HTC Hero vs iPhone 3GS, is the HTC Hero the first legit iPhone Killer?
The HTC Hero is here(well it will be soon) and this could be a legitimate iPhone killer, or at least the first phone that makes me want to jump over and snag it in place of my iPhone.
HTC made a good choice and dropped Windows Mobile for the Android OS, as that was one of the major things keeping me, and alot of people, from the HTC Fuze. Since we need to know if it can really “kill” the iPhone, I made a breakdown:
Things HTC Hero has but the 3GS doesnt:
Right now it has a few things that even the iPhone 3GS doesnt have.
5.0 megapixel camera, which in of itself is worth the phone.
It has a flash enabled web browser, so there is a whole new realm of possibilities when it comes to streaming video, music and other things via the internet.
It comes with a MicroSD slot so you can expand the memory as well.
Wide range of audio/video file support.
Open phone OS with Android.
Things HTC Hero matches with the 3GS:
It comes packed with a Digital Compass, same screen size and resolution, multi-touch, internal GPS antena, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, 3.5 MM Audio Jack,
Things it doesnt match up with 3GS:
Internal Harddrive: So far there is nothing listed on the HTC site that mentions anything sort of internal harddrive for storage. At this point you will have to rely on the microSD for all storage which I am not a big fan of, I prefer the internal HD the iPhone boasts.
I also see no mention of an external speak like the iPhone for music playback. That is also a big turn off for this phone since I listen to my iPhone on a daily basis through the external speaker.
The design is almost as thing as the 3GS, but I am not a big fan of the “chin” or the curved bottom part of the phone. Seems like it would be uncomfortable in my pocket if turned the wrong way, and look strange to people if turned out.
It makes no mention of the Auto Focus option the 3GS now supports, so that would be a win for the 3GS as well.
Height/Width/Weight/Battery vs 3GS:
iPhone 3GS Height: 4.5 inches
HTC Hero Height: 4.41 inches
iPhone 3GS Width: 0.48 inches
HTC Hero Width: 0.57 inches
iPhone 3GS Weight: 4.8 ounces
HTC Hero Weight: 4.76 ounces
iPhone 3GS Battery Talk Time: 5 Hours on 3G
HTC Hero Battery Talk Time: 7.8 Hours on 3G
iPhone 3GS Standby Time: Up to 300 Hours
HTC Hero Standby Time: Up to 440 Hours
All in all this is going to be one that I give a strong look at to take the place of my iPhone for the camera, multi-touch and android alone.
Here are some additonal photos for you to enjoy…
Android is the killer system which makes everything possible even between programs.
Sense is the first UI created upon Android the world have seen, and its for sure also a killer.
Hero is cool, innovating, personal, customizable, it’s everything the iphone can only pretend to be!
Hero FTW!!!
Htc hero= 100% iPhone killer
Though not as large as the iPhone, the Hero does have internal memory (288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM). It does have autofocus as well. It says it has speakerphone capabilities, so I’m assuming that large speaker at the top would be able to play music as well. So, as far as tech comparisons go, this phone will by far be superior to the iPhone. The design is, of course, opinion…Leno chin or not, this device is definitely a “Hero!”
There is some type of auto focus on the Hero, there are many sites (not official HTC)that say it has some form of it!
not meaning to be anal but flash based memory and hard drives are totally different. The iPhone has flash based memory. micro-sd cards and all memory cards are flash based memory. They are not hard drives.
htc hero does have auto focus and an external speaker. 100% i phone killer, dosnt cost the earth too!
it says autofocus on the back of the HTC hero, next to the lens.
“f2.8 autofocus 5.0 mega pixels” to be precise.
http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/htc-hero-in-graphite
HTC mentions the AUTO focus on HTC Hero on its website. So its official. Despite of its crooked chin, I still like HTC Hero. It is just the lack of internal memory that turns me off.
personaly ill stay with my iphone. the iphone could be so much better if apple wouldn’t try to stop other developers from makeing software for the iphone. the ihpone rigth now is not that good but jailbroken the iphone is better in my opinion if i couldn’t jailbreak i might get the hero but they got i tunes which is where most legelly bought music is bougth. take out itunes and jailbreaking and i would pefer that phone.
If i spelled think wrong sry i type fast.
forgot to say iphone3gs has 512mb of ram . idk about 3g and 2g
i think hero will be second most wanted phone next to the iphone. finally a real touch screen tired of those cheaper ones where you acually have to push.
sry for all the comens i forgoet to write things in comments alot
i’m buying it!! i’m not riding that iphone bandwagon
Dude, this phone is beyond iphone, it makes the iphone look like boring rubbish, I’m not biased, my brother has an iphone even my g1 customized puts it to shame. This phone is on a new level full flash 10 mobile, enables you flash on websites, full screen full quality on youtube “which the g1 can do if you press settings/watch vid in high quality, but not on the website the g1 can’t do that. Also flash games on websites is amazing on the hero. HTC sense, if you study it and educate yourself on it, you will find this phone far superior, you can literally have 2 different settings of home with “EVERYTHING ELSE” custom for a weekend and go back to “weekly basis” scene. Man The list is so huge I would be here all day explaining how much better this phone is, it shouldnt even be compared with iphone 3gs, same old boring limited, capped, SLAVED by apple and AT&T you can now send pictures? HMMM AT&T DOESNT ALLOW THAT YET. If you know anything about phones, g1 having android and real keyboard already rapes iphone 3g, but not quite the 3gs due to the lack of what hero has. Well youtube, google and do your research, i would not take an iphone 3gs for free for personal use if I could pay 600 for a hero, real talk. Android has grown on me, and seeing how i truly use my phone for wayyy more than just a phone, the hero will be in my hands 1 way or an other, btw, im extremely satisfied with tmobile as well. To be a new phone, new operating system and new 3g on my area the g1 is an amazing hell of a phone. Can’t wait = ) bye. hit me up for any questions regarding this phone g2slick@gmail.com
it got speaker, it got autofokus, it got everything. if it is something you cant find, check android market and download it FREE! if it still isnt there.. It’s unlocked so it can have any programs..
i’ll go for the true HERO!
Two thing I miss on both phones is a FM radio. If the hero just had that, i would trade my iPhone because of the 5 mp camera. I hate the tweak in the buttom of the Hero and it is also 2 mm deeper. Dont think it will look nice in my jeans
hmm dont know if it kills the Iphone but at least the first close competitor.
Too bad about the CPU…
I was going to buy an iphone simply because everyone else had one then I stumbled onto the htc youtube site and was blown away by the spec of the Hero.
I can’t wait till I get my hands on one!
Maybe a little nitpicky, but Hero needs the UI where scroll bounces when you come to the end of a menu. Don’t ask me why, but I love that feature.
Did a line in this article show doubt about there not being an external speaker? Every phone in the world must have a speaker, of course! Else how on earth will you hear it ring?! How can there be ANY such doubt??
I am going to buy one of these phones today, and im really really loving the amazing features of the G2/HTC hero. Seriosuly just watch these youtube videos for the hero.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJN8cXyyEQM
iPhone killer? Wouldn’t go that far but it is a nice phone. Can it do things iPhone can’t? Yes, flash…. That’s about it. I can multi task on my i, I can change my background and put widgets on my springboard. The 3gs could of been updated on the outside but as a total package it’s hard to beat. Until HTC sells as many units as the 3gs has in as short a time as it has I’ll still have to say 3gs takes the contest hands down. There is a reason 3gs has sold that many units…. it kicks butt at what it does, and does what it kicks butt at well. So whine and cry about the “iPhone bandwagon” as much as you want, if the phone was a turd no one would buy it. Where did HTC get the idea for many of those nifty options the hero comes with….. Yep, you’re right! I’m glad there are other companies putting out awesome phones, it makes each company try harder… including HTC and Apple.
AirAssault, I’d say that flash was quite an important thing to include on whats supposed to be a multi media handset !!!
in my opinion the iphone is a gimicky piece of shit !! and the only reason it’s sold so many units is clever marketing by apple……….
see this brilliant new apple inovation
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
just brilliant !!
I own a Hero since two days and I haven’t touched my Iphone 3G yet. I’m telling you the possibilities, you can only imagine.
EVERYTHING is customizable, even the basic functions. No jamming, background apps smooth. I don’t even know how many programs I would be running at the same time.
I like the iphone best and the reason why i do that is because it is so simple and it does the things it does extremely good.
but that doesn’t meen i’m going to buy it, because it is d*mn expensive.
How can you review a phone you obviously haven’t even seen?
Well… Obviously no one is talking design here… wonder why….
As said by others… the iPhone performs so well at what it does… and that all I ever need… When I receive documents via email, it can run the shite… Office package so no need in my world for any change… and surely not to a phone who looks a couple of years older… at least…
I have had a lot of phones through my time, and was kind a hesitant on buying an iPhone myself… but hey, I never wanna go back now…
Strangley nobody mentions the poor quality of video shooting on the Hero… Sorry but 15 frames per second and such a small resolution is just not satisfying.. Not to mention higher resolution videos play very laggy on the phone…
HTC hero is really the iphone killer with the android…
Well the made a very cool UI and forgot to make sure the hardware was capable of running it smoothly. Reviews say it is horribly slow. Sorry to say it Android fan boys but Android still needs further work and revisions to have a shot at knocking apple of its throne.
The lag on the hero has already been taken care of by htc, i haven’t gone either way yet between the two, but beginning to lean towards the hero…even if it means waiting until october. However I’m not too sure it will kill the iphone because even if it trumps the the iphone in every way, there is an apple mania going on right now, and it would take some very clever marketing to make the mainstream market switch over, the hero will probably end up being a much better phone that only us techies will realize and enjoy
the hero is a great phone and will be a tough competitor for the iphone 3gs but the iphone 3gs is also a very great phone as much as i hate to admit it, it is a great phone and im sure apple will have future updates and those updates will bring sum kick ass features.. but android has been the underdog for way too long so im keepin my fingers crossed and good luck android… G1 also kicks ass
I own a HTC Hero and I have to say even though I luv the phone but hate iphones, the iphone 3Gs is still a game winner. The Hero is a close 2nd though. The Hero runs very fast just like the iphone. Their is no lags. The Hero is more of organzing then entertainment. Ofcourse the iphone music player is waaaaay better than the hero. Google dont even have EQ for its music player. The hero browser is not really fully flashed. I dont why!! I went to couple flash sites, and it was blocked out. Iphones 3.2 megamixel camera is waaaaaaaay clearler than hero’s 5 megapixel. I dont even wanna start on the video camera. If you get your iphone 3gs jailbroken, then their’s more oppertunties for you. Basically their is no difference btwn the 2 really, however the iphobe still hasnt been taken over. If you want to move to google os, then ill say get the hero cause its the only closes phone on this planet, i can say, that has the same experience as the iphone.
Para mi mejor el HTC, pero hay que tener los dos para compararlos..
http://www.mundotactil.com/2009/08/25/htc-hero-vs-iphone/
Hero is probably the best phone on the market right now. It will probably never be an iPhone killer, Apple is too god at marketing to allow that to happen. Technically iPhone is far behind.
Better battery life. Very good, and very configurable user interface. Battery and SIM card replaceable without tools. Extremly easy tethering out of the box (at least on Linux).
Good flash support.
What could they have done better? I really would have liked a physical keyboard like on the G1. Using applications like ssh clients is not all that fun on a screen keyboard.
The HTC Hero looks great….I could see myself replacing my iPhone 3GS with this. What I don’t like about the iPhone is no Flash in the web browser, only 3 Megapixal camera, weak wifi, and no ability to customize. It’s about time real competition comes to the iPhone. Only then will the iPhone get out of 2007. i must praise the iPhone though, as it has caused the other cell phone companies to finally start innovating phones, as we have not seen any improvement in phones from 2002 to 2007.
So Flash is kind of a big deal on new smartphones. The iPhone doesn’t have it, the Pre doesn’t have it, BlackBerry devices don’t have it… but the Hero does. Unfortunately, in our testing, we found the inclusion actually hurts operation of the phone more than it helps. When browsing to a site heavy on Flash (there are many), the browser loading times were abysmal. Furthermore, trying to view videos in-window produced choppy, nearly unwatchable results. You may have a better experience with lighter kinds of content, but in our opinion the main reason to introduce Flash into a mobile environment is to allow for broader media viewing options, and in the current state of this Flash player, you’re not really going to get much mileage out of it.
iphone 3Gs rocks
@si What a statement you got there little fanboy. Its really hard to find an argument strong enough to convince readers otherwise after your post
Except for:
You wont buy a mobile there is limited in many ways.
1) you are gonna get a wide selection of android mobiles!
2) Its open source so a lot can be done in Android.
3) The Android api allows applications to work together and use (extent) each other.
4) You can really personalize this shit!
5) WIDGETS!!!!
6) Multitasking, what a poor thing that iphone cant do more than one thing at the time.
7) Better bluetooth connectivty.
9) You wont let apple beating you around the bush, and cheat you for a lot of shit on the first many versions so they can sell you a new generation iphone over and over again!
And i could keep on going all night long, but i think these 9 says more than enough. So take you 3gs and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine anymore cause its good for nothing else :p
my self and couple of friends are using HTC since 3 weeks now. the device wifi is defected . you hve to restart the device several time in order for it to join ordenary wifi network
Wot is Android? Wotever it is my iphone don’t need it, works fine as it is and looks FANTASTIC. I don’t need anything cheaper or thicker or more clunky that wastes my time. by the time Hero can do all this Apple will be the next step ahead.
The Hero, with a upgrade, gets touch focus, which is better than the Iphone
even if the Hero did not have a focus, its 5MP camera takes clearer pictures then the Iphones 3.2MP XD
So ronni little hero fanboy why do you only name a few bullshit comments about the I phone why not name some about the hero I hear no matter how good your wifi is the Heros internet crashes wouldn’t that just piss you off when your half way wanking over your gay porn and it just crashes awwwww poor you and your heros shity camera sucks now you can’t get clear pictures of ur gay boy friends sorry to say but I-PHONE FTW
Woah woah woah.
Everyone calm down.
1. Hero > iPhone.
The iPhone simply doesn’t do enough.
Yes there are apps but then again there are android apps too.
The camera is better.
Especially with the new update.
The iPhone has terrible battery life.
The iPhone has terrible signal. (My dad says his E71 gets waaay better signal than his OLD IPHONE.)
And finally.
Android is the future.
The iPhone OS has to becom open source otherwise… People will just ignore it and choose android.
This is good. I wanted pictures to add in my school project and the images you have posted are good. Thanks for them buddy! I guess teacher will love my project due to these images and of course the information I provided.