Is it still worth it to get a Hero now?

[PhatboyNYC]

Thanks for the responses. It's not that the Evo and Epic are out of my price range...I don't mind paying the extra $10 monthly for the 4g phones if it meant I actually got 4g service.

By going to an android phone on the SERO plan, I already have to pay an additional $10 per month - can't justify paying another $10 on top of that for essentially the same service.

I probably web surf more on my phone than make actual calls so internet speed is important to me. lol While my old Motorola q9c was really outdated, the internet was amazingly fast compared to my recent TP2. Yeah I've been checking out Diamonds too but if the internet is anything like the TP2, then I won't bother. I just figured the Hero would be different being that it's an android device rather than a wm.

[Mac11700]

Originally Posted by PhatboyNYC

Thanks for the responses. It's not that the Evo and Epic are out of my price range...I don't mind paying the extra $10 monthly for the 4g phones if it meant I actually got 4g service.

By going to an android phone on the SERO plan, I already have to pay an additional $10 per month - can't justify paying another $10 on top of that for essentially the same service.

I probably web surf more on my phone than make actual calls so internet speed is important to me. lol While my old Motorola q9c was really outdated, the internet was amazingly fast compared to my recent TP2. Yeah I've been checking out Diamonds too but if the internet is anything like the TP2, then I won't bother. I just figured the Hero would be different being that it's an android device rather than a wm.

I really disliked surfing with my TP2's. they all seemed to lag no matter where I was at with them. I can say the Hero I have now doesn't seem to do this and works very well..in the same locations I used the TP2's..Also the battery life is much better so far.The Evo from my comparisons of them work even better ( except for battery life) and I am guessing here..but would imagine the Epic will probably do as well. If I had to choose between the Epic and Evo..I would go for the Epic with the better screen and processor to tell ya the truth,but the weight and size of both of them is almost at a point of not wanting to get either one of them for me.but I text more than surf the web with mine and I have absolutely no need to down load movies to mine like some folks I know do with the Evo..

The new Hero is a nice phone and will do most people well..and the keyboard is getting easier to use with practice for me. It is a hard choice..I know,but the reliability for me along with the all the features,and ease of downloading all the different apps made it a no brainer for my choice. The Android is certainly different than Windows..and has a lot of development going on with it,so to me unless Microsoft makes some really worth while changes (which isn't likely) Android will be the standard to choose from for quite a while. Good Luck on yours.

Mac

[fixxxer2012]

since a froyo rom is almost finished for the hero, id say yes buy it.

[iviyth0s]

Originally Posted by fixxxer2008

since a froyo rom is almost finished for the hero, id say yes buy it.

almost finished he says, I just flashed to this badboy earlier this afternoon.
Froyo your heart out: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731659
So far no big problems and I love the customization!

[lotten]

I've owned the HTC Hero thru Sprint since November.
I do like it, but wouldn't get it today due to it being underpowered by current standards.
It was pretty good with the native Android1.5, but I've flashed current Fresh ROMS as they come.
Android 2.x is a little too much for this phone.
There is a weird audio bug, where periodically the audio will just quit (there is a Bug ID for this, and is supposedly fixed, but I still see complaints about it. Anyways.....)

If I were to get a phone today, I would go for the EVO, or any Android phone with the 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU (the Hero is a 500Mhz process, I think).
Yes, they'll make you pay a $10 fee because its a 4G phone, even though 4G coverage isn't in many places, but your EVO phone will run faster then the Hero even over 3G because of the extra CPU power.

To help reduce that $10 fee, look for a discount offer for Sprint.
I have a 18% discount for my Sprint service through my employer.
But I was also offered a 5% or 10% discount thru my Credit Union. Many people are Credit Union members.
I might even have a scan of that offer stored somewhere.

[lotten]

BTW,
In November, I received my brand new Hero with a new Sprint contract and paid only $100.
The sign indicated $179, and I figured the discounted prices was because it was about to come down. But not sure that ever happened.

Maybe I was just nice to the Customer Service Rep.

[PhatboyNYC]

=D>

Originally Posted by lotten

I've owned the HTC Hero thru Sprint since November.
I do like it, but wouldn't get it today due to it being underpowered by current standards.
It was pretty good with the native Android1.5, but I've flashed current Fresh ROMS as they come.
Android 2.x is a little too much for this phone.
There is a weird audio bug, where periodically the audio will just quit (there is a Bug ID for this, and is supposedly fixed, but I still see complaints about it. Anyways.....)

If I were to get a phone today, I would go for the EVO, or any Android phone with the 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU (the Hero is a 500Mhz process, I think).
Yes, they'll make you pay a $10 fee because its a 4G phone, even though 4G coverage isn't in many places, but your EVO phone will run faster then the Hero even over 3G because of the extra CPU power.

To help reduce that $10 fee, look for a discount offer for Sprint.
I have a 18% discount for my Sprint service through my employer.
But I was also offered a 5% or 10% discount thru my Credit Union. Many people are Credit Union members.
I might even have a scan of that offer stored somewhere.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the EVO and soon to be released Epic both blow the Hero out of the water performance wise but for someone who has used the Moto Q9c for 2 years like me, the Hero is still an upgrade.

To be honest, I don't need a super multimedia phone like most new phones are. I probably use my phones most for web surfing, either during my commute to and from work, while in the toilet, etc. lol I rarely even make phone calls.

If the Hero is a good platform for web browsing, then that's perfect for me.

Also, I went to a Sprint store to check out the Evo and Hero in person and I personally like the size and feel of the Hero in my hand compared to the Evo which is a bit oversized.

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far in this thread.

[gTen]

Originally Posted by PhatboyNYC

=D>

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the EVO and soon to be released Epic both blow the Hero out of the water performance wise but for someone who has used the Moto Q9c for 2 years like me, the Hero is still an upgrade.

To be honest, I don't need a super multimedia phone like most new phones are. I probably use my phones most for web surfing, either during my commute to and from work, while in the toilet, etc. lol I rarely even make phone calls.

If the Hero is a good platform for web browsing, then that's perfect for me.

Also, I went to a Sprint store to check out the Evo and Hero in person and I personally like the size and feel of the Hero in my hand compared to the Evo which is a bit oversized.

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far in this thread.

Screen size aside the 1ghz processor helps a lot at surfing the web actually :/

If the EVO is too big for you, you can try the Epic, it is a bit fatter due to the keyboard but smaller in size horizontally.

IDk to say if web will render faster on a Hero over a moto Q9c...mostly since the browser is better on Android so it would render some elements that your old phone would not thus slowing down load times.

But with sprint you got 30 days so you can take out a Hero and if it does not meet your criteria return it.

[PhatboyNYC]

Originally Posted by Mac11700

The new Hero is a nice phone and will do most people well..and the keyboard is getting easier to use with practice for me. It is a hard choice..I know,but the reliability for me along with the all the features,and ease of downloading all the different apps made it a no brainer for my choice. The Android is certainly different than Windows..and has a lot of development going on with it,so to me unless Microsoft makes some really worth while changes (which isn't likely) Android will be the standard to choose from for quite a while. Good Luck on yours.

Mac

When you say the "new" Hero, is there a newer version out or something? I've been browsing craigslist, ebay and this site for Heros and noticed some of them are listed as the Hero 200.

[Mac11700]

Originally Posted by PhatboyNYC

When you say the "new" Hero, is there a newer version out or something? I've been browsing craigslist, ebay and this site for Heros and noticed some of them are listed as the Hero 200.

While it is still a 200..the new 2.1updated software makes it seem like a totally different phone. We took my wifes Hero into the Sprint store dropped it off and had them update it yesterday while we did some shopping.Took them about 45 minutes saving all the contacts for us on the phone. To her it is hands down 10x better than before. The ring lag (which is still there) seems much less and the typing is way better for her to text message with as well. She also likes having all of her screens condensed on the home screen so she can get to her apps faster. Comparing them to both my sons Hero's standing side by side with the same signal to the router ours will connect to the web faster than theirs and can surf faster as well. So the software has to be tweaked in someway IMHO to allow this. If you buy one off Craig's list then take it in and let the store update it,unless you plan on rooting it and using a different rom. I plan on rooting it sooner or later..but I'm having fun with it as it is for right now.

Mac