HTC Hero Now Available

In case you haven't already head, the HTC Hero is now available from Sprint. The Hero is somewhat similar in design to the European Hero, but it now doesn't feature the large chin that the European version has, and also has a larger trackball surrounded by flush (but easy to press) buttons that were all right below the screen on the European version. The Hero also is much snappier than the European Hero, which was known for it's lag time, partly because of the HTC Sense UI. The Sense UI is also on this version of the Hero, but it seems that the software has been modified so the lag time is gone from the phone. The whole phone is great from my use. It has a gorgeous multi-touch screen, a great web browser, and the entire phone is very customizable and has a great feel to it. Every feature of it is great, including the multiple home screens that now come with it. The virtual keyboard is also great, and you can use it either in vertical or horizontal, or use a modified (like the Blackberry Pearl) keyboard or a number pad with T9 text input, also. And in case you were worried about breaking it, don't worry, because the built quality is some of the best I have ever used (er, felt), and it doesn't seem like a few drops w0uld hurt this phone. It is available from Sprint for $179 with a two-year contract.

Samsung Moment Coming Soon

The Android revolution is here, and it's coming fast. Now that there are more Android phones coming, and not all the phones are on T-Mobile anymore in the form of the G1 and the My Touch 3G, people are starting to realize that Android is a powerful platform. The OS has already come to Sprint on the HTC Hero, but it was covered over with the (great) HTC Sense UI. Although the HTC
Sense UI is great, some people would prefer the stock Android OS without Sense. Welcome Samsung Moment. The Moment is the second device that will be coming for Sprint, and will probably be the second that isn't from T-Mobile. Although it doesn't seem to have as solid as a build as the Hero, it features a faster processor and a slide out keyboard. The phone also features an optical touch pad, similar to the new Blackberry's, which is a nice touch instead of the trackball that HTC has put on their Android phones. The Moment is geared more towards users that want a keyboard on a phone, not just a full touch screen. This will be a great device for that market, and will be a solid smartphone to Sprint's already robust smartphone lineup. Expect to see the Moment sometime in November.