So today I returned the HTC Hero from Sprint to Best Buy. Unfortunately for both Sprint & Android the best part of my 2.5 weeks of ownership of the Hero was the ease in returning the device and canceling my service. So kudos to BB and Sprint for sticking to their “30-day Guarantee” advertising without a “hook”. I walked out of Best Buy about 20-minutes after walking in, free of my contract and light one mediocre Android headset… no questions asked. (note: I should probably qualify all of this by checking back in in 30 days. God knows if Sprint’s system will continue to bill me and demand payment.)
In the end my flirtation with Android was appropriately short-lived. The HTC hardware was “aiight” … as was the Android 2.1 OS but in the end it just didn’t work for me. Call me an Apple-fanboy or a cheapskate if you will (I’ll be happy to take that criticism) but I’d rather carry around my crappy, work-issued Blackberry Curve and my iPod Touch then pay the $69/month to carry around the one HTC Hero.
As an update to my previous reviews of the phone/OS/service, I have to admit the Android OS did seem to stabilize a bit. Crashes were few and far between after I uninstalled Google Goggles. I got use to the form factor and the navigation (but I still preferred the simplicity and interface of my iPod Touch). Battery-life somehow improved and I was making it to the end of the each day with plenty to spare. Sprint TV was still an interesting “throw-in” although in all practicality not very useful. HTCSense widgets were neat but kind of superfluous. Overall I would say that the device, OS and service received better then passing marks from me but that wasn’t good enough to save it from being returned. After the novelty wore off I realized I just didn’t need a device like that in my digital life and there was no way I could justify the Sprint contract.
All that being said, my crappy, company-issued Blackberry Curve is due an upgrade from Verizon this month. Given the option I will likely opt for the HTC Incredible with Android… but my fingers are crossed they move me to our AT&T contract.
