In response to this post by Asif: “HTC, My Hero”
Ohhhh Asif.
I also had an iPhone, but then switched to Sprint since AT&T’s reception was nearly non-existent in San Francisco. So I do agree with Asif’s opinion of AT&T. However, I don’t agree with his taste in phones.
After moving to Sprint I first tried the Palm Pre for 3 weeks, then the HTC Hero for 2 weeks. I then sprint (!) back to the Palm Pre. Though I do like my Palm Pre, no phone will ever come close to the iPhone.
Maybe Asif and I look for different features in a mobile phone. I mean, of course, I want my phone to make calls, text, get email, etc. But just as important is the usability. As an avid Mac user (and lover) for the past 6 years, trust me when I say that no company infuses their products with more thought, intuition or genius than Apple.
Here are only four of the many reasons why the HTC Hero on Sprint simply does not compete with the iPhone:
1) Size Always Matters
Being a touch-only phone, a bigger screen is essential for speed and ease of use of the virtual keyboard. The HTC Hero’s width is almost 10% smaller than the iPhone – making the iPhone easier to text/email with.
2) HTC Hero = Non-sense mobile phone
One of the most ingenious and intuitive features the iPhone sported years ago was what I will call the “ear sensor.” That is the sensor that turns the screen off when you are on a call so that your ear doesn’t touch things on the screen and accidently hang up the call.
So when HTC decided to follow Apple and make a touch-only screen phone, why would they not include this sensor!!?? At MINIMUM, HTC should strive to do all the things an iPhone does. I mean, no one is asking HTC to be creative or inventive here – just copy what’s out there!
AHHHH!!!!!
Simply Stupid.
3) END and LOCK are not the same HTC!
After discovering #2 above I thought – maybe I should stop being so lazy, and just lock the screen manually when I’m on the phone. I mean, how hard could it be? Just simply press the screen lock button, right?
WRONG! The “screen lock” button is the same as the “end call” button on the Hero! How moronic! Does this company not use their phones before releasing them into the market? I mean, what engineer sat there and thought this was a good idea?
AHHHH!!!!!
Even Stupider!
4) Alphabetically? Really?
For as long as I can remember using a cell phone (about 8-9 years) I have never seen a phone list their applications/icons in alphabetical order! Even the old-school Nokia’s and Motorola’s listed the icons in order from most frequently used to least frequently used.
With the coming of smartphones/PDA phones the user was able to reorganize the icons and applications. So when a phone (and operating system) that boasts themselves on the “customizability” of their phones restricts users to an alphabetically arranged application menu – I was shocked, appalled, and amazed – all at the same time.
I don’t ever use the Amazon MP3 Store! I dont care for it. On the Palm Pre it’s on my last screen… but on the Hero its one of the first icons and it can’t be removed!
AHHHHH!!!!!
Just Idiotic.
Conclusion
Is the iPhone without its own list of issues? Of course not.
But one thing is for sure – the iPhone (and Apple in general) will always be superior to other phones when it comes to usability, and because of that the Sprint HTC Hero is simply not even a competitor in my book.