Switch from Hero to Droid?

mryerse

2[H]4U
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Jan 29, 2005
Messages
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So I bought an HTC Hero from Sprint a couple weeks ago, and have been loving it. It's my first smartphone and I love the social networking integration HTC has done. Push gmail, FB and Twitter, contact integration, browser, all very nice to me. But there are something things that could be better, like the camera, and the performance is very slow at times. But overall it is functional and I love it and use it a lot.

Now the droid is coming out, and I'm interested in a few things:

1) Better reception - Sprint's coverage in my neighborhood blows. Everywhere else is decent, but in my house and driving the roads nearby, it sucks.
2) Flash for the camera - I'd like to take pictures at night, you know, those fun nights out in town.
3) Better video - not that I use it a lot, but I do use it and the droid seems much better
4) Better performance - faster proc
5) Android 2.0 - not a huge deal but it seems there are some nice new things with 2.0.
6) KB - I type fast and the virtual KB seems slow when auto complete is on, and I mess up a lot it seems, which is frustrating. I'd hope a real KB would be much better.

However, it seems there are some downsides too.

1) UI - (this is the big one) HTC has done a great job with the Sense UI, and their own applications are very polished. Android 2.0 seems like it still doesn't compare to Sense. Maybe it will going forward, but it isn't there.
2) Physical design - the Hero is a very sexy phone IMO. I love how it looks and feels. The droid seems blocky and not so sexy. Not a huge deal, but I hope I like it more than what I'm seeing it look like. This is not a huge deal to me, but is still a factor to some degree.
3) Prices - Sprint's everything plan for $70/mo would be about $100/mo on Verizon. Granted the reception is better so I suppose it's worth it, but I'd like to see Verizon and AT&T be a little more competitive with Sprint and Tmobile on their rate places.


Thoughts?
 
Verizon isn't competitive with their pricing because they don't have to be. 89 million subscribers and numbers are going up not down. Sprint on the other hand is trying to salvage a sinking ship, albeit a slow sinking one. Sprint lost 150,000 subscribers last quarter alone and this is becoming a trend.
The Droid is nice in many respects and will leave you wanting in others if you are liking Sense UI (from informatio I've gathered in both Engadet and other various reviews).

  • Double tap to zoom is in the Droid's browser and is fine for me because I like it better than pinching.
  • Flash is supported but not implemented yet in the Droid's browser, we are still waiting on Adobe.
  • No swiping through photo albums on the Droid.
  • The media player isn't decked out and gorgeous like the Heros...then again it probably isn't laggy either.
  • Android 2.0 is supported on the Hero, and right not indications are that Sprint will work with HTC on it but nothing official.
  • Contacts app in Android 2.0 is nicer in someways to HTC's People app, but in other aspects I do like the People app.
  • Sprint includes navigation at no extra charge, I wonder what happens when 2.0 is released? Will they port it over or will we use Google Navigation?

Just like you Sprint coverage isn't as good in my area, but it's not bad. I've considered just keeping the phone, pocketing the savings until the HTC Dragon/Passion or whatever you call it is released, then dump the savings to cancel and go to Verizon or buy the phone on Sprint. I'm not sure that I see Verizon releasing this phone prior to Chirstmas, they want to maintain sales on the Droid I'm sure.

I did pre-order the Droid at our local Best Buy, my wife is on Verizon so we may as well bundle backup on a pricey plan. Hopefully we can all figure something out, because I really do like Android. I just want to get the phone & coverage that works for me. At this point AT&T coverage isn't cutting it!
 
Interesting points. No swiping through photos? Wired. I'm subscribed to the HTC Twitter feed and can confirm that HTC is working on Android 2 for the hero.

I think ill do what you did and pre order the droid and check it out for myself on the 6th.
 
An extra $30+ a month seems like a lot just for the few features you mentioned. The Hero is going to get Android 2.0, so you don't need to worry about that. Plus, if you are a Sprint Premier member (which you should be if you are paying $70), then you get to upgrade your phone at new customer pricing every year. If I were you, I would hold onto the Hero, and use the $720 you will be saving over 2 years to buy an even sweeter Android phone that will undoubtedly be released in the next year.
 
There are some things to point out about Verizon's pricing.

  1. There are two data plans, one at 29.99 and one at 44.99.
  2. 450 minutes start at just 39.99 a month.
  3. 250 text messages is only $5 more.
  4. Depending on the plan you need it could be anywhere form $5 a month more to $35 a month more.

In my case, I never touch 200 messages a month so it'd only be $5 more a month. I know Verizon doesn't offer any mobile any time, but with 90 million subscribers that's the majority of them. I, as well as others probably have several friends/family who use Verizon. 90% of calls I make are to Verizon's customers.
Sprint was very smart in offering any mobile any time, this feature alone made the 450 minute Everything Data plan viable for me. In my 3.5 weeks of trial time I've clocked 14 minutes of use, over 200 any mobile any time, and around 100+ on night/weekend.
I've priced out a plan with Verizon for my wife and I that is comparatively priced to Sprints 129.99 a month Everything Data family plan. It doesn't have all the features, but it has what we use.
 
There are some things to point out about Verizon's pricing.

  1. There are two data plans, one at 29.99 and one at 44.99.
  2. 450 minutes start at just 39.99 a month.
  3. 250 text messages is only $5 more.
  4. Depending on the plan you need it could be anywhere form $5 a month more to $35 a month more.

In my case, I never touch 200 messages a month so it'd only be $5 more a month. I know Verizon doesn't offer any mobile any time, but with 90 million subscribers that's the majority of them. I, as well as others probably have several friends/family who use Verizon. 90% of calls I make are to Verizon's customers.
Sprint was very smart in offering any mobile any time, this feature alone made the 450 minute Everything Data plan viable for me. In my 3.5 weeks of trial time I've clocked 14 minutes of use, over 200 any mobile any time, and around 100+ on night/weekend.
I've priced out a plan with Verizon for my wife and I that is comparatively priced to Sprints 129.99 a month Everything Data family plan. It doesn't have all the features, but it has what we use.

But unless Sprint service is really bad in your area, why would you want to pay more for less features?
 
The only area that Sprint lacks for me is at my in-laws house. We are there pretty frequently, and Verizon coverage is great there. I'll be moving to the Droid on the 6th which is entirely different from the Hero/Eris.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Sprints software is part of what makes the Sprint Hero lag. GSM (updated) models and word on the Droid Eris is that they are faster than the Sprint variant. This is pure speculation, so don't take it to heart.
 
The only area that Sprint lacks for me is at my in-laws house. We are there pretty frequently, and Verizon coverage is great there. I'll be moving to the Droid on the 6th which is entirely different from the Hero/Eris.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Sprints software is part of what makes the Sprint Hero lag. GSM (updated) models and word on the Droid Eris is that they are faster than the Sprint variant. This is pure speculation, so don't take it to heart.

are you saying the european gsm htc hero runs faster than the sprint hero? I've heard one or two review sites say that, they felt the sprint hero was slower than the gsm version. I'll probably be buying the gsm hero next week and selling it when a gsm version of the htc passion comes out. It could be several months until GSM versions of these new phones come out, I'm pretty eager to get android in the meantime.
 
Gabe3
I've made assumptions based on web videos and reviews. I really started to speculate Sprint's software when word started leaking that Verizon's Droid Eris (HTC Hero) was faster than Sprint's Hero while running on Android 1.5. The difference is that Verizon isn't bundling their software with the phone.

One source:
BGR
“Overall the same as the Sprint Hero but for some reason it seems faster, slightly thinner and taller.”
 
What kind of battery life are you getting? I had a Pre and loved it but the battery life killed it and I went back to my Curve.
 
My battery life on the Hero was excellent. There where times that I went 2 days without a charge, most days I went to bed with 30% charge after heavy use.
Considering all the multi-tasking that was going on, syncing of both Gmail, Exchange, Facebook, and Twitter I was impressed.
 
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