Phone of the year Winner: HTC Hero
Phone of the year
09 October 2009
Winner: HTC Hero
We’re not just looking for sheer awesome when it comes to the Phone of the Year. Well, OK, we mainly are. But in addition to top end internet, media and sat nav specs, we’re also looking at ease of use, value for money, and that extra bit of market-changing innovation that makes you wonder why all phones aren’t like this already. We think our winner has all this in spades
If you’re going to buy one phone this year, this should be it. Hell, if you want a sat nav, handheld console or feeds of all your social networks, then this phone is still it. The HTC Hero is the first phone in the UK to take on the iPhone with any seriousness, and we think it does a masterful job. It’s only one of six phones to run on Google’s open source operating system (OS) Android, and great software coupled with the nicest chassis we’ve seen from HTC yet, makes the HTC Hero a deserving winner
Look and feel
A beautiful looking device that comes in a variety of colours. The handset sits nicely in your hand and has lost the plasticy feel that plagued its predecessors.
Ease of use
The Hero is incredibly easy to use, with customisable and well thought-out screens, helpful shortcuts and apps that integrate easily within the operating system.
Features
HTC’s device is preloaded with a significant number of useful apps, but the almost limitless supply of applications on the Android marketplace should keep you busy.
Performance
The best element of the Hero is just how well integrated all the applications are. As a result, the user experience is second to none. The capacitive touch-screen is highly responsive with virtually no lag, while the internet and browser experience is top-notch.
Battery life
Even with the various features and applications using up a lot of power, the battery life was still very good.
The verdict
The HTC Hero has set a precedent for functionality in phones. The user experience is comparable only to the iPhone, it looks good and is cheaper to boot.
HTC Hero
Pros: Syncs perfectly with social networks, excellent internet features, super responsive touch-screen, one-touch access to Android Marketplace.
Cons: Camera can’t capture night or motion shots; phone may slow down when storage fills up.
