Check out hands-on photos of U.S. Cellular's latest Android smartphone, the HTC Hero S.
Bonnie Cha
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
U.S. Cellular continues its Android assault with the addition of the HTC Hero S. Available for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the smartphone features a 4-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz processor, and the latest version of HTC Sense.
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Design
Unlike the latest smartphones, the Hero S has a more compact design, measuring 4.78 inches tall by 2.43 inches wide by 0.46 inch thick and 4.59 ounces.
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Software
The Hero S runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense. In addition to the standard Google services, the smartphone comes preloaded with a handful of extra apps, such as Zappos, IMDb, and Tone Room Deluxe. Unfortunately, you cannot uninstall the bloatware.
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Controls
The left side of the phone features a volume rocker and a Micro-USB port, while there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and power/lock button on top.
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Camera
The Hero S has a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. It can capture 720p HD video and also features a number of editing tools in the camera app. There's also a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera.
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Test photo
Like a lot of camera phones, the Hero S had a tough time in low-light conditions. The objects in the photo were easy to identify but the coloring was off.
