A lot of people have been asking how the HTC Hero compares with the Apple iPhone 3GS. We shot both smartphones for a side by side comparison.
We’re pitting an iPhone 3GS 16GB with an HTC Hero and a 16GB microSD card. I borrowed the 3GS from @tjmanotoc for the photo comparison here (forgive the worn out Invisible Shield on the 3GS).
Now that we got that out of the way, the price of a prepaid 16GB iPhone 3GS is Php38,850 with Globe and the HTC Hero with 16GB microSD card is Php37,799 (Php33,999 + Php3,800).
The 3GS has a bigger screen at 3.5″ compared to the Hero’s 3.2 although both have the same resolution of 320×480 pixels. The 3GS has a faster processor — ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz vs. Qualcomm MSM 7200A 528 MHz for the Hero. Both have WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, GPS and 3G/HSDPA with the same speed rating but the Hero also supports HSUPA 2.0 Mbps.
The Hero has some edge over the 3GS — a 5MP camera vs. 3.15MP; 288MB RAM vs. 256MB; and the Hero also has 512MB ROM. While both the Hero and iPhone 3GS weigh the same at 135 grams, the former is a bit thicker 14.4mm compared to the iPhone at 12.3mm.
Of course, the 1350 mAh Li-Ion battery of the Hero is removable and user-replaceable unlike that of the iPhone. And did I mention the Hero can do multi-tasking while the iPhone cannot?
The Hero also comes in a variety of colors — Black, White (with Teflon coating), Brown, Graphite and Pink. The iPhone only has Black and White.
It’s really a close fight between the two with features and functionalities almost dead even. That includes a huge collection of apps for both the iTunes Store and the Android Marketplace.