Should I, or shouldn't I...

[kendermouse]

It's time to get a new phone, (past time, really...) and after a lot of research, I had decided on the Hero, rather than the Evo. I was really excited at the prospect.It would be my first smartphone, and the first time I've ever even considered getting a product with a touchscreen.

Then I started to hear stuff about the issues the 2.1 update is causing, and it's worrying me.


I talked to a Sprint rep online, and rather than give me some open, honest answers, she rather dismissively told me, "I haven't heard about any issues regarding Android 2.1" and tried to move on to hard selling me the product in question, without waiting to see if I had any other questions.


I desperately need a new phone, and being that my soul belongs to Sprint via contract, (and because I actually like them for the most part, and appreciate the plan I'm on...) I have very few phones to choose from that would meet my criteria for a new phone. The Hero and the Evo are actually about it, if I want a smartphone.


But I'm wondering... is it really worth the cost? Is it as good a phone as I thought after doing the initial research? And if I do go ahead and get it, considering the issues I've read are being caused by 2.1, should I forgo the upgrade?


And maybe, if someone could tell me, from the standpoint of someone who has only ever used regular phones before, what it's like to learn to use a phone like the Hero, so I could have an idea what I'd be in for?

 

[JB in AZ]

It's time to get a new phone, (past time, really...) and after a lot of research, I had decided on the Hero, rather than the Evo. I was really excited at the prospect.It would be my first smartphone, and the first time I've ever even considered getting a product with a touchscreen.

Then I started to hear stuff about the issues the 2.1 update is causing, and it's worrying me.


I talked to a Sprint rep online, and rather than give me some open, honest answers, she rather dismissively told me, "I haven't heard about any issues regarding Android 2.1" and tried to move on to hard selling me the product in question, without waiting to see if I had any other questions.


I desperately need a new phone, and being that my soul belongs to Sprint via contract, (and because I actually like them for the most part, and appreciate the plan I'm on...) I have very few phones to choose from that would meet my criteria for a new phone. The Hero and the Android are actually about it, if I want a smartphone.


But I'm wondering... is it really worth the cost? Is it as good a phone as I thought after doing the initial research? And if I do go ahead and get it, considering the issues I've read are being caused by 2.1, should I forgo the upgrade?


And maybe, if someone could tell me, from the standpoint of someone who has only ever used regular phones before, what it's like to learn to use a phone like the Hero, so I could have an idea what I'd be in for?

Welcome to the Forum! It WILL take some getting used to, no question about that. The basic functions will be easy. Some of the other stuff can be more difficult, but becomes easy within a short time. The great thing abut the Hero, is it can be different things to different people. The possibilites are truly mindboggling! We are all here anxious and happy to help with anything you need with your new Hero. We are a great bunch, if I do say so myself!

The upgrade to 2.1 has a variety of feedback. For the most part, it is a good thing, and we are able to help you with most any issue.

 

[V425]

The Hero is my first smartphone and I love everything I can do with it. I actually never upgraded to 2.1. I have one issue with 1.5 (receiving picture messages), but after learning to work around it, and after hearing so many people unhappy with 2.1, I figure it might be better to just stay with 1.5 unless I ever take the time to root it. However, 1.5 might not be an option for you if Heros come preloaded with 2.1 now.

 

[jwpilly]

It's time to get a new phone, (past time, really...) and after a lot of research, I had decided on the Hero, rather than the Evo. I was really excited at the prospect.It would be my first smartphone, and the first time I've ever even considered getting a product with a touchscreen.

Then I started to hear stuff about the issues the 2.1 update is causing, and it's worrying me.


I talked to a Sprint rep online, and rather than give me some open, honest answers, she rather dismissively told me, "I haven't heard about any issues regarding Android 2.1" and tried to move on to hard selling me the product in question, without waiting to see if I had any other questions.


I desperately need a new phone, and being that my soul belongs to Sprint via contract, (and because I actually like them for the most part, and appreciate the plan I'm on...) I have very few phones to choose from that would meet my criteria for a new phone. The Hero and the Evo are actually about it, if I want a smartphone.


But I'm wondering... is it really worth the cost? Is it as good a phone as I thought after doing the initial research? And if I do go ahead and get it, considering the issues I've read are being caused by 2.1, should I forgo the upgrade?


And maybe, if someone could tell me, from the standpoint of someone who has only ever used regular phones before, what it's like to learn to use a phone like the Hero, so I could have an idea what I'd be in for?

This is my first smart phone and I love it. I think you will, too.

 

[jwpilly]

I would add, though, that if you are weighing the difference between $150 for the Hero and $200 bucks for the Evo, and you are wondering if the Evo is worth the extra $50 dollars. Get the Evo, it most certainly is worth the extra money. And get a bigger pocket, too.

 

[DonB]

Welcome to the forum, well my suggestion would be either get an EVO or wait till late August and look at the new Samsung Epic another new Android phone with touchscreen and an actual keyboard being released by Sprint, I believe the Hero has reached it potential in upgrade and if you would of asked this question about 6 months ago I would assume most members would say go for it on the Hero. As for Sprint they are great at skirting the issue at hand and they all very well know there are issues with the Hero, it is still a good phone it just has it's issues, but it is all about sales for them, another reason they may not have directed you towards the EVO is because they are short on inventory and you cannot get them online at the moment and the Sprint stores only get a few in each week and they are all already accounted for, so Google the Samsung Epic video reviews, I mentioned and see if that would be one you would like, if not there are other phones that are available for you and I am sure others will weigh in, good luck and hope this helped

 

[zx12richard]

Otherwise than minor later next 100% happy. Some folks on here would bitch if you hung them with a new rope.

 

[Joehunni]

Otherwise than minor later next 100% happy. Some folks on here would bitch if you hung them with a new rope.

I will feel odd if I'm the only one who wonders.... what does this even mean?

 

[JB in AZ]

I will feel odd if I'm the only one who wonders.... what does this even mean?

I'm with you.

 

[DonB]

I will feel odd if I'm the only one who wonders.... what does this even mean?

Funny you said that I was just going to say I want some of that, LOL

 

[zx12richard]

Yall seriously never heard that term. I heard that for twenty years. Basically some people are going to bitch no matter what. Give them a flawless object and they will find a flaw.

 

[MrMattux]

I would add, though, that if you are weighing the difference between $150 for the Hero and $200 bucks for the Evo, and you are wondering if the Evo is worth the extra $50 dollars. Get the Evo, it most certainly is worth the extra money. And get a bigger pocket, too.

kendermouse, so here's the issue. The Hero, the EVO, and the Epic are all great phones. I speak for the Epic without having seen it because it is a Galaxy S phone, and they are widely respected.

Now to your upgrade choices, you simply would not be unhappy with the Hero whether you ran 2.1 or 1.5. What are you coming from? A dumb phone? An old Palm? Something, anyway, that the Hero will outdo.

That said, I would spring for the EVO. But then you have crazy battery issues. But that screen is so fantastic, right?

Well then there is the Epic, bigger screen than the Hero, but not as big as the EVO. We know nothing about battery, but it is hard to have worse battery life than the EVO.

So here are your choices based on what YOU might want:

Hero: Established handset that is already better than what you've got.
EVO: Amazing handset with a somewhat less-than-fantastic battery life.
Epic: An established brand which promises to bring something great to Sprint and has features similar to (but not quite exactly like) the EVO.

 

[t_wilson]

I would suggest that you play with both phones at a sprint store before making a decision and to wait for a good deal. I got my hero for $79.99, and about two months later it was being offered for $29.99.

 

[Lobo89]

I got a Hero about a month ago. It comes loaded with 2.1; at startup you have the option of installing the .6 update, which will block the phone from being rooted.

I haven't had any issues with the phone. Others can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 2.1 issues are only occurring for those that had the phone when it was on 1.5 and then updated. So a new phone shouldn't have those issues.

As for choosing between the Evo and Hero, if money is not an issue, I'd go with the Evo. It's faster and will be supported for longer than the Hero (now a year old).

If money is an issue, or you prefer a smaller device, the Hero is a good choice. You will be able to do just about everything you want with this phone (and probably more than you want considering where you're coming from). Performance will not be as good as it might be with the Evo, but it will be good enough.

 

[Joehunni]

It's time to get a new phone, (past time, really...) and after a lot of research, I had decided on the Hero, rather than the Evo. I was really excited at the prospect.It would be my first smartphone, and the first time I've ever even considered getting a product with a touchscreen.

Then I started to hear stuff about the issues the 2.1 update is causing, and it's worrying me.


I talked to a Sprint rep online, and rather than give me some open, honest answers, she rather dismissively told me, "I haven't heard about any issues regarding Android 2.1" and tried to move on to hard selling me the product in question, without waiting to see if I had any other questions.


I desperately need a new phone, and being that my soul belongs to Sprint via contract, (and because I actually like them for the most part, and appreciate the plan I'm on...) I have very few phones to choose from that would meet my criteria for a new phone. The Hero and the Evo are actually about it, if I want a smartphone.


But I'm wondering... is it really worth the cost? Is it as good a phone as I thought after doing the initial research? And if I do go ahead and get it, considering the issues I've read are being caused by 2.1, should I forgo the upgrade?


And maybe, if someone could tell me, from the standpoint of someone who has only ever used regular phones before, what it's like to learn to use a phone like the Hero, so I could have an idea what I'd be in for?

If you straight up don't care to pay an extra 10$ per month for the 4g service (no you can't opt out of this) then the hero has what it takes to make you happy. Should you get a Hero with any issues, there are workarounds that are simple enough for just about anything.

 

[TampaMike]

I have owned the Hero for a while now.
It came with 1.5 and I had my local Sprint store do the upgrade to 2.1
I have no issues with the phone at all with one exception
Getting a phone call to go through can be laggy once in a while. That's it.
My wife has an Evo and she is head over heels in love with it.
One of the guys at the store swore by a task killer called Taskpanel X
and she is getting more than enough battery time (all day & night) when using it.
To be honest.... decide which SIZE you prefer and go with that.
They are both fantastic devices.
Oh... keep in mind that for photos, the hero does not have a flash.
Good luck with your decision.... you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Joehunni]

Please don't use task killers, there is no need to "kill" your phone, it wont save your battery.

 

[lunatech]

I have the Hero and love it. When it starts getting laggy or acting stupid, I just power it down, leave it off a few minutes and turn it back on. I do this about once a week and don't have any problems with it. I did root when I was on 1.5 and played with several different 2.1 ROMs and had fun doing it. I am on the official 2.1 upgrade (.5 version) and am rooted. I rooted the official version only to remove some of the sprint bloatware apps that I never use to free up room for apps that I do use. Love the phone, and this is my first smartphone also.

 

[DonB]

Oh... keep in mind that for photos, the hero does not have a flash.
Good luck with your decision.... you can't go wrong either way.

Hero does not have a flash!!

 

[TampaMike]

Please don't use task killers, there is no need to "kill" your phone, it wont save your battery.

I believed that also.... truly I did.
but then I saw the results of using taskpanel X with my own eyes
and it does indeed keep that battery going considerably longer.

 

[TampaMike]

Hero does not have a flash!!

I have a website for my band (ok former band) that I built.
The first and second level menu's are flash driven .swf files.
When my Hero had the 1.5 OS those menu's would not show at all.
Now that I have 2.1 OS those flash menus work perfectly.

So, your statement that Hero does not have flash is not entirely correct.
I believe (and I'm FAR from any kind of expert) that the flash capabilities
of both the Evo and the Hero are software driven, not hardware.

 

[DonB]

I have a website for my band (ok former band) that I built.
The first and second level menu's are flash driven .swf files.
When my Hero had the 1.5 OS those menu's would not show at all.
Now that I have 2.1 OS those flash menus work perfectly.

So, your statement that Hero does not have flash is not entirely correct.
I believe (and I'm FAR from any kind of expert) that the flash capabilities
of both the Evo and the Hero are software driven, not hardware.

You maybe correct, but I mean no external flash like is a regular camera !!

 

[TampaMike]

You maybe correct, but I mean no external flash like is a regular camera !!

I friggen said that in my post DUH !!!
Stop confusing me I'm new at this

 

[CandyAppleVr4]

Both are good phones but the Evo is a better phone hands down. My friend went from an old candy bar phone to an Evo [his first smart phone] and he loves it. Despite the 2.1 issues [on both phones] Evo is on the list to Froyo while the hero is not. Granted xda developers will eventually most likely get it working 100%, but that's only if you plan on rooting. Froyo has been proven to be a huge improvement over 2.1. If you get a hero you will enjoy it, it has little quirks, and can be laggy at times but overall it's a good phone. The evo is almost lag free, has more features [4G, wifi hotspot, LED Flash, Video Chat, HDMI out, HD Video Recording, Faster processor, etc etc] and will be supported longer when it comes to updates but it will cost you an extra $10. It basically comes down to what you want in a phone. If you can live with a phone that has a little bit of lag and you don't care about the extra features go with the hero. If you want the best of the best go with the evo, or like others have said wait for the epic and do a side by side comparison.

 

[DonB]

I friggen said that in my post DUH !!!
Stop confusing me I'm new at this

LOL