Dumping the Droid

Posted on 14th December, 2009 by

I’ve had my T-Mobile G2 (or HTC Hero, for anyone on any other network who might be offered one) since last Friday, and I’ve already had enough. There is a cooling-off period of seven working days, so I contacted T-Mobile and told them I wanted to send the handset back, and why. They told me the return packaging will be with me in three to five working days.

Why am I sending it back? Because it’s slow, it’s unresponsive, it’s unreliable, and it persistently hangs. The problem gets worse the more applications you use. The screen blanks when you make a call, so you can’t easily and quickly type numbers into any automated answering system (like TM’s own customer service line). The internet applications are also (like the rest of the system) slow and unresponsive, for example taking three slow actions to delete an email. And so on.

So, if you’re offered one, I advise against it. It sounds like an inexpensive, open-source answer to iPhone, but it’s not, at least on currently available technology (the Motorola Droid may be better, but I don’t have the patience to try another). It’s like having a slow, 10-year-old computer and having to make all your phone calls through it. I can’t be lumbered with that thing for another two years.

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  • http://mooslim.com/blog Mr Moo

    Technology will never make us happy Books will though. Always.

  • http://folio.me.uk Tim

    Just get a simple phone for your phone calls and enjoy the freedom of being away from the computer when you’re away from the computer.

  • ZubairC

    Thanks for sharing your experiences with the HTC Hero. I’m due for an upgrade in a month’s time, and having been checking out what’s currently available. I’m also seriously considering an Android phone and hope the Motorola Droid (or Milestone as it’s called in Europe) will be available from a network shortly. The Droid runs version 2.0 of the Android OS, which offers, from what I’ve read, significant performance and usability improvements. The device won Time magazine’s gadget of the year, and has sold really well in the US.

    Give Android 2.0 another spin when it becomes available on more phones. HTC are also working on an update for the Hero. The openness of the platform and the freedom it gives you over the device are big pluses for me. A bit like Linux. You just don’t give up on the platform simply because of one bad distribution.

  • http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/ Indigo Jo

    As-Salaamu ‘alaikum,

    Yeah, I keep using Linux although the major distros have improved since Ubuntu came on the scene. I need a phone and can’t afford to have a clunker as my main phone, or to be paying for one when I could be paying less and having a decent phone. If Android 2.0 was going to be available within a month or so on the Hero I might hang around with it, but it doesn’t seem like that. The fact that they can push a phone like the Hero with such a rotten OS out the door doesn’t give me much confidence in HTC or T-Mobile.

  • http://thatmashguy.blogspot.com/ mash

    Have to disagree. I’ve had my Hero since around August and at first it was exactly as you say.. unresponsive and slow. Then within a couple of weeks a ROM upgrade came out which cleared up all the problems. It’s very fast and I have no problems with it any more.

    Are you sure you have the latest firmware on it? You can get the latest one here plus lots of other stuff:

    http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/291942/gsm-24-11-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/

    I’ve also rooted mine and stuck a custom ROM on it and I have no problems.

    As for the hanigng I would suggest you download a taskiller or task manager app which will allow you to kill apps that are on in the background.

    Android phones do require a touch more know-how but I think overall it’s worth it for me though in fairness I wouldn’t recommend it to a technophobe which is where Androids biggest con is at the moment.. it has a learning curve for noobs. .-= mash´s last blog ..re: I’ll get it =-.

  • SulemanC

    You needed two applications. 1) TasKiller which tells you how much memory is being used and what is open (some apps remain open after apparently closing; also alot come up at startup). 2) Nice Battery which helps you monitor battery life.

    As for internet, my only point of reference was Three, which is useless anyway. I find the internet to be variable, with a complete loss of reception between Clapham and Earlsfield on the train, regardless of which network I’m on.

  • http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/ Indigo Jo

    SulemanC: That is the Earlsfield cutting; there is simply no reception there. I always end a conversation before going into it as it almost always cuts out if I don’t. However, I find that internet access on my G2 is much spottier than general mobile phone reception.

  • http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/ Indigo Jo

    Mash: the ROMs listed on both the T-Mobile update site and the Modaco page you linked are both version 2.73.110.26. That’s the same version I have on my phone at the moment. The generic ROM has a higher build number, though. Should I download that one? Is it safe to install a generic ROM on a branded T-Mobile unit?

  • http://thatmashguy.blogspot.com mash

    Well I have it on an Orange handset and its fine but reading around the forums I know some people have had problems. And I think it does invalidate the warranty. You need to root your phone first, I guess it depends on how comfortable you feel about doing that, you can always re-flash the official T-Mobile ROM if you don’t like it. There’s always small element of risk with these things.

    Having said that I think if you have another few days before you return it you may be better off just installing a task manager application I use TaskPanel its free and doesn’t have ads either. Try that out and maybe it will be enough. Then if you keep it you can have a read around the forums and decide if you want to root and use a custom ROM.

  • http://thatmashguy.blogspot.com mash

    As for the generic one I’m not sure I think its the same as the T-Mobile one without the branding and internet browser bookmarks. Not 100% sure though

  • john

    This is exactly why I use a classic phone. From my point of view a phone is made for making and answering calls. If you want to take pictures use a webcam, if you want to surf the internet or do other stuff than use a computer, or a notebook or netbook because a phone will hardly offer the same performance as a computer, at least for now.