Honest unbiased opinions

[Guest EDBANGER]

I'm soon to be upgrading my phone from my Omnia i900. Although I have eventually grown to quite like the phone I have found the whole Windows Mobile experience to be quite frustratin and disappointing. At first I thought to myself 'sod it, i'll just go for the iphone' but deep down I know that I won't really be happy with that choice so I've been considering Android instead. HTC Hero seems to be the way to go as far as I can tell but as users what do you guys rally think of it? Pro's v Con's. Does anybody own both an iphone 3GS and a Hero? How do you compare the two?

[Guest pillock]

I'm soon to be upgrading my phone from my Omnia i900. Although I have eventually grown to quite like the phone I have found the whole Windows Mobile experience to be quite frustratin and disappointing. At first I thought to myself 'sod it, i'll just go for the iphone' but deep down I know that I won't really be happy with that choice so I've been considering Android instead. HTC Hero seems to be the way to go as far as I can tell but as users what do you guys rally think of it? Pro's v Con's. Does anybody own both an iphone 3GS and a Hero? How do you compare the two?

I've got a Hero, my girlfriend has an iPhone so I've used them both side-by-side. I personally wouldn't have an iPhone (reasons below). She would never have an Android phone. They really are that different! Now you've not put your location in so I don't know what options you have apart from a Hero, but TBH the Hero is a little old-hat now. The processor is last-gen and the screen has been demonstrated to be among the least bright available. You could consider a Droid/Milestone, or a Nexus1 perhaps, but handsets available will depend on which country you live in. There's plenty of announced Android handsets too coming out soon, all with different specs/prices.

Right, those reasons. I dislike the iPhone's closed nature - you can install what Apple say you can, and use it how the network provider say you can use it. There's no getting funky with media streaming, VOIP, tethering until Apple say so. There's several things missing, again because Apple don't think you should use them - until last week, you couldn't even download a file in the web browser! With the Hero I can even run an SSH server on it, get full access to anything I could ever want to.... iPhone accessories all have to be licenced which raises prices, the Hero takes a standard USB port to charge.

I do however like the hardware, in particular the CPU/GPU combo. Games really are good on the iPhone, much better than the current Android lineup. It's also a very nice phone to hold, about the same niceness as a Hero but much better than a G1 IMHO.

My GF dislikes the amount of fiddling my Hero takes to get working just right. I explain that had I stuck with the stock HTC firmware there'd be no fiddling, and it's just because I like to try all the new stuff out. But she much prefers to pick her phone up knowing it's going to work 99% as it should - which I guess she has Apple's strict policies to thank.

It just depends whether you want something that you can tweak, or something that will be identical to everyone else's. You can take that last bit as good or bad, depending on what you want from the phone ;)

[Guest werziluk]

I can help you here,

I owned an Omnia before my Hero and had been using Windows Mobile for years before hand. My girlfriend, close family and friends all own iphones.

I have played around with the iphone and still think that its just an overrated 'fashion accessory'. It runs really smooth and has what I would call novelty apps that dont really assist my use. My sister and friend have actually had their iphones break on them (both weeks after 12 months warranty ran out) which is not what you would expect from an apple product. Then theres the line rentals/price of the device that also put me off it. For me the iphone needs a UI changing update including things like multitasking for me to be even interested in it. At the moment when someone says "yeah ive got a sleek iphone with loads of cool apps" I just say, what do the apps do? and its usually something like a silly effect or something they wont use for anything more than showing someone else. If you just want to make calls and check Facebook,Twitter and play games (it is very good for games) the iphone is a good choice but is it worth the price? No IMO. I have no problem paying a premium for something that offers much more (recently purchased a high spec macbook pro) but the Iphone just doesnt justify its price.

I had constant problems with Windows Mobile but carried on as you are because I loved messing around with my 'mini computer'. I think Windows Mobile is improving but still trying too hard in some areas and ignoring functions that really matter to the average user.

I have loved my HTC Hero and android. Android gives a nice blend of the messing around and customisation (Windows Mobile) and reliable, easy to use OS (Iphone OS). The only cons I can say about the Hero are my own personal opinions such as I now want a fold out keyboard and the 'dent' in its body design is not as good as I first thought lol. My only critiscism of Android is also one of its advantages. The open source'ness of Android mixed with the rapid updates causes compatibility problems for the average user. If you can afford it go for an unlocked device and avoid those that are network branded (like my G2 Touch). Chances are if your on these forums you know how to get past problems like that though ;)

I think my best advice would be to defo go Android, have a play about on an Android phone or look at YouTube vids demonstrating the functionaltiy. Personally I would not go for a Hero and wait to see what comes to Android in the next 2/3 months. If you cant wait that long you will certainly enjoy your Hero but if your going into a contract expect to be put down by better handsets coming out by the middle of the year.

Edited February 6, 2010 by werziluk

[Guest werziluk]

lol pillock, my girlfriend thought the same about me always flashing my phone last year. Now shes getting a Nexus One in a couple of months ;)

Just want to add that it is defo worth waiting for future devices. I think the Nexus One marked the end of the 'guinea-pig' phase for Android. There is going to be brilliant things to come.

Edited February 6, 2010 by werziluk

[Guest venturerider]

What if someone ported Android to the iPhone?

;)

[Guest pillock]

What if someone ported Android to the iPhone?

:D

The world would most likely implode ;)

(Or, Apple's lawyers would suddenly get a lot, lot richer).

[Guest werziluk]

What if someone ported Android to the iPhone?

:D

Then you would have an over priced Android phone ;)

[Guest EDBANGER]

Cheers for the reply guys, good info and not just iphone bashing for the sack of it which I find you see a lot of on these forums. All the reasons stated are reasons putting me off getting an iphone. I do like to be able to fiddle about with my omnia and change it as and when I like. What put me off the Nexus was the fact it hadn't got a multi-touch screen. I just don't understand why they wouldn't include something like that in a phone which should be the "iphone killer". So being that I am living in the UK, which up to date Android device would you recommend then? The Hero got great reviews but the processer speed was flagged as a problem. My contract is up in June but I was gonna terminate it early for an upgrade. Should I just hang on until then?

[Guest EDBANGER]

Just been looking at the Milestone and it sounds almost what I'm after but I can't be done with those slide out QWERTY keyboards. I like the touch screen Samsung keypad on my Omnia and I'd be hard pushed to move away from that. Is there an App to give the Milestone a touchscreen keypad like that?

[Guest irishandrew]

Cheers for the reply guys, good info and not just iphone bashing for the sack of it which I find you see a lot of on these forums. All the reasons stated are reasons putting me off getting an iphone. I do like to be able to fiddle about with my omnia and change it as and when I like. What put me off the Nexus was the fact it hadn't got a multi-touch screen. I just don't understand why they wouldn't include something like that in a phone which should be the "iphone killer". So being that I am living in the UK, which up to date Android device would you recommend then? The Hero got great reviews but the processer speed was flagged as a problem. My contract is up in June but I was gonna terminate it early for an upgrade. Should I just hang on until then?

Just to let you know, the Nexus One *does* have a multitouch screen. The confusion came in that the built in apps were not all multi-touch capable. This has been rectified this with the ERE27 update the other day adding multitouch to Maps, Browser and Gallery. Paul has kindly repackaged this in various versions, I've linked to the forum post below;

http://tinyurl.com/ycxryw8

It's worth noticing that this is only on the Stock Rom so far, not the MCR/Cyanogen builds, however the updates are coming quick and Paul has a beta out based on ERE27: http://tinyurl.com/yez9eju

Hope this helps with your decision. I love messing around with my Hero, and having tried a jailbroken iPhone it couldn't do the things I needed (coming from many years of WinMo use). Android has a nice balance - it's customisable and capable, yet slick enough to feel good using it. In Windows Mobile the actual phone part was always a pain - understandable considering its heritage of being simply added in to "Pocket PC" as "Pocket PC Phone Edition" in the early 2000's. WinMo has always been a phone built around a PIM/handheld computer, whereas Android & iPhone were built as phones first - really makes a difference. Incidentally my first Windows Mobile device was a Philips Velo running Windows CE 1.0 in 1998 ;) That was before the PocketPC (PPC) form factor won out over the HandheldPC (HPC) - a rivalry steming from within MS's WinCE development...

Perhaps things will change with Windows Mobile 7 (or is it Windows Phone now??), at least 6.5.3 looks promising :D

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Guest EDBANGER]

Right then I think I'm pretty much sold on the Nexus, been looking at the vid's and reading about it and it looks damn sexy. When is it gonna be available in the UK on a price plan that makes the phone free?

[Guest commodoor]

Then you would have an over priced Android phone ;)

+1

[Guest Arthur Hucksake]

I only got my Hero on Friday.

Previously I had been use to symbian phones, being the N96 and 5800 Xpress music. They always felt a tad limited but they did the job.

Three were doing an offer on the Hero so I rang them up and got myself 750 mins, unlimited texts and unlimited internet for £28.45 a month so I thought what the hell.

Considering I was already paying £40 a month for the same thing on my N96 I was actually looking to "downgrade" to cut costs.

Since Friday I have rooted, installed, played, dabbled and been totally blown away by what this device can actually do. I have tinkered with iPhones but they always feel too fisher price and kidlike for my liking, so this

Hero is absolutely superb IMO. It does everything.

My biggest suprise was discovering that they will be releasing Android 2.1 for this thing, i'm use to phones where to upgrade the OS you basically buy a new phone. Really enjoying this thing.

[Guest skazz]

Interesting thread.

I've owned an iPhone 3G for nearly a year, and recently bought an EU Hero as cheap work smartphone. Personally if I had to choose one of the two it would be the iPhone still... But this is quite possibly because I'm here in EU and have different choices than US people.

1. There are so many *USEFUL* apps available for the iPhone, many of which I've not been able to replicate on the Hero.

2. Exchange support, even with me having bought the Touchdown app, is clunky. Android needs a lot of improvement in that area.

3. Navigation solutions for Android are poor, and we don't get Google Maps Navigation in EU.

4. I hate the lack of multi-touch within so many apps on the EU Hero. It annoys me. Also the default browser multi-touch implementation on the EU hero is mediocre, but Dolphin is somewhat better.

5. The iPhone is so much better as a music player it's not even close. The Hero clearly has low quality audio chips, and even has a small amount of hiss. The iPhone not only has iTunes, but is also significantly better sound quality via good headphones.

6. Furthermore, I have investment in iPod docks, but then there aren't any docks for Android phones anyway....

Where Android wins is in the multi-tasking, but then again I don't miss it. My current usage doesn't even have an IM client running (which could be done via push notification on the iPhone if I wanted to), and Android apps like Locale just don't offer me anything I particularly need right now.

As always, it's all about priorities.

[Guest werziluk]

Interesting thread.

I've owned an iPhone 3G for nearly a year, and recently bought an EU Hero as cheap work smartphone. Personally if I had to choose one of the two it would be the iPhone still... But this is quite possibly because I'm here in EU and have different choices than US people.

1. There are so many *USEFUL* apps available for the iPhone, many of which I've not been able to replicate on the Hero.

2. Exchange support, even with me having bought the Touchdown app, is clunky. Android needs a lot of improvement in that area.

3. Navigation solutions for Android are poor, and we don't get Google Maps Navigation in EU.

4. I hate the lack of multi-touch within so many apps on the EU Hero. It annoys me. Also the default browser multi-touch implementation on the EU hero is mediocre, but Dolphin is somewhat better.

5. The iPhone is so much better as a music player it's not even close. The Hero clearly has low quality audio chips, and even has a small amount of hiss. The iPhone not only has iTunes, but is also significantly better sound quality via good headphones.

6. Furthermore, I have investment in iPod docks, but then there aren't any docks for Android phones anyway....

Where Android wins is in the multi-tasking, but then again I don't miss it. My current usage doesn't even have an IM client running (which could be done via push notification on the iPhone if I wanted to), and Android apps like Locale just don't offer me anything I particularly need right now.

As always, it's all about priorities.

Yeah as im surrounded by iphones I do understand your points about exchange and music playing abilities. I guess it depends on your circumstance, for my own personal use I have one album on my hero SD card (never play music on my phone) and dont require the use of exchange. The Iphone is a reliable device and I wont pretend that its total rubbish but I still stand with my opinon that its overrated and over priced.

BTW were you saying you cant find an IM client for your Hero or you dont need to use one on the device?

Edited February 8, 2010 by werziluk

[Guest Remington Steale]

As a PMP the iPhone is second to none, as a phone it sucks.

I have a Hero for my phone which is reliable and doesnt drop calls, lack proper mms etc, and an iPod touch which gives me most of what I would need in terms of multimedia and the apps on the itunes store.

Not sure about the exchange support problems though, my Hero works perfectly fine with exchange as does my iPod?

[Guest The_IMF]

The only app the iphone has or the iphone can do which I would use is that whatsapp app.

Apart from that; it's just an overhyped fasion accessory.

[Guest markiehill]

Well I have been in the lucky position to have used a load of phones over the past few years including the HTC hero and the Iphone 3G therefore I can give you my 2p as a heavy pro user.

The Iphone interface is better and slicker than android at the moment, not saying that the sense interface on the hero is bad , but the Iphone is more refined overall and tends not to get in the way.

Also the reception on the Iphone is better than on the HTC hero (yes I have the latest ModaCo rom and the latest radio !)

On the whole features are supported in a consistent way through the Iphone OS , i.e. multitouch and hold to zoom on text boxes.

The virtual keyboard on the iphone is also better.

Exchange support on the Iphone is superior, and Apps are CHEAPER (the ones i use anyway) !

Music quality on the Iphone is better, the Hero is quite noisy and tinny. Video playback also sucks even with a class 6 card. Under all media i get skips and jumps when the phone wants to do something else like recieve a SMS/Email.

However the iphone has a bunch of negatives, apples control really bothers me and geeez i thought microsoft were bad ;). The battery life on the Iphone sucks and even worse the battery cannot be replaced without a trip back to apple , or crack it open yourself and solder it. No multitasking is also a biggie for me , I know you can run backgrounder on the iphone to get multitasking but its not the same.

Lack of support on other platforms, i.e. if you dont have windows or a MAC you are stuffed.

The one thing I would point out that contary to what other posters say , not all apple apps are useless, i have a good app for calculating margin on the go ... the android version is well.... terrible. I use the national rail app which was 59p at the time and is great . the android one is less functional and costs £2.99. However the Spotify Android app is far superior to the Iphone version.

On balance I would chose Anroid over the Iphone, but I will probably ditch my hero at some point and go with something like the Nexus One.

Android has a ways to go yet , but its negatives are outweighed by its positives.

Mark

[Guest erugalatha]

Well I have been in the lucky position to have used a load of phones over the past few years including the HTC hero and the Iphone 3G therefore I can give you my 2p as a heavy pro user.

The Iphone interface is better and slicker than android at the moment, not saying that the sense interface on the hero is bad , but the Iphone is more refined overall and tends not to get in the way.

Also the reception on the Iphone is better than on the HTC hero (yes I have the latest ModaCo rom and the latest radio !)

On the whole features are supported in a consistent way through the Iphone OS , i.e. multitouch and hold to zoom on text boxes.

The virtual keyboard on the iphone is also better.

Exchange support on the Iphone is superior, and Apps are CHEAPER (the ones i use anyway) !

Music quality on the Iphone is better, the Hero is quite noisy and tinny. Video playback also sucks even with a class 6 card. Under all media i get skips and jumps when the phone wants to do something else like recieve a SMS/Email.

However the iphone has a bunch of negatives, apples control really bothers me and geeez i thought microsoft were bad ;). The battery life on the Iphone sucks and even worse the battery cannot be replaced without a trip back to apple , or crack it open yourself and solder it. No multitasking is also a biggie for me , I know you can run backgrounder on the iphone to get multitasking but its not the same.

Lack of support on other platforms, i.e. if you dont have windows or a MAC you are stuffed.

The one thing I would point out that contary to what other posters say , not all apple apps are useless, i have a good app for calculating margin on the go ... the android version is well.... terrible. I use the national rail app which was 59p at the time and is great . the android one is less functional and costs £2.99. However the Spotify Android app is far superior to the Iphone version.

On balance I would chose Anroid over the Iphone, but I will probably ditch my hero at some point and go with something like the Nexus One.

Android has a ways to go yet , but its negatives are outweighed by its positives.

Mark

I would have to agree with everything you say here. Good review of both.

[Guest starfarer]

nice review.

If I'm to offer Iphone 3gs for the same price plan as HTC Hero or any WinMO device, I would just close my eyes and grab iPhone. One big reason is that iPhones retain their selling values than any other in the market. After few months of boredom with apple and with enough cash on hand I think I can get N1 and few spare quids too ;) .

On original post: Wait until upto your contracted month. Android still is developing and far from finished product. IMO sooner Android phones will all be rage and much better than anything coming from Apple. At the moment it's definitely NOT. Glad that you are not thinking anymore of Hero :(. HTC's flagship is outdated and out-gunned but coming off Omnia, you'll still find it much snappier, responsive and fast. From Omnia, Yes, it'll be an update. Actually I am surprised that ppl's found Omnia good :D. Bad taste still hanging on my mouth and since then never touched anything that have "SAMSUNG" written. Is it worth to terminate contract early for Hero or N1? NO.

2 things never seems to improve on any smartphones and most phones are on par:

Camera: never on upper scale on any

Battery life: keep charger handy

Edited February 8, 2010 by starfarer