By First there was the European HTC Hero with its defined chin. Then there was the Sprint HTC Hero which had face lift including some brushed metallic plastic surgery. And most recently we’ve seen the HTC Droid Eris for Verizon which takes yet another deviation from the orginal Hero hardware design. But don’t get it confused – underneath the hood these are pretty much the same phone and on the surface they’re similar yet… different.
We haven’t seen all 3 compared side-by-side-by-side – until now. Engadget’s Paul Miller peeps the trio in what he calls “The History of the Hero“:
We don’t learn much if anything, just a rehashing of what we already know, but its interesting to see the three phones next to each other with the slight differences. In terms of design, which one do you like most?
The original Hero would be my choice. It’s the classiest.
first. european version…
D’Oh! Chin rules! Even the Droid’s got one ;)
I like the Sprint version the most. The Eris is cool but the styling doesn’t appeal too much to me and I like the edge and sharp look of the original but not a fan of the chin. The Hero looks interesting without being too outrageous, and runs on my favorite network.
I’ve messed around with the Asian/Euro Hero, so I know I like the look and feel of that one, chin and all. But I also like the look of the Eris. So to flip the question around, I _least_ like the Sprint version (based entirely on the looks).
Euro version hands down. Of the American versions, the Eris feels best in the hand…and the form factor is sleeker in the pocket. I made the rounds to play with the moment and hero/eris after my wife got her droid. The moment is definitely my fav after the droid…
I chose the Hero over the moment because the Moment felt REALLY big and clunky. I would hate to carry that beast in my pocket. Plus, the Moment looks like it dropped out of 1999. If price of service were not an issue, I like the Eris best. Slim, simple, slick.
While I own the Sprint Hero, I somewhat prefer the look of the original. The Eris….I’ll be nice and just say I dont like it at all.
Having a proximity sensor is a really big deal. I don’t know why they don’t play this up fully. This makes the prior Heros quite annoying to use when you have to navigate a phone system by pressing keys and then listening for prompts.
Huh? What are you talking about?
I though the proximity sensor just turned of the screen when you where calling to save energy?
Yeah, Scott, say wahhhh?
Proximity just dims the screen when you have the phone next to your ear.
Hands down, The Chin is the classiest. Look’s a lot more defined than the others.
Quite frankly, I’m surprised how many people like the “chin.” I mean, come on, that’s an 80’s look, one that doesn’t need to come around again, but hey, that’s just my opinion. It is not only butt-ugly, with a lousy button arrangement, but also I hate to imagine how big and clunky belt holsters will have to be to hold that device, due to that chin sticking out. I liked the look of the Sprint Hero MUCH better, but my favorite, by far, is the Droid Eris, which I’ll be getting via Fedex today btw. It’s a very sharp-looking device for business, and the capacitive function keys are a nice touch, especially since they’re not in the way like they are on the Droid. Also, it has a proximity sensor, which the Sprint Hero does not (not sure about the Euro version). I also prefer the softer, rounded edges on the Eris. Of course, I probably would have bought any version of the Hero over the Droid, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
I’ve had a European Hero pretty much since release in the UK, and I have to ask – how did his Hero get so grubby on the back? Mine is still good as new! There’s a little dust on the camera lens, but otherwise fine!
Obviously then I love the original. The Sprint Hero does have a nice front, but I kind of like the ‘chin’… it just feels right when holding it. The only disappointing things are that the LED isn’t as versatile, meaning some app settings are useless, and that they need to do a custom Android 2.0 build, so I have to wait :(
Does the Sprint Hero 1500 mah battery fit in the Droid Eris?
My 1300 mah Eris battery sucks!!
Anyone have any details about the Motorola Droid camera problems he mentioned? I haven’t heard anything about it.
Are we going to call every chinless, slide-out keyboardless HTC Android phone with Sense UI “Hero”?
I think the European version of the Hero is a lot sexier in person than it looks in pictures. It has a very slim, solid and modern look to it. The chin doesn’t bother me.. I kind of like it. If I had to choose one.. I might actually pick that one.
@brad
the european hero does not only feel gr8 in ur pocket but the chin is so much of a help when u hold it and use it single-handedly that im rly not looking forward to the day when the cpu becomes outdated and i have to say goodbye to my hero
I like the original one, and i’m going to get it as my first android phone. I like the design of it better, and i like the chin on it as it seems as if it would make talking on the phone feel more comfortable since it bends in towards your mouth. IMO.
is the sprint hero supposed to say “with google” on the back? kuz mine doesnt… i just thought it was weird that the unit he has does say that
The Eris for sure … slim and sleek. Those chins are beyond atrocious.
the first android.. it’s the most stylish
leaning toward the Sprint. Ix-nay on the capacitive buttons. I like the bigger, light up trackball, too. I’ve been wondering when they’ed start hiding LEDs in the controls. Since the battery-sucking screen doesn’t have to be on to show something, and it’s clearly visible space to see it, I really like the idea. Now, put firmly clickable buttons all the way around the edge and have the whole edge light up as the notifiction LED (not too bright), and I’d be happy. But for now, I really like the big, light-up trackball.
Why no hero for T – Mobile this is crazy…….
I’d definitely go for the European version. I love the chin which feels very comfortable and the finish.
What prevents me from buying it is the lack of a hardware keyboard (like my G1 has) and the presence HTC Sense – no, it’s not that I don’t like it, I just want to have immediate Android updates and don’t want to wait for updates from HTC.
Why can’t manufacturers provide their custom UI as Android apk instead of integrating it with the OS itself?