Super Penguin NET

I’ve been watching the HTC Hero for a while now. I’ve waited to get it for 2 reasons. 1. cause I didn’t qualify for an upgrade until January 1st, 2010. 2. Cause I wanted to wait till it went back on sale. Both finally happened. It was on sale for $99 at Best Buy while everyone else still had it at $179 (after a $100 M.I.R.). So I decided to pick it up this weekend.

I’ve been using an HTC Touch for the last year (Not the pro). This came with Windows Mobile 6.1 I had upgraded it to Windows Mobile 6.5 and eventually redid the whole thing and loaded it with Android 1.5. On this phone I tried the various flavors of Android from version 1.5 to 2.1. Once I started using Android I instantly fell in love with it. It has the open development I require, sleek interface, quick and responsiveness. Now the HTC Touch was not designed for Android so it’s interface/button mapping could be weird. For example it doesn’t detect orientation, there is no back or home button (this is the Camera button as mapped), it is pressure sensitive touch screen.

The HTC Hero though is way better. It has a light sensor to automatically adjust brightness based on your surrounds, brighter if it’s bright out dimmer if its dark out. The screen is very responsive. This was the first thing I had to get use to. Like I said my HTC Touch was pressure sensitive, this is not. Simple tap of my finger and it works, while before I had to use my thumbnail or stylus. It has a 5MP camera which seems great for taking pictures so far, it doesn’t have a flash which would help out in low light situations. Phone calls are clear.

One huge feature that I really liked was the built in support provided by HTC to sync with Microsoft Exchange servers. It supports direct push for both google (seems to anyways) and Microsoft Exchange. Syncs all my contacts, calendars, and email. Prior with Android you have to get 3rd party software to sync with Microsoft Exchange and that software isn’t free either. So to me this was a huge plus.

Rumor has it that it will be upgraded to Android 2.1 in March. No official answer from HTC or Sprint that I have seen. The only “Official” word I have seen is it will be upgraded to 2.1 in the first half of 2010. For now I will just deal with 1.5. I have downloaded a number of Apps but I will only list off the ones I recommend in no specific order:

• Google Maps
• Barcode Scanner
• Reality Browser 3.0
• AK Notepad
• Advanced Task Killer
• Pandora Radio
• Shazam
• Meebo IM
• Movies
• Astro File manager
• Facebook for Android

If you want an inexpensive Android phone for Sprint PCS I would definitely recommend this phone. Especially since it will be getting 2.1. I’ll give an update after a week or 2 on my experience’s, issues, pro’s, etc..