Minor annoyances of the HTC Hero

Submitted by litrik on

I have been using my new HTC Hero (running Android) for two weeks now. Overall I am very happy with the device (both hardware and software) but of course there a couple of (minor) annoyances.

A lot of reviews of the HTC Hero mention a "lag" in the UI. Initially I did not encounter this and the UI always reacted instantly but lately I have experienced this "lag" as well. I guess it is either caused by the garbage collector or by the many background tasks that run all the time (to get data from the Internet). Does the "lag" ruin the whole device? No, definitely not. It is just a minor annoyance similar to pressing the wrong key on the software keyboard (because your finger is too thick) or doing a bad swipe (because your finger is greasy). Nonetheless HTC is aware of the issue and they'll be releasing an update that fixes the "lag".

The HTC Hero's support for Flash is limited to video only. I am no fan of most uses of Flash but I really would love to access my iGoogle gadgets that use the Google Visualizations API to show fancy charts.

When I leave home, it sometimes takes a while before the device switches from Wi-Fi to 3G. As a workaround I can go into "Mobile network settings" and select "Use only 2G networks" and immediately deselect it again. This typically results in a 3G connection. I'm not sure why it takes so long to switch from Wi-Fi to 3G. It might be caused by the standard Android software, some of the HTC Sense gadgets or the Proximus 3G coverage in my home town. I'll have to do some further investigation to figure out what is causing this.

Fortunately these 3 issues pale compared to the overall quality of the HTC Hero user experience: an excellent device with plenty of software that is easy to use.

Topic: 

10 Comments

Any comments on the GPS? I

Submitted by t-ars on

Any comments on the GPS? I always wonder if it is just nice to have, or something you can actually rely on, especially the software. I thought it used maps from the internet, which means your 3G connection needs to be active while navigating? Is it more of a handheld or car-navigation approach?

Hi, I bought the HTC Hero

Submitted by Anonymous on

Hi,

I bought the HTC Hero recently and I have had the same Wi-Fi to 3G issue. At first I thought there was something wrong with my APN settings but then i realised it was just a massive lag in the transition. Can't wait till the release of the new software update!

Hello, The patch has been

Submitted by NVC on

Hello,

The patch has been released by HTC. What are your findings? Does it solve the lag?

I've been holding off getting a smartphone for a couple of months now, narrowing it down to going either for the iPhone 3GS or an Android phone. Since the new iPhones are almost impossible to get in Belgium at the moment (all Mobistar stocks depleted, waiting lists, etc) and not really being a fan of the closed and limiting iPhone OS I'm pretty sure I'll go for an Android device. The HTC Hero got excellent reviews everywhere with the one major negative point being that the hardware just isn't good enough for the Sense UI and Android OS (leading to the lag). But apparently this is a software issue...? (which would be great news)

Nice blog by the way :-)

Greetings,
N