HTC HERO IS COMING TO MALAYSIA ON ….
The iPhone became a success because of its sheer usability. Phones that are churned out from companies like HTC, Blackberry, LG, Samsung have more appeal to techies. How about the wider market, I mean the street people? This market segment is huge and Apple log them in from the start.
I was just talking to a business consultant who has a high-end phone but have to send it to the workshop for some repairs. During the period that he was without this high-end phone, he was loaned a simple phone from his partner. And do you know how relieved he felt after using the simple phone …. “You know what, this simple phone that I have been using for a week is so good and truly user friendly that I did not miss my phone at all. It helps me make and receive calls so easily, that’s what I need. I don’t need so many features to complicate my life.” At the end of the day, there are many people whogo back to basic.
HTC being a major producer of mobile phones are really listening to the people. First they confirmed that future phones will have 3.5mm as standard and now they are coming out with a phone to match the simplicity of the iPhone. So the Hero, a phone that takes Google’s Android operating system and makes it even more user-friendly, is aimed at the non-techies market. Though it comes with the 5 megapixel camera, the expandable memory, the AGPS etc, people will be rushing to the stores to buy the Hero because of its simplicity not for all the features.
As you are aware the iPhone has succeeded in the phone business because of its very simple marketing strategy… one device + one network. The HTC Hero learned from iPhone success and is as simple to use as an iPhone. But they have not learned in total … as I believe the Hero will be offered on the open market without a specific network. In Malaysia for instance, you can get the iPhone officially and exclusivly only from Maxis and no one else. If only the Hero can match that.
It looks like the HTC HERO should be launched around the time of the Garmin-Asus NUVIFONE G60 and M20. July or August? You guess.
The specs are as follows:
- Processor Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz
- Operating System Android™
- Memory ROM: 512 MB
- RAM: 288 MB
- Dimensions (LxWxT) 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm ( 4.41 x 2.21 x 0.57 inches)
- Weight 135 grams ( 4.76 ounces) with battery
- Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution
- Network HSPA/WCDMA:
- 900/2100 MHz
- Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
- 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
- Device Control Trackball with Enter button
- GPS Internal GPS antenna
- Connectivity Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
- Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
- HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
- 3.5 mm audio jack
- Camera 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus
- Audio supported formats MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media® Audio 9
- Video supported formats MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media® Video 9
- Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
- Capacity: 1350 mAh
- Talk time:
- Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA
- Up to 470 minutes for GSM
- Standby time:
- Up to 750 hours for WCDMA
- Up to 440 hours for GSM
- (The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
- Expansion Slot microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
- AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
- DC output: 5V and 1A
- Special Features G-sensor
- Digital Compass
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Hi Mike,
The specs are mainstream no doubt but i seriously doubt that people will be rushing to the stores to buy the Hero because of its simplicity
as we have yet to see Android based platform taking off at least here in Malaysia.
I also doubt retailers would like to stock up on slow moving items like the android unless it’s the pricing is ridiculously low to entice buyers …sub RM1.3k maybe ?
Anything higher than that, the hero will be in the same pricing league with other HTC’s range which will undoubtedly compete among themselves.
Oh…the agps put me off…i’m a techie guy
I agree with you Bard, that for the Hero to be a success, price rules the day. If Hero is going to be a hit with the wider market (non-techie) pricing it right is crucial.
Forget about lowering the price to RM1.3K. If Celcom is the exclusive distributor for the Hero like Maxis is for the iPhone, Celcom can offer it for FREE under a contract package. This will stimulate widespread buyers.
I can almost guarantee that the HERO won’t be sub 1.3k. Look at the Magic, already priced at a crazily high RM2,699.00. The Hero is higher spec-ed so I doubt that it’ll be anywhere less than the Magic now. Also, what will be the price of the Magic once the Hero comes out?