A new Hero emerges!

No, the phone does not clone itself...

Have you ever held something that felt like it was made for you, something that felt as if it were crafted to fit in your hand? Have you ever had something that fit your personality so perfectly you can’t remember life without it? Can you imagine all of this in a cell phone? Neither could I, then I was asked to review the new HTC Hero from Sprint.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of this phone. It’s neither too big nor too small. The first thing to jump out at you is how solid this phone feels. It’s amazing. No creaking plastic, gaps in the seams, or easily scratched surfaces. I fell in love with its brushed aluminum casing almost immediately. But there is so much more then its sleek exterior is letting on.

What makes this phone feel so perfect, like you can’t live without it? The Google Android system it comes loaded with is fully customizable.  From the home screen to the way the Icons look, you can customize every aspect of this phone to truly fit your personality. Should you decided to be more of a Jock than the Shy guy next-door, the phone can switch to match your personality.  Truly incredible, and not something many phones offer.

The other thing I liked about this phone is its blazing fast internet. Without a doubt this phone takes full advantage of the Sprint 3g network. I was able to make changes to my OpenTable reservation while stuck in Los Angeles traffic and check my Facebook updates in a matter of seconds. To a busy professional on the go, this becomes quite important. This phone quickly becomes your personal assistant, delivering your e-mail and your schedule at the touch of a button.

Did I mention this phone is completely touch screen? Like other phones out there its crystal clear display is great for video but more then that, its very responsive. Not once did I have a problem typing a text message or touching any of the icons… and I have large hands and clumsy thumbs!

So let’s talk app store. Granted it’s just starting out, but the Android store has more apps then this user knew what to do with.  There were apps to further customize your interface, office to go, and tons of games. The store is easy to use and the installation of new programs was very quick and easy.

Although the Hero is a very strong phone with some amazing features, it does have its faults.  My main complaint is, how can you make a phone so powerful and leave out the one feature most users are screaming for, a pull out keyboard. Granted the onscreen keyboard is very responsive and the track ball was a joy to use, it would have been nice to have the option for some real finger on key action. My other complaint: hitting the end call button doesn’t close the application, it puts the phone to sleep. There was a learning curve for this and the first day was a bit aggravating.

One last thought to leave you with, when you get a phone call from your annoying aunt, simply turn the phone over on it’s screen and it stops ringing. How’s that for call screening?

I would give the Hero a solid 8 out of 10 stars. There is room for improvement like with any phone, but HTC, Google, Sprint and Android have crafted a great phone that is sure to keep even the shortest attention span busy for hours on end.

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