As noted at sister-site Android Central, Sprint and HTC have announced that the HTC Hero is coming on October 11th for $179.99 after rebate.
The Hero is probably the most exciting Android device out there right now (but there are many many more on the way). Like the Pre, it has a Linux core that powers a user interface that's intuitive and, well, 'shiny.' The Hero also has a lot of features that will seem familiar to Pre owners, including a rational notification system, push Gmail (naturally), and more.
Our readers know (and according to this poll, agree with) the Palm Pre's $199 price point, but the Hero undercuts that by 20 bucks. Does this mean that Sprint is going to throw less support behind the Pre? It probably means that Pre sales are going to take a ding starting in October. If Palm knows what's good for them, they'll have the Pre ready to go for other networks the moment Sprint's exclusivity runs out.
What do you think the Hero on Sprint means for the Pre?
Comments
Trouble! That's what it means for the Palm Pre. Palm better get a move on with video recording, CPU Scaling and everything else. We know the Hero comes with Visual Voicemail,5mp camera plus video recording. If palm wants the PRe to remain on top in sprints grand game the new software release needs to happen before October 11th or you might have some people jumping ship.
It means Palm drops its price for the Pre and swallows the hit - lower gross margins (Palm said EVENTUALLY they were aiming at 30% gross margins for the Pre, not anytime soon).
Perhaps it means Palm will get its act together and fix the glaring problems WebOS (oh, pretty much what the poster before me said... it posted as I was typing!)
As I posted on Android central, I love my pre but I got it mainly because there wasn't any viable android solution available to me. Some of the things the pre are missing might be enough to make me purchase the hero full price.
I've been infatuated with android since it was first announced but T Mobile has horrid coverage and no 3G coverage in my area but this is very very tempting....
This.
I was waiting for Sprint to get an Android phone. I heard they weren't gonna get one for a long time. Started vaguely considering other phones/carriers. Then the announcement of the Pre. The Pre looked pretty awesome. Kept up on Pre news and decided to get one.
But in all honesty; if the Hero was out at the time of the Pre, I would've gotten the Hero. I like physical keyboards and all, but I love the concept of Android's openness and the fact that in the end it'll probably be the most customizable while still being awesome OS. The Pre definitely has some awesome aspects though. I love the way it handles multi tasking. In the end though Palm better be working on some awesome webOS updates; their window is shrinking rapidly. The iPhone might be available for other platforms (which will REALLY hurt Palm), and Android is starting to pick up steam.
Since my contract (Sprint Centro) doesn't end until January, I've been watching both the Pre and the Hero closely. I have to say though, the $20 different in price point would make no difference to me. (remember those price comparisons that came before, how the plans for an iPhone on AT&T would cost more over the 2 years than the Pre? THAT would make a difference to me, but not a one time $20 difference in price).
I'll be looking for things like what type of software is available? How clear are the calls? Are they hearing aid compatible? How easy is it to hold and type on the units? How good is the GPS? (I'm a Geocacher, so an "all in one" would be great) How is the battery life? (including 3rd party larger size batteries)
So your bottom line question was what we think the Hero means for the Pre. Well, obviously it's competition. Depends on what each phone offers to the users, and what the users want/need for their own bottom line.
As for me, since I still have a few months left, I'll be watching for as many "head to head" comparisons as I can find! And I'll keep checking Precentral and Androidcentral for the latest news on both.
BAH....I'd rather have a QWERTY keyboard (physical) then a touchscreen any day, main reason I liked my Treo and now my Pre...virtual keyboards just have too many downfalls.
Same thing can be said about Tablet PCs ...I bought the Toshiba M205 for the screen, durability and of course the keyboard of the notebook. I could have a gotten a slate which was much lighter in weight...but you just need a keyboard PERIOD.
I think the HERO and PRE are going to attract two different fan bases. PRE for the TREO like power users, and the HERO for the CENTRO type users...kinda like the difference of my usage versus my wife's usage. She will get an EOS/Pixie when it comes out as she has no need for something of the magnitude and slider etc of the Pre.
So the Pre will be fine. Just like the Treo was FINE when the Centro came out.
How was the Treo fine when the Centro came out? The Centro was faster, had sharper screen, more features, and had some bug fixes. The only Treos that were fine were ones that didn't have Centros to compete with on the same network.
Comparing the Pre to the rumored EOS downgrade isn't the same at all. The centro was an upgrade from a treo. The rumored EOS is a downgrade from a Pre. The EOS will cost less..but then there's a 16gb Pre coming that may reduce the cost of the 8gb version.
When were the Centros ever faster than the 700 gen Treos? The Centro has a pretty shallow battery. I'm not sure how they were ever faster than the Treo.
Ever use one or compared? I thought this was common knowledge..
News to me. Centro had PXA270 at 312mhz, Treo had PXA272 at 312mhz. Centro might have had more user memory, but not sure if this was operational RAM or stictly storage. If I "upgrade" back to PalmOS, I might have to do a head to head with the latest Centro. Thanks.
I've always considered the Centro to be the cheap version of the 755p, even though it has more memory. The screen is "sharper" because it's the same resolution but smaller than the Treos. And the keyboard sucks compared to the other Treos.
The Centros were an upgrade, unless you consider the cramped keyboard and tiny screen. I'll take my 755p over a Centro any day, thank you. For that matter, I'll take it over the Pre, until Palm fixes the bugs and adds back all the missing capabilities.
The fact is that there are a lot of gadget freaks here who simply have to have the newest device on the market. You know, the guys who say that they are bored with their device. They will become interested in and will buy whatever comes out. The Pre is no longer going to be the latest thing. No more interesting buzz. Here comes the inevitable slow fade...
Pre owners got the shaft? How do you figure? The Pre does exactly what it did when they bought it. There were phones with more capabilities then, and there will be phones with more capabilities in the future. If you expected Palm to have addressed all the issues and missing features already you were a hopeless optimist. And if you thought Sprint wouldn't continue to add new devices, you were only fooling yourself.
If anyone shafted pre owners, it was those owners themselves.
This is OMGWTFBBQ! This phone is about to undercut the PRE and has visual voice mail to boot, among other things.
Pre owners just the the shaft. I can't believe that the PRE doesn't have visual voice mail. I surely hope it gets it in a future update!
Like the first guy said: It means TROUBLE for the Prē. ALOT of ppl are dissapointed with this so-called "smartphone". For example; I was reading this in landscape, but I had to flip to portrait to type this. This is because Palm never realized (or even cared) that we might need to type when the screen is sideways!
And don't tell me about Homebrew. We shouldn't have to do Palm's work for them AND pay them hundreds of dollars.
I think Palm does plan to add a virtual keyboard but not at the expense of adding other features. They will get to it.
I think they (rightly) realized that most people do not care about flipping the phone once in a while to type. You and some others are the exception. But I would rather flip and type then have a virtual keyboard (a HW keyboard is one reason I bought the phone) that takes up half or more of the screen in landscape mode. That just doesn't appeal to most of us and we would seldom use it.
"[...]but not at the expense of [...]" completing the 2nd/3rd gen Pre's that will leave the 1st gen in the dust ... and obsolete.
So sprint just skipped visual voice mail on the Pre and put it on the Hero?
And the Hero have video something I need.. if I wasnt stuck in a 2 year contract.....
I see the current Pre being reduced in price as the 16gb version will be appearing soon. So price isn't really a concern.
That said, i still think the palm/sprint thing was a flop for sprint. But its really of their own making. They should've nailed a longer exclusive and gotten more out of it.
As mentioned, people already on Verizon or AT&T are simply waiting and not switching to sprint because its a short wait.
"They should've nailed a longer exclusive and gotten more out of it."
Sprint would have gotten nothing out of it ... for longer
I own a Pre, as well as iPhone and current GSM HERO. I can tell you that the Hero will appeal to those looking for an iPhone competitor as it is more like the iPhone than the Pre is. Also, despite Android being developed by Google and having been out for a while now, I find the WebOS to be a more polished product. But, I am growing bored with the Pre and I am beginning to see the big limitations that web apps pose. Nothing beats native apps on my iPhone or HERO. If anything, I think Palm needs to get on the ball.
Out of curiosity, why do you have 3 mobile phones? Short of being a mobile phone reviewer, I can't fathom the need for more than one.
I agree with you. Nothing beats the native apps and SDK.
webOS is just not that interesting if you want to do serious stuff, e.g. Open GL ES gaming... accelerometer readings, and stuff.
I think dropping the Pre to $179 is the best option. The Pre, for everything it is, is still a 1st gen phone. There's a list of problems (battery life, beta app catalog, video recording) that Palm can only fix with a hard refresh. We all know that although the original iPhone was successful, but it was really the 3G that put it over the top.
Only one of those is a hardware issue (Battery life) and even it can probably be fixed via software.
The Hero has been getting terrible reviews. The T-mobile sister-device has also been sub-par. No physical keyboard? Less powerful CPU. No true multi-tasking? Terrible lag for a OS that has been around? No thanks. I'll stick with the Pre.
Dude. Wrong phone. T-Mobile does not have a sister device. The MyTouch 3G is totally different inside. Much slower and w/o the new interface. No comparison.
Total false statement. if you do your research you will know the my touch 3g the Hero and most of the G1 are the same G1 just having a little less memory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Htc_hero & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mytouch_3g & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_G1 notice between the two each one has the same Qualcomm MSM7201A ARM11 @ 528MHz processor Hero has 512 ROM 288 Ram MyTouch 3G has 512 ROM 192/288 RAM and the G1 has(this is where the G1 has downfalls and can't run HTC sense builds very well) 192 DDR SDRAM and 256 Flash. So Hero and MyTouch 3G are very little different and from the looks of things I would say the Hero runs slower with the sense build on it compared to the MyTouch 3G which doesn't.
UPDATE:
I will have to admit though the other features are way better on the Hero like the 5 megapixel camera vs the 3.2(MyTouch 3G and G1). The battery is better on the Hero(1350 mAh) vs the MyTouch 3G(1340 mAh) and the G1(1150 mAh). All tied on the touchscreen technology since they are all capacitive. Well the Hero wins for the multitouch. Oh yeah and the Hero has flash but soon enough they will all have it more then likely. Tied on screen res(320x480). Plus the sense UI has a lot of potential on the HTC Hero but then again that right now is one of the downfalls of the phone as well cause it causes lag with too many widgets open.
I believe the latest build of Sense is quite snappy.
Sprint doesn't make the phone. How can they fix the problems?
The Pre does have some issues that need to be worked out. I think that the problem is that Sprint isn't working on it as a team. They are just about getting their subscriber #'s up instead of working with Palm to get the "flagship" phone. In the end it doesnt work because they just piss people off who leave for a different phone and a different network. Kinda frosts my ass when I just bought this phone and it was just like their baby two months ago and now because the sales figures aren't like off the charts they want to dump a new phone on.... I mean its starting to seem like putting boxes of band aids on a broken leg and expecting it to heal... probably wont work. Need something solid like a cast. Sprint needs to pull their head out of their ass. That said, I am still quite happy with my Pre. And if anyone cares, you can get the Pre for 10 bucks cheaper then that still at letstalk.com 169.99 on a two year with no mail in rebate and free overnight shipping.
Why is it Sprint's problem? They provide a network that works as advertised.
What would you do if you were Sprint and a "revolutionary" new smart phone flopped? You would find the next revolutionary product. They have the option of doing this -- Palm has the obligation of living up to the hype.
It means bye bye pre and hello hero. I have been waiting patiently and it's finally coming. I like the pre but this phone is going to be stiff competition. all the let downs of webos are really going to start showing once this drops. I won't be suprised if some pre lovers jump ship.
I was just reading around and found there is no exchange support... if that is true, the Android will never be a option... no multi tasking also sucks! Yeah the Pre needs some more love in apps and updates, but thats ok... its a new idea and new os.
I'm not sure what you were reading but you are wrong on both accounts. http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10271808-251.html
It has Exchange support and it is based on Linux. It definitely multitasks. Just not as cleanly as the Pre IMHO.
The Hero looks sweet and should give Palm a lot of good ideas on te future of WebOS, like widgets on the main screen. But I agree with previous commentators that without a physical keyboard they target somewhat different people. As we come back to always, the biggest threat to Pre is that the third party Apps. The developer community, apps not good looking enough (look at the Hero weather app) etc.
Competition is good, and will move the webOS forward. I wouldn't be surprise if there's an OS update and/or hardware (storage) bump for the pre pretty soon. The Hero looks nice, but unless I missed something it's just a reskin of the Android OS, right? I've played around with the OS on a G1 and found the user experience really clunky. A good user experience is more than just visual design. But like I said before, I am happy to see more competition because in the end we all benefit from better products. Palm, are you listening?
Just wish the apps can come alive for palm pre...come on already! where's the damn slingmedia for the pre - come on! get the updates out early for adobe flash...jeez! love palm products - but starting to grow a bit tired...the wait is &^#&!...Gimme something great in the next update to at least hold me over!
What it means for me is good bye Pre, and hello my Hero. The Pre got boring for me very fast, and the Hero looks to have the spark that I'm looking for in a cell.
I was waiting for the HTC Hero to hit Sprint, but I'm glad I didn't. The phone is now FUGLY with even sillier chin. The UK version is almost sexy with its chiseled looks and bent chin.
BTW, a $20 price difference would have made no difference to me. Nor would a $50 difference. $100 maybe, but if you want something bad enough, you'll pay for it. Just ask the iPhone early adopters who shelled out $600, like I almost did.
It's the network first, then the hardware/software/phone performance combination. The only reason I gave up waiting for the HTC Hero is because the UK reviews mentioned sluggish performance, but the new ROM firmware upgrade apparently has that solved.
Maybe its just the white version, but that new Sprint chin is Sucktacular-looking...
I am unsure what this means for the Pre. Like many people have said, they will appeal to different people. Some like myself love the option of the physical keyboard, though I will be using the Hero to at least check it out. People keep saying that Sprint is the one dropping the ball here and I disagree. The third largest carrier in the States has been bleeding customers for a while now. While they could have taken some steps with the Pre to increase the total number sold, why shouldn't they release another phone that could possibly draw customers away from other carriers? For a long time Sprint was the last to get any good devices and they've landed the last two GREAT devices this year. I say good job Sprint on getting the Hero out before the holidays and... competition breeds innovations so it'll be interesting to see how Palm reacts to having such a competitor on it's own maiden carrier. I'm excited to see how both phones progress via software updates in the future. I'm gonna go with the Pre, but get it within 30 days of when the Hero does come out... just in case.
I agree with Cmike04 that it's about time Sprint gets great choices with phones. I do think Sprint could have done a better job marketing the Palm Pre. But with capital being a problem with sprint I can see them cutting back with advertisting.
I would disagree and say that this is the best time for them to invest in advertisement. Times of recession should breed creativity, since it's now a huge competition to get people to spend the money that they're not likely to use at will or frivolously. Then again, that's from an advertisement and marketing standpoint.
Both OS can stand on their own two feet, so to speak. And may the best OS wins. As for me I can see more potential for WebOS than for the Android. Plus the WebOS looks sexier in comparison.
This means that the Palm have few time to release a GSM/3G Pre version, because there is other countries in this world.
The REAL sucess from IPhone is work in GSM, because after is unlocked, is very easy to change the Sim Card. And GSM is in more countries than CDMA. Here; in Brazil, hundreds IPhones 2G has changed hands before the Apple begin to launch 3G and to sell in other countries, just because his phone work in our networks.
Price is important; ok, I agree, but stay closed only to CDMA is closed your doors do users in all world!
More users, more apps, more $ to invest...
Well... we; in other countries, still are waiting...
Best Regards...
It means that palm better get it in gear and have the gsm pre ready to roll in October and get it out subsidized or not. If its ready to go they could roll it out like the treo pro with no carrier
Damn it... I've still not even got a chance to TRY a Pre! Waiting for it to come out on o2 . But Orange already stock the Hero. Getting bored of the wait!
so i am reading all the comments and i am a lil pissed i love the pre now everyone wants to turn there back come on ppl stick with the pre it can only get better.
Be sure you know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. Palm Pre is a disaster. WebOS is a solution in search of an opportunity.
I'm sorry, that statement makes no sense. What are you talking about? Have you ever wanted to keep your contacts and calendars from different locations synced wirelessly on one device? Ever wanted to do a few things on your mobile device at once? There are a couple "opportunities" right there that WebOS solves.
Yep, the only phone with a decent notification solution is a disaster. [Where is the rolled-eye icon?]
android does have a decent notification system, not as good as the pre but not much different, still way better than the iphone
Way to go at making sweeping generalization about WebOS! I applaud your claim that's backed by nothing. The comments on here have been interesting so far. Some really went out of their way to prove their points by links to articles and backed by their own experiences. So quit talking out of you arse and use your head to contribute something useful to this discussion.
After reading the reviews for the Hero I see that it has many good points but without true multi-tasking and a physical keyboard I won't get rid of my Pre. I still think Palm will be in trouble if they can't update the WebOS to do video recording and other small notifcation tweaks. I'm confident Palm will come through before October 11th with the 2.0 OS update.
What the Hero means to me is that my Pre is on Eba-y right now!
You traitor....probably a firm Apple supporter too.
Like most people mentioned, stick with the Pre, Palm will and has to update this to stay competitive. Just the outline or what this phone can do is amazing and will soon prove it as it blows the Hero and Apple out of the water!!!
GO PALM!!!!
I looked at Android back when the Palm announced ditching the PalmOS. I like it in theory but the actual phones are less than stellar. I'm going to ignore the lack of keyboard because that's an unambiguous decision: you either want a hardware keyboard or you don't care.
The review on Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/#content) of the Hero shows that the hardware is laggy, even compared to other Androids. Sure, its battery life is better than the Pre but that's because you don't do as much with it. (And the 15% larger battery helps) Sure they've got Flash but the web browsing has gotten mediocre to poor reviews.
On the app front, the G1's been out for a year and they've got all of 40 apps in their Marketplace. We've got more than that in the Catalog on a platform that's been out for 3 months. That doesn't include the 180ish apps hosted here.
The things the Pre lacks are software based. The Hero's flaws are hardware. We can get software patches but I've never had a CPU upgraded OTA.
I noticed that in the 180ish apps, the Pre now has a "brewfart" app .. LOL .. sounds like all the fart/beer-app-on-iphone comments got an iPhone/Pre developer working hard to squelch those comments .. LMAO
I agree... I feel like people are too quick to jump ship here. Maybe one person who has posted here actually has touched a Hero with their own hands. Both phones are really cool, true. However, the main point that kidmatzomat brought up is true, the Pre is going to continually get better with software updates. It's shortcomings can all be fixed that way. If you think about it, it's almost like comparing it to the iPhone again. While the Hero and SenseUI havent been released yet, it is still Android, which does have a head start over webOS. Patience will bring great things to the Pre. The gaming, while it may be a ways off still, is something that Palm is addressing and the Apps are looking promising. What types of things are people wanting in terms of the Apps that they don't see becoming available at some point on the Pre. Thats the great thing about today's smartphones, they will grow with you!! I'm sticking with the Pre until I get some solid hands on with the Hero, and even then...
Only a matter of time before they stop updating the phone and sell a newer model and update that and forget about the PRE....marketing.....
Newer model webOS phone doesn't mean webOS stops being updated.
What are you talking about? 40 apps on the android market? Get your head out of your ass and get the facts sraight. Its 8000+ apps. And are apps can do more than your pre. Im no fanboy, i love all platforms, but seriously?
Idiot.
I am ready to jump on the pre bandwagon, but the lack of apps bothers me. They have had plenty of time to release new apps by now, and not having MSN messenger is ridiculous. I am worried about developers making apps for the pre when there are so few of them and it is the ONLY phone on Web OS. Android has TONS of phones, so making an app for it seems to make a lot more sense.
Hopefully when the Pre is on Verizon the apps will start to flow.
Verizon is forcing carriers to use their own App Store. App will probably flow less on Verizon.
Does that mean Verizon iPhone will not have the huge App Store? I think Verizon's stance is phones can't have another store app INSTALLED initially. Think Pre w/o Filecoaster and App Catalog (and all the others). We'll see once the big "i" hits and others follow if add-on catalog apps are excluded like you're saying. :)
Wow, this makes things tough... I LOVE Android, and there is a lot more available for it right now (the G1 has been out for almost a year now), but the Hero, while it looks cool, is pretty much old hardware at this point (it's basically a G1 with more memory and a nicer camera). And it lacks the physical keyboard.
The Pre, on the other hand, is a cutting edge device hardware-wise, but obviously the OS doesnt take advantage of that hardware completely, yet.
I'm sticking with my Pre for a few reasons - I LOVE synergy, i love my touchstone, i like the keyboard, and the money factor (can't imagine what this will cost without a contract).
I hardly doubt that any pre owners will be making the jump to the Hero, there are a lot of people who are huge Android fans and are waiting for the Hero to come to Sprint. If Palm doesnt start to put some mussel behind the Pre otherwise lot more people will head over to the Hero. My wife totally loves the look of the Hero, she just waiting to play with it on release day.
it means I getting a Hero. Come on Oct 11th!!!!
Yes, release PRE GSM gonna be excelent!
More users, more developers, more apps, more $, everybody satisfied!! :D
But now... a PRE CDMA here; in Rio de Janeiro, is only a PDA... :(
Oh, yes... I was forgiving one more thing: 5.0 MP in a cam is nothing, because ALL HTC devices have a ridiculous cam. Nothing that can be compared with the Samsung Omnia or Samsung Innov8 or Nokia N95 or Nokia N82 or SE k850...
So, 'a good cam' in Hero is something that I really don't give much hope...
Best Regards...
Don't think its worth me leaving my pre for a hero! I've had HTC products in the past and they all ran very slow... Not too forget the three soft resets a day, by far pre wins.
I have to say I love the pre but mainly due to being poor built quality and lack of Programs and General options like changing a damn sound for txt msgs and such I will probably pick up a Hero unless there is a very very good update and allot more apps before then.
Sprint is the big winner here, bravo to them.
Palm will be fine as well. Think about it, before the Hero launches, Palm will have its full functioning app catalog out of Beta, they will have a nice slew of apps to go along with it (some from the homebrewers no doubt), and they will have had at least one (1) OS update to boot!
I have used the Android OS and have found it quite unorganized and quite rudimentary... quite unpolished.
I see no logical reason for someone to switch from a Pre, to become frustrated, to just end up switching back.
Android OS is nice, but it is no WebOS.
this phone is so sweet dude, I'm sorry guys but I'm going to let you guys down, the 5 megapixel camera, Flash browser, easy integration with facebook and gmail, copy and paste anything from anywhere, android apps, photo share.... sorry Palm I gave you one last try but my phone is pretty boring already and I'm tired of waiting... you just lost another customer.
See ya!!! :-)
The hero is ok its going to have flash but not the real flash player palm is in partnership with adobe to bring the real flash player to the pre. So in the end with some updates the pre will be the better phone even tho I think it is now also like some have said its the same damn phone as the g1 and the pre kills the g1 (IMO) also its been only 3 months and pre has got one update which was ok I think that with just one more update the hero will jus be another andriod phone that can't compare to the pre.
Hero Sucks
Can we get that active homescreen, or options to change the theme and not just the wallpaper SOON????
Oh, and video?
Oh, and visual voicemail?
Thanks, go PALM!
I think that means nothing for the pre. Well, I live in Germany and already had a Hero for about 1 and a half weeks. It was a great device, but to point one thing out:
I have a HTC Touch Pro, an iPhone and had a HERO. From this three, the iPhone is best, the Touch Pro is second and the HERO is last. It has a great interface (as the Touch Pro) but Exchange-sync is really bad. Multitasking is kind of not really working because of the huge memory-consumption of the new UI and the apps are more or less worthless. Sorry folks, but I think that Android will be good in about 1 or 2 years. Palm Pre was great as I tested it some days in the States. The Exchange-Sync works great and even syncinc with 2 Exchange Servers works great. The Usability is even better than on the iPhone and at the end it was the best device I ever used. So I'm waiting for my Pre here in Germany at the end of the year.
Excellent points from someone that's used the Hero (and other current smartphones it seems). Thank you for this comment.
We'll see people leave (the Pre) but if this comment illustrates what the general "geek" audience that this site seems to attract will see, we'll see them come back.
Thanks Calvin.
Actually I have only an iPhone 2G and a colleague of mine has an 3G. Even he is eagerly waiting for the Pre. He sais the 3G is a great Multimedia-Device, but nothing for "business-people". That begins with the missing hardware-Keyboard and mostly missed: Multitasking. Another thing which is very annoying for both of us:
As a "business-man" (I'm self-employed) I always need to have a charged phone as I use it a lot. About 45-50 hours of Talking per month BUT a lot of eMail-Push and our online-ticket-system in a good web-browser. The main thing which bothers us with the iPhone is the unrepleacable battery. It's not the fact, that you cannot replace it when it's broken, but you don't want to charge it while it still has 50% because you don't want to ruin the battery but you know, that it is very likely that it won't last for the rest of your day if you don't.
With my Touch Pro (or even the Androit HERO), I put in a charger every time I can, at home, in the office, in the car, even sometimes at the customers, when there's a mini-usb-plug free ;-)
So the thing is: I don't even care when the battery get's old. I buy a new one for 30 bucks and change it. For the iPhone I have to LET it change (takes about 80 bucks for service and price for battery) AND the store has to send it in here in Germany. They send it to the Service-company in Northern Germany. It takes only about 7 work-days till you get it back. 7 WORKDAYS? Without my MAIN PHONE? No way. That's the reason why I gave the 2g iPhone to my girlfriend and use the TouchPro till the Pre comes out.
Oh, and another good thing at the Pre: The Cam is great and FAST. The Hero's cam really is only average compared to that. The iPhone ones even bader (despite the 3Gs). The one from my Touch Pro is really great with AutoFocus and that stuff. Now you say: What do you need it for in business. I tell you: I am also a "field service person" if it's called so. So if I'm at the customer and need to change a router or a modem or a Harddrive or sth. like that I have to write down what I sold him for billing. I also need the Serial-No. and so on. So I take my Touch Pro (soon Pre) and take a GOOD photo of the name of the product and the serial-number and mail it to my colleague in the office and he can bill it "just-in-time". That's the way it should work. No possibility with the iPhone 2G or 3G (crap camera) and not really clear pictures with the HERO either, althoug it's also Autofocus.
Well enough written. I'm waiting for the pre since it's first announcement, and even more since I used it in the states in June. Can't wait till it becomes available here in Germany.
It will be available here at o2 (besides that I'm a customer of them since 6 years). The contract I use is a flat-fee for phone to landline and other o2 customers for 20 EUR per month and another 20 EUR for unlimited surfing with UMTS/HSDPA. BUT i also have 2 other SIM-Cards on the same contract, one in my spare-phone (if I forget my first or don't have enough battery life) and one in my Laptop. ALL together use the same Surf-Fee togehter and can be used at the same time. Besides that o2 allowes even Skype and other VOIP. So 40 EUR per month for phone flat and surf-flat for 3 devices at the same time. Now the pre can come :-)
Oh, and just one more thing (that's what steve always sais ;-): I also have the SDK installed and checked already all the Exchange and Facebook and Synergy-stuff. It work REALLY well with all my accounts and Servers. (that's 2 Exchange, 1 Gmail, 2 others and Facebook). Simply a great OS. Waiting for the Hardware.
Hey NiTeSHiFT,
Thanks for your input, from someone that has used all of these elite devices. Good thing Sprint will have 3 of the 4, hopefully that can boost sales and stock (I want to cash in on a rise, hopefully). But regarding your job, you should look into Evernote. I think you may find it handy. Trust me. Thanks again.
My guess would be that a new 16GB Pre comes soon (given catalog numbers in both Sprint and Verizon systems). The 16GB Pre will stay at $199 with a plan, and the 8GB Pre will drop to $149 or possible $99. This would allow the EOS (Centro replacement) to come in at $99 (if the 8GB Pre is at $149) or possibly $49 or free with contract (which it will probably end up at eventually in any case).
Rumors hint a substantial OS upgrade is in the works. One is needed to address bugs, continue adding features (especially ones of interest for enterprise use), and, most importantly, taking the app store out of beta. While homebrew apps are important for enthusiasts and developers, most Pre buyers don't fall in this category - getting the final app store done properly in a way that can hopefully satisfy the various competing interests (commercial developers, open-source/enthusiast developers, casual users, enthusiast/power users, and enterprise IT departments) is a challenge.
I can only hope that Palm/Sprint allow Pre early-adopters an easy way to upgrade to Pre models with more memory/storage. To me (and others part of a vocal minority unhappy about the storage size and lack of expandable storage), this is the single biggest deficiency on the Pre. It would go a long way to generate good will with this group of users if an upgrade came in at a good deal less than full price.
Palm would have my undying gratitude forever if they offered a trade-in/trade-up deal for existing Pre owners. I'd be willing to pay another $50-100 for an upgraded phone with more memory or (better yet) a micro-SD slot-- even if they have to modify the form factor a bit.
Look at the Seidio 2600mAh battery/cover combo. It makes the Pre a little fatter, but it still maintains the basic shape and lines. Plus there's more than enough space in that shell for a micro-SD connector.
I think they have already crippled the phone by not adding specs that are standard in every phone these days. This was supposed to be a flagship phone for a pioneer that has been struggling. How do you explain these short comings? I understand that a phone maker will never give you a perfect phone the first time around because that's how they make their money. They leave room to improve so they can come out with a better verstion every single year. I've been a Palm faithful since I picked up my Treo 750P 5 years ago but I will be checking out the Hero. I'm not saying it's better but I like the specs better. However, I'll wait for a month after release date to get it. I just don't want to be a test subject for these companies. Thank God for competition.
I'll admit that I was chomping at the bit to get ahold of this phone way back when the GSM versions first started showing up. Then I read the reviews...
As others have said, hardware limitations will cripple this phone. Most notably, the memory issues. I have a G1 and after installing a few apps, I constantly had memory issues. This is because Android uses the same memory for running and storing apps. Since the Hero only received an incremental memory upgrade, this will continue to be a problem. Also, the outdated processor is limited and even with some software updates to address efficiency, I doubt it will ever be smooth. Palm suffers from the same lagginess in some areas, but this is due more to the optimization of the code in WebOS and the java underpinning, both of which can be addressed with software.
I love Android, but until they saddle it with real hardware, it's not a viable option for me WebOS is slick and can only get better.
Also, to the person who commented about the camera being better: If you read the reviews, the images are only good in optimal lighting. 5mp means nothing without a good sensor. My Pre takes great pictures in all sorts of lighting conditions. Whether it's the way the software processes the pictures, or the optical quality of the camera, the 3.2 on the Pre is one of the best I've seen. Larger numbers aren't always better.
i AM STICKING WITH SPRINT NO MATTER.
I pay 63.12 for my sprint plan. I just paid my wifes iphone plan 150.56. THAT IS INSANE.
I am so freaking glad sprint is getting awesome phones.
ATT IS A RIP OFF AND I DONT CARE HOW GOOD THE IPHONE IS.
come on android.
I am very disspaointed with the pre overall. Miss my iphone but i can live with an extra 80 bucks on my pocket from savings monthly.
+1. Sprint's coverage may not be the best but for now no one can beat their pricing on data plans. Plus I got a 22% discount for being a member of a volunteer ambulance corps (if you're a volunteer firefighter you get 25% off-- an extra 3% for running toward the fire!) Simply Everything for my wife and me is a hair over $100/month. No other carriers even come close.
As for the Pre vs the Hero, well different strokes for differnt folks. The Android device has a lot going for it, but some strikes against it too, same as the Pre. I'm enjoying my Palm WebOS phone and I look forward to its continued evolution.
The Pre is my hero!
My sentiments exactly my friend... As the webOS code is optimized and made better over the coming months, it will be nothing but Victory to us webOS adopters. Nay-sayers, say what you want, but this is a (barely)3-month old device and software nipping at the heels of the "best" phones on the market. That's really sayng something. GO PALM!
Im loving the Pre's keyboard one downfall that the hero does not have that I really need and love. If the hero had the same concept with a keyboard not a touch screen keyboard i would go with the Hero. But for now I will stick with the Pre. The Hero def has a lot of good features that Palm should come out this month like video recording, visual vm, and apps that we can use other than finding food. I dont need 20 apps to find food. Small things the Pre should have in the year 2009. Come on we are still waiting, more and more waiting. Thanks Homebrew Dev for picking up the slack for Palm love the apps you have brung us.
So, the big winner is Sprint as they now will have the two of the best phones in a while. Also, there is some overlap, but I can see them fairly easily positioning the phones in different markets to attract as many new customers to their network. Seriously, guys. Step back and compare Sprint's offerings of 10 years ago with those of today. The difference is almost mind-boggling.
Regarding this silly manufactured drama between the two phone companies: Palm will definitely release some updates by the time that this phone launches and many of the things that people are bringing up as faults of Pre v. Hero won't be issues. I can see full copy-paste, visual voicemail and Flash being in 2.0, but who knows. Plus we already know that Pre is making moves to be on different networks.
HTC is finally releasing their wunder-phone in the US now, so that will get them some good press. And they avoided the shadow of the iPhone 3GS release, so even though it's later, it'll be able to shine more than the Pre did, I think. Who knows what Sprint's marketing push will be (but seeing the quality of Sprint's Pre commercials, I think that they can expect good stuff when Sprint decides to do a marketing push).
Bottom line: everyone calm down and stop making this into a soap opera. It's just business. Pick the phone that fits you and move on.
Several nice features for the Hero, but with no physical keyboard I wouldn't even consider. The Pre has a huge advantage over the iPhone and Hero because anytime you want to type, half of your screen is used up for the stupid keyboard. I will never be without a physical keyboard, no matter what size it is...
Er, the only people who are excited about Android phones are Linux fanboys like me (there must be literally dozens if not hundreds of us) and many of us have already gone for the Pre.
The Pre has all the Palm fanboys, the iPhone has all the Apple and iPod fanboys, there are plenty of Crackberry fanboys, and there must even be some Wince fanboys out there somewhere to keep buying WinMo phones. If it comes down to specs, the Pre and iPhone are hard to beat; if it comes down to apps, Apple's the 800-pound gorilla no matter what your opinion of their quality is (Windows didn't exactly get to the top of the desktop heap because of its stability.) If it comes down to coverage, you won't be buying a Sprint or T-mo phone regardless.
So apart from appealing to forum trolls who'll say anything to poop on Palm, what's Android's differentiating factor besides the Google name?
I'm very upset with sprint right now. This is to close to the Pre Release date to not tell consumers ahead of time it was coming. Palm needs to step up their game on the Pre and sprint better hope so also, because if not they are about to get a lot of nasty phone calls from people who feel like they got screwed.
To be fair and Honest, Sprint doesn't owe anyone any notices about what they are releasing for their company. Simple and plain. If you went out and wanted to get the Pre or whatever else phone, too bad. You should have waited with that off-chance thought of something else coming out later. The 'problem' is nothing but the consumer's fault.
The hero is by far the best android device to date but the problem is its processor. If you have read engadget they already complain about the magic and G1 being laggy and because the hero has identical hardware to its predecessors with the new Sense UI its even more laggy than the other android devices. If Palm can get a decent update out the door and do something to keep the Pre in gadget news I don't think it will affect Pre sales much.
they will take sales from pre. but now sure how many. Regular people don't care about android. If it looks cool they'll get it. Android only a selling point for tech nerds.
Today's announcement sounds like the start of a VERY long month for Palm. With the quarterly earnings report we should hear exactly where Palm stands.
Web OS is a revolutionary idea, but for whatever reason, the innovation comes at the sacrifice of basic function. Look at Synergy: A great concept, but the fact you cannot "selectively"import specific contacts is downright stupid.
People brag about how awesome the processor/hardware is, but yet you can bake a cake once you try and launch the calendar. No visual voicemail, no selective ringtones, no onscreen KB for landscape use, video recording, and the list goes on and on.
Yes, its a "first generation" OS, but the features that WebOS lacks have been around. They are "no brainer" features.
Top it all off with crappy build quality which has not even been addressed (much less acknowleged) by Palm, and the hero just wraps up the Pre's failure.
Hell, even their very own "fanboy" forums are littered with criticisms. Not only did Palm blow it, they haven't even put up a fighting chance.
The Hero is no competition for Palm, I just finished watching the demos on it and its nothing out of the ordinary. Palm gave us a wonderful multitasking device and if people are so worried about apps, switch to Apple. Majority of the apps are useless anyways, Palm Pre is simple to use and extremely sexy (I actually got laid because of curiosity). I'm not even going to remind you guys of over the air updates! Oh please lets worry about something else, like how many more girls the Pre is going to attract!!!!
Amazing how strongly people feel about an effen PHONE! The reviews of the Hero don't seem to be overwhelming ... mediocre on-screen keyboard, slow response, Flash support is not great. All of the top phones have their issues, none of them is perfect ... the whole concept of fitting a computer/phone/camera in the palm of your hand is about compromises.
I like the Pre's size/shape, I like WebOS, it does many things well and there's nothing that I can't live without. In a year or two, when I'm ready to upgrade, there will no doubt be something better.
AMEN. Hopefully the rumored Pre upgrade I heard about will be next. It will blow Everything away, including the iphoney. And with webOS development over the months with more improvements and features.... Whoooo, I hope my dreams come TRUE!
I totally dig it...
It means this damned Pre of mine is going in the trashcan.
Five weeks and nary a word out of Palm. Anticipated a more regular series of minor updates. Still prefer QWERTY keyboard over virtual. If a decent Android DCD (Data Centric Device) with keyboard comes to market, I may just be tempted. Going to be interesting to see how an HTC DCD without WinMo will run.
I'm switching from Pre to the Hero next month! Who's with me?
Not me. Pre is for me.
The Pre IS my Hero. You'll be back. PLEEEEASE post your disappointment once you wasted your money, sir. Thanks. And seeing as though you have the Pre... Hero @ full price too?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
This is a big dilemma, when android was announced i was really excited, but then the first iteration was disappointing in some ways. Then the pre was announced and webOS was what i wished android was in a lot of ways (like having applications run on web technology instead of a proprietary type of java), but android has matured and is still very exciting especially with these UI skins from HTC, Sony and hopefully a good one from motorola. WebOS still seems more polished but i feel like android better fits my personality. Theres also things like android seems more open and flexible but i hate that google always sucks up to apple whereas palm has shown it's not afraid to give apple the finger when it needs to.
Of course i'm waiting for both of them to come to verizon but that just makes more issues with hardware; should i go with the hefty motorola sholes with a big screen and microsd card slot, or the sleek compact pre with disappointing battery life? i just don't know
yeaaaa.... pre... we need to have a talk.... it's been cool and all, but you're not THAT attractive for being such a bitch, and with all your problems... it's just not worth it anymore.... I think we should see other people.... oh and by the way... there's someone else, her name's android and honestly she's alot hotter than you are. C-ya hoe
oh and palm... little suggestion that's been brought up before... join the open handheld alliance and bring what you brought to the table with webos and give it to android, this phone is seriously going to give you problems from the same target demographic and on the same carrier..
you will be assimilated... resistance is feutile... we are android
Try not to be a complete idiot. Android is a great OS, but it has it's limitations. WebOS has issues, too, but it hasn't even had time to mature.
Both are powerful in their own right and having multiple, good platforms to choose from is a great thing.
Go ahead and get your Hero. I'll laugh at you when you start getting memory errors or get frustrated because it's running slow. I also hope you enjoy clearing your internet cache on a daily basis so you don't run out of storage space on the phone.
...androids would probably spell futile correctly.
I'm just sayin'...
Actually, given the relatively open nature of both Android and WebOS and the fact that both are Linux based, it wouldn't surprise me if the two OSes partially or completely "merged" - that is, if it wasn't ultimately possible to run both sets of apps on either OS.
In theory (at a high level), to run Android apps on WebOS, you would need to install the Android Java virtual machine and need a plugin that would allow the app to run within a WebOS shell (a la Terminal).
Similarly, to run WebOS apps on Android, you would need to leverage webkit locally as Palm has done with the Pre and need to have the WebOS javascript libraries already installed (mapped to the appropriate Android system calls - I presume that Android is doing this today using JNI).
Yes, I know that I'm glossing over a lot here (in addition to techincal challenges, there may well be legal issues - I'm not aware of which OS components are proprietary and must be licensed or reverse engineered), but, as I said, at a high level, it should be possible.
My contract with Sprint is almost up and I was considering a Pre.... not any more. The specs on this looks pretty good.
BTW, what is a chin?
Why do you people argue like children over who's operating system is better? Grow up.
Any way, I cant wait to see this at the Sprint store.
Im in Europe and can buy a Hero right now, and I wont cos I am waiting the Pre.
There is a lot of people that just want to have the latest gadget no matter what. Fine to them but Pre is another philosophy.
I have an Ipod Touch and a HTC S740 with WInMo6.1. And I know I´ll never buy a phone with no physical keyboard, nor one with physical keyboard that is so big as the Android phones we have in here. Cos it stop being a mobile phone for me.
Also for me, usability is key and I have seen Android working and the HTC UI working, and Pre is by far the most elegant and functional. Also for me, putting widgets everywhere is actually bad. I dont care about features but about real efficiency. Pre is all about "bing bing bing and you are done". If not I would have bought a cheap nokia and just that.
So Pre is all I want now.
It means time for a unlimited family plan with two lines...
Why does this phone not have a flash for the camera???? The pre is the first phone that I have had a flash for the camera and it is GREAT. If this phone had a flash for the camera I would seriously consider switching.
LED flash on board.
This is more a story of how Sprint is trying to maneuver rather than what will happen to the Palm Pre. As has been mentioned before, the Pre is mainly a competitor for Blackberry - not just because of the keyboard, but also because of multitasking. And that's what Sprint wants is a strong enterprise smartphone. The Hero, on the other hand will be the Iphone competitor, more about fun than work based functionality.
For those who either haven't experienced the Pre, there's simply no way to explain the multitasking functionality other than to compare it to a a palm sized laptop. It just doesn't feel like a smartphone as much as it does a small (and sure, slower speed) laptop.
"Palm-sized laptop" have been my words from day 1. They way this thing multi-tasks is amazing. And sure, the background processing taxes the battery more than other one-app-at-a-time phones, but that software code will be optimized eventually. I don't have too much of a problem, just use some battery-saving tips and you can get the most from your phone. I'm just waiting on more and more updates and see what Palm can do with this OS. Very, very, VERY promising. And to think... Pre just had it's 3-month bday. Awesome.
Honestly, I think this could go either way. This could be a great opportunity for Palm, but it could also be the final blow. Unfortunately, Palm has a history of not "getting it". It looked like Palm had finally turned their game around. A great example is the Palm blog. What a great opportunity they had there to keep its user base informed on what was going on. If Palm made this interactive, gave us some indication that they have heard our pleas and are working to address those issues, I think a lot more of the people here would be willing to stick it out. But alas, it looks like the Palm blog was much more of a marketing gimmick.
Now some people might point out that none of the competitors are that in tune with their customers either. Well, the point here is that Palm is the major underdog right now. Apple is huge, Google is also huge. Microsoft isn't even really attempting to compete at this point. Palms needs to be DIFFERENT if they want to compete. Their core consumer group is going to be Palm people - people that have used Palm devices for years and want to see the brand rebuild itself. People that want the gimmicks, like rain and windshield wipers on the screen to indicate its going to rain that day, are going to buy whatever the new "cool" phone is. That is what the Hero is going to be (until something cooler comes out).
The fact of the matter is, you can't compare the Pre to the iPhone. People keep pointing out that the iPhone was unpolished with the 1st gen. Well, the iPhone was a different device in a different category. The iPhone never tried to present itself as a business solution. It was also the cool new thing. The graphics and multi-touch were game-changers. That's why people put up with the short-comings. If Palm had released the Pre during the time before the iPhone, we all would care so much less about the short-comings (though we'd still want them addressed). The fact of the matter is, with the current market, the Pre is just lacking. There's no excuse for Palm to have released this phone without even having basic functions. We all accepted it as early adopters, but now I think many of us are starting to worry that Palm might be up to its old tricks and just getting lazy.
I won't be switching to the Hero, but if they don't address these issues, even if they did it a little at a time like once a week or once every other week, then this will likely be the last Palm device I ever buy. [/rant]
HTC always make good looking, user friendly phones.
I'm amused by all the people ready to jump ship to the Hero before it's even released, because they're so disapointed in the Pre.
Think people! You jumped on the Pre without waiting to see what it really was, and how well it really worked, and now you're unhappy. So you're going to do the same thing, and jump on the Hero?
Why not learn from your experience and wait? Let someone else take a shot on the Hero, and learn from their experience before shelling out more dough?
"I'm amused by all the people ready to jump ship to the Hero before it's even released, because they're so disapointed in the Pre."
it is already releases. I can buy it today, if I want.
UMm...this phone scares me more than the iPhone. But the hero doesn't have synergy, a keyboard which I prefer. I saw the apps on board and the way you can customize the phone. Me likey! I saw the memory on board so it will come with a sd card? 512mb is small compared to 8gb. but it looks shiny and new, we don't know what it will do. What does it say about upgrades? Will you have to pay for them?
If I had seen this before the Pre, I would have opted for it instead. Since I am stuck in a 2 year contract...Palm better step it up with the upgrades and app store. I am not even going to say how many apps this thing is going to have...it monstrous
not like iphone...but its huge.
The Hero doesn't have "Synergy" (a Palm trademark), but it does download and synchronize your contacts from Gmail, Exchange, Facebook, etc. and add in their Facebook pictures just like Synergy does.
Its Exchange application also synchronizes e-mail and calendars over the air and provides a unified view of your Google and Exchange calendars, just like Synergy.
HTC has taken a lot of the differentiation from a software perspective out of the running with its Android apps... plus Android has a huge, growing developer community.
I love Palm and want to see them succeed... but this phone is another formidable competitor that moves the bar. With Android phones shipping from Samsung and Motorola and Android being blanketed across all four major carriers, Palm runs a very real risk of being drowned out of the market in all the din.
It's starting to remind me a bit of the Amiga and Atari ST. Both were revolutionary, shipped a bit later than the Apple product that was the "benchmark" of the time. Both were FAR superior hardware-wise, with color. Amiga introduced multitasking, Atari ST introduced CD-ROMS and multimedia.
Both were ultimately pushed out of the market by a popular, initially clunky OS that could be run on multiple computers from multiple vendors called Windows.
That scenario could be replaying, with Palm in the role of Commodore/Atari.
I think the Hero is a rather impressive phone. However, Android really is not as fluent of a system as people think. It's an EXCELLENT system, but in my opinion, webOS is more polished. The Hero will be the best phone (by far) available on an Android system, but again, the Pre is simply more polished in its OS and UI. I love the fact that the Hero will allow multi touch input, which is BIGGIE FOR ME. As far as the camera, the Pre has an amazing camera... lacks features, but it takes fast and excellent pictures. The Hero does have a 5mp camera, but if I compared the Pre to phones like the Samsung Behold (which has 5mp), I prefer the Pre's camera. So that remains to be seen with the Hero. Palm will update to video support soon (im pretty sure), if the don't I will be significantly upset :-)
Overall, the Hero is an excellent phone, with great features, and some that it takes from the webOs ideas (sync and stuff). Again,in my opinion, webOS is far more polished than Android is. The open source in android is good, but the Pre just beats it in User Interface and overall software usability.
My friend has the mytouch and i thought was a great phone if it wasn't for the proprietary headphones and for the lack of hard drive. Hope they could get around and give this android phones a hard drive, that will start to move the clouds in Copernicus.
ccna ccent
Look all of us reading these forums, rooting and homebrew installing, and tweaking our phones are tech junkies and/or power users to some degree...but I say if you are "bored" of your phone you need to get outside and live life a little bit. It's a freakin phone, it's not your life. There are days I forget I have a phone, and yet I am not bored. I bet the people who are "bored" are the same people that (assuming they have friends) hang out with their friends with their heads buried in a screen pounding out facebook updates, tweets and text. Put the phone down, enjoy your LIVE friends, and get a grip on reality.
WebOS and the Pre are gen 1 products, no neither is truly finished and we all obviously expect WebOS updates to keep rolling out, but as I've said in the past, this phone exceeded my expectations in stability and features (features to a lesser extent) from day 1.
What it lacked, the homebrew community has largely filled in. Forwarding, landscape email, OSK, tether, etc.
Sure I want the phone to make me breakfast and look sexy doing it, but it and the OS are 3 f'ing months old, give it a little time.
As far as saying, yeah but it should have been released with this stuff, tough crap. You knew what the phone lacked when you bought it, and you still HAD to have the new shiny gadget to impress your virtual friends. Anytime you buy into a 1st gen product you should have to sign a contract that you won't whine and complain that it isn't finished....NO CRAP, you are a beta tester, and if you didn't know that before this rant you do now.
Didn't see this posted but all those Hero lovers, check the Engadget review. The videos show some disappointments. I'd go Pre.. ;)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/
I went and watched the Palm Pre vs HTC Hero dogfight on Phonedog. If the Hero is even more sluggish than the Pre, it won't be for me.
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-dogfight-...
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-pt-2-cont...
https://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/palm-pre-vs-htc-hero-pt-3-web...
There is an upgrade to the HTC Hero that was done in late August which corrected the lagging issue that people have experenced.
http://www.morninpaper.com/2009/08/video-htc-hero-gets-its-lag-fixed-sam...
I'm waiting on the hero and will buy it sometime after the October 11 release date.
I have played around with the Palm Pre and was not really happy with it. In fact two different sales people at Sprint (on two different dates) were trying to steer me to a Blackberry because I really wanted an email intergation solution.
I also think that the Plam Pre had horrible commericals with that stupid girl with the pulled back hair that took away from the product they were selling. At least the iPhone commericals actually put the spotlight on the product and show what it can do.
I'm happy Sprint is getting both phones and hopefully more compition will help develop better phones.
I do see in the long run more carriers and more phone makers going over to Android so I think in a couple of years WebOS will be obsolete.
This criticism about the commercials, and not buying a pre because of them consistently surprises me. The purpose of a commercial is to make familiar those who are unfamiliar with a product. I would agree that those commercials... well they sucked. But if the product was good, a bad commercial would not keep me from buying it. It just might make it hard for those who are unfamiliar with the product to be come familiar with it.
I promise you if you give up the Pre for and HTC phone, then you must have never owned one. HTC makes sluggish phones. I owned the PPC 6800, the Mogul, and HTC touch Pro. All three phones lagged big time. The early reports are that the Hero is extremely sluggish, and HTC will be releasing a patch to correct, before the phone even hits the US. At the end of the day these phones all do the same thing. Iphone may have more apps, but all my friends wish they could open up multiple programs at once. HTC is the new kid on the block, and once release, I'm sure it will not receive a higher review than the Palm Pre. There will always be negatives when it comes to cell phones. The Palm is unique, and you can't take that away.
The sluggishness of your HTC phones was due to Windows Mobile. Saying "HTC makes sluggish phones -- I know, look at these WinMo devices" is silly. It's like saying "Palm phones are unstable -- I've owned several PalmOS Treos and they're always crashing." A bit silly when Pre runs webOS.
People shouldn't underestimate the potential of the Hero and other Android phones, nor the competitive threat they represent to Palm.
In a review of the Hero I saw (on Engadget, I believe) they said the Hero was slow as well. They said the reason it was slow was that the software ends up pushing the hardware too close to its limits.
Geez...I've read this entire post looking for the #1 determining factor in my next phone purchase, and I am surprised no one even touch it. Whichever phone on the sprint network that will offer the best compatibility with Google Voice, will be the next phone I'll spend my money. Like most people I need a phone to talk first and everything else comes second. I had difficulty deciding between the Pre and the Tour, but now that this Hero has shown up it is the obvious choice for any GV customer simply due to the custom app made for the android OS. My first choice is still the Pre, but unless a custom app appears before Nov, 2(contract renewal time)...HELLO HERO.
I have never owned an HTC phone, or had a phone running on Android. But, I have used them. WinMo makes me sick; and HTC has yet to have the kind of hardware specs that live up to the demand. This new Hero may be the answer, too bad I already went with the Pre. Not that the Hero will be the better choice, but who knows... The microSD expansion is beautiful, the 528Mhz processor is impressive, and the 5.0 Megapixel is awesome.
If Palm doesn't fix the dialer software in the update leading up to the Hero release count me out as well. It is unacceptable that there are so many issues answering and dialing out...
The release of the HTC Hero on Sprint means My Pre, with all the accessories, Phone, Leather Case , Seidio Snap on case and holster , Car charger, Touchstone charger with back cover , extra battery with original back cover and a Phantom Skinz screen protector ( already installed ) are all for sale . If anyone wants my pre with everything mentioned above , just send me a note with offer to scea0512@gmail.com . Otherwise I list on Ebay to the highest bidder . My Hero will be here tomorrow
Not that it matters, since I own one already, but for those undecided, the PREs have gone down to 150.00 at RadioShack no mail-in rebates. New and Upgrade Customers. Of course keeping that in mind the HTC might be even less there now that I think about. Maybe this isnt a convincing argument. Lol. Nevertheless I love my PRE.
I have been lurking on this site since for months, and I finally got a Pre 3 weeks ago. Nothing really prepared me for the resulting disappointment. The battery life was abysmal. Last Sunday, I took the phone off the charger at 11:15 am after charging all night. Very few phone calls, some browsing and emailing, a few games played, and it was down to 5% when we needed to leave the house at 5:15 pm. Battery that poor is a huge liability to me. I have tried all the tweaks and adjustments - they helped, but still could never get me through 6 pm on a weekday. I have friends whose Pres seem to have significantly better battery life. Great for them. Perhaps my particular location at home and work is just exceptionally poor, or maybe I was the recipient of a lemon.
Had the battery been the only problem, I would have taken it back to Sprint to get it replaced. I was disappointed from day one with the lag in transitions, especially something as simple as switching from the keypad phone screen to the call log. The hardware felt fragile and rickety. The USB/charge port is in a horrible location, especially for someone who wants to charge the phone while using it.
Long story short, I managed to borrow a trial Hero yesterday and last night, and the decision for my wife and me was surprisingly easy. I swapped my Pre for a Hero this afternoon with no regrets.
Best of luck to Palm and to everyone who has their products. This one just wasn't nearly the experience I had hoped it would be. I hope WebOS 1.3 improves the lag, but even that isn't enough for me to stick around.
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