset. But the benefits of an open platform are that someone will get the update to the phone if it is possible, it just may be a bit more work. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/28/09
my head is exploding #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/28/09
The hero is one of the top of the line Android phones and it can remain that way with the new 2.0 update. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/28/09
The "hero" is the "other" droid launching on VZW. The cheap one that no one really cares about.
The specs are seriously outdated when you start comparing it to android phones in the pipeline.
Software updates don't make it more current. They don't fix processor or screen resolution. It may change how the processor crunches on the sense UI but thats still the limitations.
If I were deciding between an android phone and an iPhone (which I think was the original poster's real intent). The hero isn't even on the list now 2.0 or not. #android20onhtchero
10/28/09
10/29/09
Software updates don't make it more current? I hope that's a joke because that is exactly what it does, for software not hardware, which is we were talking about.
Obviously, the hero is going to be outdated when comparing it with phones that haven't even come out yet. Isn't that the point? Right now the hero is out there and people want to be included with the new updates that android has to offer, more and more android phones are going to roll out and at least half of them are going to be better hardware wise than the ones before it.
Lastly, i'm pretty positive that they are deciding between the iphone and the hero that is on sprints network which is already out. And by no means is the hero not on the list. It definitely is still and will be one of the top sprint phones for awhile. #android20onhtchero
10/29/09
But on your other points...
No, no joke. Software doesn't change hardware and that was my point. It may add features but if the hardware can't pull its weight its pointless. The underlying problem was never "just" the software. It was the hardware running it that strained to keep up.
And you're right it is the point to compare it to phones that aren't out yet. When some one says "should I get this or this" at this point you're silly to not say "why not wait a week and get one of the best reviewed android handsets yet". Thats why we read stuff like this and come here. Hell I tried to convince my friend to just wait a week for it when he thought he lost his phone. He didn't like that idea for some reason. So no, its not about whats out right now because right now there is no hero with 2.0 so its silly to buy one on the promise of 2.0 when there is a phone with better hardware and software only a few short days away.
Again, I'm not 100% sure he even knew what he was really comparing it to, but the hero currently on Sprint is the same as the phone thats going to be on VZW (thus the quotes) which is going as a budget phone. It may be on a Sprint short list but its a stretch to infer thats where he was going with it. Its not on any other short list that I have though.
10/12/09
10/12/09
10/12/09
The Hero is a BEAUTIFUL device, the design is the only reason I would buy the phone for, its much better looking then an iPhone and just about anything else to have ever landed on the gadget landscape.
Why oh why did they go and make HTC change the look of the frigin Hero? Make it ugly at that.
The Hero went from a beauty in HTC's hands to a dumb generic brick at sprint.
10/12/09
10/12/09
Since I would loose $100, I'll be waiting a month.
10/12/09
I got a new sprint phone in mid-april (of this year), and as far as I know, received the full rebate on it (samsung rant), even though I used the eligibility from a different phone on my family's account.
have they really changed it since then? i feel like i may be missing something, but maybe there are still ways to get the MIR?
10/12/09
I think it's a new thing, because I've done it before. Either that or there were some tricks they used to be able to pull.
10/12/09
10/12/09
If I take a phone which becomes eligible on say December 12th and swap that with a new phone from another number that doesn't change the fulfillment date on that device which would still leave me with one phone that fulfills on December 12 and one that fulfills a year from now.
Either which way like I said it's not a big deal, just have to wait a couple weeks or maybe switch all together depending on what deals other carriers have going on because come the 1st I'm totally off the hook :)
10/12/09
10/12/09
10/06/09
We gonna see ads for this thing with "Sweet Home Alabama" playing? (I know, that's 'Shoals')
10/06/09
10/06/09
Seems Verizon is thinking the name might be the Tao or the Droid. Much better.
10/06/09
Plus, as far as I know, Sprint isn't full of lying bastards who nickel and dime you at EVERY turn and try to punish you for not being an equal asshole to them.
10/07/09
I do.
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
From behind. It was actually a pretty good shot.
We broke up.
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
Now it just spends it's days idling around, not responding to any of my simple queries and just laying on the couch, spilling cheetos crumbs all over the cushions.