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Chinese HTC Hero pushes the flat face stereotype by dropping the European chin

Categories: Android, HTC
By: , IntoMobile
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 2:39 AM

The HTC Hero, in Europe and America, has a slight protrusion at the bottom of the device that many have described as a “chin”. Read Ben’s review of the HTC Hero to get a better idea of what I’m talking about. The Chinese variant of the Hero which has just been discovered by Engadget drops the GSM standard all together and switches to CDMA, but more importantly it loses that bulky chin and turns into something much more attractive. Check out the images below.


Will we ever get this thing in Europe? I sure hope so, because this is just down right sexy. What do you think? Side shot of the EU Hero from Ben’s review:

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • Jay

    Nice.
    Kinda looks like the love child of Hero and Magic.
    Not sure about that sudden brushed metal affair going on there.

  • bazza

    I prefer the chinned one, its gives it some uniqueness within the endless droves of flat phones. I tried one out for the first time a few days ago and i was amazed at how sleek, small, and beautiful it is.

    This flat one looks like a knock-off or afterthought and the bubble like bulge (not the scroll ball) of the control pad area doesnt look right. The gold rim looks tacky too.

    I do hope they continue the chinned version alongside the flat one as a matter of choice for the consumer.

  • matt

    Eliminating the chin from the Hero is castrating everything the hero was. What’s the point of even calling it the hero anymore if it’s going to look like every other slab candy bar phone out there. and gold trim?…seriously? my god…this is a travesty. I was truly excited that sprint was coming out with a phone that had a great multitasking interface (sense) that wasn’t the pre, and if this is it, well, i’m not sure i can stay with sprint. sorry.

  • INsano

    I think they changed the design not because of flat faces, but rather the fact that there are already enough Chins in China.

    /rimshot

  • EMC956TEXAS

    Im over the fact that this phone now looks like any other smartphone its insane I thought the European hero’s body was as unique as the phone it self, I have to learn to love the hero all over again. I guess now the only thing is that I cant seem to find if the same screen protector is on the sprint version and I haven’t seen anyone talking about the adobe flash, and that’s some think really critical that’s another reason of how this phone is such a great phone so hopefully it has it as well does anyone know?

  • Ranzo

    I have a moon chin, as do several northeast Asians.  To say that
    westerners have a moon chin more so than Asians is ludicrous.  Look at
    Middle Easterners as well.  A lot of them and Europeans have round faces,
    and some Asians have a slender face.  You can never be close to an
    identical plate or what is aka done too much in the white world,
    stereotype.