New Android “Hero” Interface by HTC

Published on June 24th, 2009

Posted by John C Dvorak in Video

A slight preoccupation with the time and weather, but interesting.

Thanks, QB.

21 users responded in " New Android “Hero” Interface by HTC "

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# 1 Jim said, on June 24th, 2009 at 11:45 pm

Hmmm interesting indeed. I may see how much it would cost me to switch from what I have.

# 2 GregA said, on June 25th, 2009 at 12:58 am

Yeah…

Its kinda sad how much effort goes into these things for how little improvement they offer over dumb handsets for doing things like… making phone calls or sending text messages.

I am gonna have to say the Dvorak was right a couple of years ago, and call these things a fad, by the end of next year people will be using and wanting dumb handsets again…

# 3 SaadTech said, on June 25th, 2009 at 1:09 am

I dun know people but things like this it’s gonna make my life much more fun. when I travel I can add the locations of the pictures I take in the maps so I can recommend a place for a friend and give them the exact location this is really neat.

Dvorak this is the first time I write in your blog and I’m a big fan thanks for the article.

# 4 TooManyPuppies said, on June 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am

JCD, you’re getting old. The “Hero” is the name of the phone aka the hardware. The interface is called Sense UI.

http://engadget.com/2009/06/24/htc-hero-hands-on/

[Please drop the WWW from URLs as WordPress doesn't display it properly... plus it's unnecessary. - ed.]

# 5 Canuck said, on June 25th, 2009 at 2:41 am

If this phone has any of the features of the HTC Touch Pro avoid it like the plague. My HTC Touch Pro pretends to have a touch screen interface but it’s just to say it. Functionally it is the most annoying phone I’ve ever seen. Just some examples. Email default is “reply all” which cannot be changed. Incoming calls wake the screen, which if accidentally touched anywhere on the screen but “answer” will hang up. Voice mail is a pain because as soon as the phone connects any call the screen goes black and you have to wake the screen>touch phone> touch keyboard buttons, by that time the system asks, “are you there?” and hangs up. If the phone is in a case just removing it from the case to answer a call will accidentally touch some are of the now awake screen and the call is lost. The antenna is very weak as well. If the callers list exceeds about 20 callers, the phone freezes for about 6 to 8 seconds after hang up on every call. And the list of idiotic phone interface issues goes on and on. I have emailed HTC and asked for firmware upgrades to correct these issues and have never had a response or acknowledgement of these problems.

# 6 Tired Canadian said, on June 25th, 2009 at 3:10 am

I have a crazy idea for a new phone, how about a new phone that…… wait for it……. you can use to……. here comes the crazy part……. actually call someone and talk to them ?!?!?! Now that would be the phone to get. Thanks and have a swell day !!

# 7 Jägermeister said, on June 25th, 2009 at 3:26 am

Android – Brought to you by the spy masters at Googleplex.

# 8 bobbo, not caring but curious said, on June 25th, 2009 at 4:01 am

The ad says this is the “worlds first Android-based phone.” Android? I thought they were cuter than a brick.

All this communication technology and no one with really anything to say. As Kurt Vonegut commented, its all practice in case anything important to say ever crops up.

# 9 Named said, on June 25th, 2009 at 5:18 am

I’ve used the HTC Magic since it came out in Canada, and I have to say I was immensely impressed with the complete package. Android is a fantastic OS and the hardware was excellent. The only gripe I have about it switching the keyboard from portrait to landscape. It’s a very noticeable 1 second delay. I’m sure that can be tweaked as Android matures.

Also, the Hero looks like a great incremental step up. T-Mobile has the myTouch now, which is the HTC Magic / Ion.

# 10 qb said, on June 25th, 2009 at 5:38 am

This is the first phone where you’re starting to see the strategies in the smartphone battles. The Android is open and has api’s so handset makers can easily customize the crap out them (UI, look and feel, different hardware, etc). It also has a programming model which geeks like. Motorola has hired up a flotilla of developers to do the same thing (customizations a la Hero) for their upcoming models.

Apple is doing what Apple always does. Tight control over everything. Geeks have been writing apps for it though. The programming model is sweet (NextStep really) and their apps look really good in a hurry. Also they finally get to actually compile something after years of VB, C#, and Java. Finally, iPhone users really do use their phones for a lot of other things besides voice, email, and text so it’s a big playground.

The Pre is pretty cool (haven’t wrote any code for it yet). It’s biggest challenge is that the WebOS (JS, HTML, CSS) will hammer the crap out of the CPU and battery. On the plus side, anybody who’s into web apps can code for it. If they can hang in they’ve got a good chance.

Windows Mobile and Blackberry still have huge market shares but aren’t really keeping up with the previous 3. They kind of feel like lipstick on a chicken. Blackberry has saturated the business market so they have a steady source of revenue for the next few years but they aren’t getting enough commercial market uptick to interest devs. WinMo really needs a hit with V7 and some killer hardware (good luck with that).

Every geek is wondering what Nokia is going to do. They totally own handsets but are floundering in the smartphone market. Also their programming model is kind of ugly (lot’s of different phone sets, weird C++, weak tools). Their latest smartphones feel like a Hummer with hydrogen fuels cells. All the young dudes expected huge coolness from the Trolltech purchase (who doesn’t love signals and slots?) but nothing has really materialized. Time is passing them by.

Overall, for the geeks this is like web gold rush of 1999-2000. The biggest problems is (shockingly obvious) the carriers. I get the feeling that consumers want to upgrade their phones every year (even if it is expensive). We’re locked into carriers with crappy long term contracts tied to their hardware. That has got to change.

# 11 Jeanne said, on June 25th, 2009 at 5:54 am

Am I jaded but does “Named” sound like a shill for the company?

# 12 Named said, on June 25th, 2009 at 5:59 am

11, Jeanne

Nope. I was going to check it out at the kiosk firmly beliving that it was going to be clunky crap and Android was going to be choppy and annoying. Have to say, I was really impressed. I’ve never used HTC hardware before. Since most HTC before the G1 (Dream) and the Magic have been WinMo, I never even bothered. WinMo is too teeny and fiddly for my liking.

# 13 MrMiGu said, on June 25th, 2009 at 6:04 am

qb,
didnt nokia just come out with the n97?

# 14 qb said, on June 25th, 2009 at 7:00 am

#13 MrMiGu (love the handle)

They did. People I know who have used kind of went “well it’s OK I guess, but geez look at the price”. Overall it feels like a phone ready to compete in 2006 or so. Of course, they were all from Europe so they wear berets and are existentialists.

# 15 sargasso said, on June 25th, 2009 at 7:16 am

#13. yes, but I hate slider phones, they’re fragile. Samsung are about to release the i7500 Android touch phone, with an OLED display.

# 16 qb said, on June 25th, 2009 at 11:03 am

This was rather quietly announced: Google will support native (C/C++) development for the Android. It doesn’t look like a pure native only model, but is more like the JNI approach for calling native libraries from Java. This will be good for low level types of work (games, number crunching, signal processing for things like music, etc).

# 17 Jopa said, on June 25th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

It’s interesting to witness the power Apple has over the world of user interface. The Hero looks like a very nice phone but the user interface is very iPhone’ish. Not that its bad or anything, but it looks like most of the world is copying the iPhone in one way or another.

# 18 Jopa said, on June 25th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Cool music by the way…

# 19 deowll said, on June 25th, 2009 at 2:04 pm

Looks nice.

Maybe some day Apple won’t be able to make a 200% or more profit on their Iphones. That just leaves the wireless phone companies to loath.

You have fun now.

# 20 Improbus said, on June 25th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

I think my current company provided T-Mobile cell phone is going to have a horrible and fatal accident. Hello new hotness.

# 21 Named said, on June 26th, 2009 at 5:31 am

18,

While they may look similar, the way you interface with Android in comparison to OSXPhone is very different. You really have to get hands on both of them to see the philosophical differences.

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