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HTC Espresso Gets Sense UI Updates [VIDEO]

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If the HTC Espresso ROM is any indication, HTC is still hard at work on their Sense UI to improve every minor detail they can imagine. The below video is done by an Android modder who put the Espresso ROM on an HTC Hero and gave it for a twhirl. What changes/updates can you notice?

A few of the obvious additions:

  • The bottom app launcher pane has the dialer on the left and contacts on the right of the typical “arrow” that you swipe up to see all applications.
  • Top status notification pane has “Recent” which displays recently used applications
  • Application icons themselves are now placed on squares with rounded corners making them look more like “buttons” than icons.

I like the dialer/contacts but I think the “Recent” would be more appropriate when the app launcher was pulled up rather than status updates. As for the square icons – that’ll be a matter of preference but I’m not dead set on one or the other – they both look nice if you ask me.

[Thanks to all who sent this in!]

Rob Jackson
I'm an Android and Tech lover, but first and foremost I consider myself a creative thinker and entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for ideas of all sizes. I'm a sports lover who cheers for the Orange (College), Ravens (NFL), (Orioles), and Yankees (long story). I live in Baltimore and wear it on my sleeve, with an Under Armour logo. I also love traveling... where do you want to go?

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20 Comments

  1. wow. I hate the new application icons. They looks disgusting. Reminds me of the blackbery storm.

    Why did they make the application icons look like buttons? It looks too cluttered.

  2. Oh I also noticed that it seems to be a little more responsive (i have the sprint hero). So thats nice.

    Looks like the switched the language from English to German. Not sure thats going to fly with non-german speakers. I’ll still upgrade though.

  3. My previous comment was supposed to be sarcastic but the sarcasm tags must have been removed ;)

  4. noooo…. i don’t like this….
    vanilla is still better!

  5. They actually ruined it! The original looked so much more stylish – this just looks like they tried to add gloss to everything and round every edge… the application icons look terrible in my opinion.

    I really hope they don’t make this change to the Hero as well, otherwise I might be forced to avoid the improvements in 2.1 too…

  6. Don’t like the buttonized icons… awful! Spoils the clean look that is so attractive on Hero. Certainly hope this is user configurable.

  7. did you notice this one has got only 5 homescreens, so it myt be somebody’s own custom created or edited rom.

  8. The camera work ruins this vid. Don’t post such awful work.

  9. The question is what happened to the cute and useful slider bar to let you know what home screen you are on. I don’t like the bubble, but I may deal with it. Also notice the notification shade isn’t translucent anymore either.

  10. When is my 2.01 update? Hell I want 2.1!
    HTC Hero

  11. Don’t like it.I’ll stick with my 2.1 hero eclair

  12. can you take a few pictures with that 2.1 hero eclair for us jae? ;)

  13. 3 Words:

    TABLE AND TRIPOD

    Ive got to go throw up now.

  14. OMG its hideous.the rounded edges look so artificial and the translucent white looks like bird poo, or cheap paint… man what garbage.

  15. I was under the impression that the new 2.1 was going to have a different bar at the bottom and introduce the “card” style used by he WEBOS from Palm…

  16. This look is horrible. I hope that 2.1 for the Hero does not look like this. I can live with everything else except the the button look. It will look WAY to cluttered. Hopefully if they have the button icons, you have an option to turn off button icons. ICK!

  17. Yes, ICK is indeed the word. The square bubbles just make the app tray look congested. The black background in the current Sense UI (for 1.5) gives a more proportionate sense of space around each icon.

  18. proprietary custom UI’s must die and I guess those icons are part of the plan

  19. Its swedish and not german as #2 says :P.

  20. T-mobile is getting some really nice handsets, hd2, n900, bold 9700 etc. They really offer some great stuff and where they have 3g its solid. I wish other companies verizon and att would get these super nice handsets/
    Once a ROM leaks out, the floodgates are opened. Welcome to the wonderful world of HTC bootloaders, my friends. Espresso details: http://bit.ly/htc-espresso-details

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