The wait is over, and the HTC Hero is finally here. Yes, we know that the review is late. Yes, we know that there are several reviews out there already.
Maybe this is just one more in the pool. Or, maybe this is one of those reviews from someone who actually uses the phone in a business setting.......someone similar to you.
First impressions of the Hero are awesome. The phone looks really nice right out of the box.
Once the phone was powered up, we quickly noticed how vibrant, clear, and crisp the screen was. We also noticed that the touchscreen was very accurate and responsive.
Upon activation, the time, date, and weather are updated for your area. This is a really nice feature. There are a few quick links on the main screen that can be customized, as well as the ability to swipe left or right for more functions and features.
Placing a phone call was simple, and contacts are easily pulled up thorugh the use of the dial pad.
Connection to our Exchange server was quick and simple, and with a few tweaks we were receiving emails quickly.
Ok, so on to the cool features. There is a notifications bar at the top of the screen that alerts you to Twitter updates, missed calls, emails, etc. From any screen you can drag this bar down and go directly to what you have missed. This is an amazing feature.
Also, the weather function. When it is raining in your area, the screen actually looks like rain is hitting it, and then a windshield wiper goes across the screen and cleans it off..........definitely a pretty cool feature.
All in all, I am not a huge fan of on screen keyboard phones, but this one is simple to use with the word anticipation feature. Words that are misspelled are easily fixed with this feature, and typing becomes a breeze. The phone also memorizes words that you use and saves them in the vocabulary for the next time you use it.
So, my final verdict? The phone is definitely worth buying. Would I recommend it over my trusty Blackberry? I am not sure yet, but so far things look good.
Until next time.................