Mysterious HTC Hero revision pics surface, angled chin now M.I.A.
By Ross Miller 
posted Sep 1st 2009 12:00AM
posted Sep 1st 2009 12:00AM
[Via Cloned in China]
posted Sep 1st 2009 12:00AM
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That was literally THE worst translation I've read anywhere about anything EVER! The phone looks good though. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if this turns out the be the version Sprint releases. It follows their philosophy of "screw what HTC did, we want it to look like this" pretty well.
After further inspection, I've decided that I much prefer the original. It has a look of its own. This revision gives sort of a been-done impression. Nice looking, but nothing special.
Now thats a Hero i would buy!!! that damn "chin/ramp" was a deal breaker for me.
I was actually looking forward to a more "unique" looking design. If that is what Sprint is fielding...I'd have to slap on those beer goggles before purchase!! I'm actually hoping that Sprint will field the Hero as is...INCLUDING the white version...so...virginal...HAHA...makes me want to get my dirty grubby hands on it!!
Wow... I HOPE that is the Sprint Hero. That looks GREAT!
NOOOOO!!!
I was looking forward to the white, teflon-coated HTC Hero with Sprint's $99 unlimited everything plan more than words can express.
This looks like one of those cheap, Chinese knock off phones! In each of the photos I was waiting to find "HLC," or something of the sort, instead of "HTC." I will be so sad if this ugly ass creature is what Sprint is prepping to release :(
I mean, the chin looks strange, but it is unique, and the Star Trek aesthetic suits it rather well. This just looks sloppy and very 2002. Curses!!
i agree. i was really looking forward to the version with the chin and teflon coating. something about this design makes the phone look very cheap...probably the gold coating. if this is really the sprint version, major FAIL!
Funny, the comments on here vs on Classic on this post, are a bit different. On classic, more people were hating on this design, on Mobile, seems more ppl like it.
Personally, the HTC Hero looks gorgeous and to me this one looks a bit gaudy.
I LOVE this design. its so smooth and nice. I WILL BUY THIS PHONE ALMOST SOLELY ON LOOKS. I was having such a hard time deciding if i should get the hero on sprint or not, but if this is the sprint design, I will pay whatever it takes to have it.
I thought the older HTC Hero was the best looking phone coming out. It would be so dissapointing if Sprint released this. The Hero was so cool and interesting looking. Now I thought the G1 was hideous but the HTC Hero may be the best looking phone out there in my opinion. This phone just looks like your standard run of the mill phone. After weeks of youtube video teases, we're not even going to get the phone we wanted. Blaaahhh!!
The black & gold styling would be consistent with Sprint and complementary to their Touch Pro 2 design.
The phone looks good, but it's too radically different from the original Hero that I wish they would just give i a different name. After all, even the Hero and the Magic are nearly the same phone hardware-wise. It would be stupid to name this Hero. Would make for a very confusing Hero line. Come on HTC, wake up.
If this is sprint's version of the Hero, it's definitely "distinct" as noted by HTC. This looks similar to a touch cruise but the cruise just looks better. That gold ring around the trackball makes the whole thing look cheap. And for those waiting for the white Teflon Hero for sprint- I have a feeling the flavor is reserved for the unlocked version only.
I have my HTC Hero for one month now and definitely prefer my design. The Hero looks really different than phones other people have and is very well built. I sometimes feel sorry for you costumers in the US that your phone choice is so much bound to the carrier. Our market is much more free here in Germany and Low-Cost-Carriers without mobile subvention are becoming stronger.
absolutely gorgeous
This thing is awful! It looks just like every other bland Android phone coming to market. I was looking forward to some original design and was even planning on switching to Sprint just to get it. After seeing this, if this is the new one for Sprint, I am not so convinced. I can't believe that people are actually saying that they like this. It's a got a brushed silver looking front with that awful gold trimming around the bezel and track ball. I wouldn't pay $100 bucks for this thing. Looks like crap!
I liked the chin. But this is not to bad!
I better have the headphone port!
epic failure.
Looks like something from Engadget's Keepin' It Real Fake list! What is it now, like CMXIII?
I don't get why people have such a hardon for a chin, I think the chin looks kinda dumb. I would take this version easily over it, I think the steel faceplate looks classier than the total plastic looking version of the Hero. I love my Touch Vogue form factor and this looks like a bigger version of it, hopefully this is indeed the phone for Sprint.
my thoughts are
1. This looks better, less plasticky than the original Hero. Thank god the chin is gone, awkward pocket syndrome is annhilated.
2. However, the gold trim around the trackball is horrendous. Makes it looks waaaay cheap.
3. Hopefully comes in more colors, cause that gold shit is ugly.
I was so looking forward for this to be my next phone.
If you look closely at the pictures.. the metal plating on the face seems to be a little jagged. I wonder if it is a false front to hide the original design, something car makers do to hide the front end of the car when they have it out on test runs before the press shots are released. Anywho, i don't think these pictures show a production ready version of this.. i have a feeling it will look a little different come game day.
1. I am not all too upset about the missing chin. I was starting to like it, but still, I think it would be awkward in a pocket. This isn't as bulky either.
2. The gold trim. No. Please no. HTC is generality more conservative anyway.
3. I really hope that if they spent time to redesign it, that the changed whats under the hood. The original needed better internals than externals.
This plus Best Buy planning on taking pre-orders in two weeks makes me quite excited.
This looks disappointing. I'm not a Sprint fan but, at least the original Hero had a distinctness to its' design. I thought the chin was neat because it set it apart from every other phone. As a new operating system should be. Making it more noticable. Now people probably won't take a second look at it. They'll probably just think that it's a newer high-end version of a Touch.
no chin....Yay!!, gold is gaudy....Booo!! Altho final product will be silver and not gold, menu,search,home,back look like touch sensitive.... How would you root? I like it...going to buy.
it looks very good. i like it alot. i love the current hero's design as well. but if a had a choice i would choose this one. it would fit in my pocket or a pouch alot better. but i just one gripe with it, as well as all htc phones, where is the flash? a 5 megapixel camera with no flash, how am a suppose to take night shots.
I actually liked the original design a lot better. But I know for a fact that I will get annoyed when the chin starts poking me in my pocket. So in the long run, I guess this is a better design. I just hate the fact that this looks so average or normal now. Before it was definitely more unique!