HTC DROID Eris unboxed and examined: 'feels much better' than Sprint Hero
Posted Nov 4th 2009 4:11PM by Donald Melanson
If recent leaks are any indication, we should be seeing plenty more HTC DROID Eris unboxings any day now, but right now it looks like the Boy Genius Report has scored one of the first courtesy of one its helpful "connects." Of course, there aren't exactly a ton of surprises with the packaging apart from a bright splash of color upon opening the box, but the unboxer does say that the phone itself is thinner and lighter than the Sprint HTC Hero, and generally "feels much better in the hand." Hit up the link below for a few more shots, and watch this space (well, not literally this space) for what's sure to be more Eris news to come.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phil @ Nov 4th 2009 4:24PM
Awesome! I think I would rather have this phone than the other Droid. None of that gold crap and no physical keyboard FTW.
Vinnie @ Nov 4th 2009 5:05PM
wait for the passion :)
Gomer @ Nov 4th 2009 5:34PM
best buy had today had a dummy spirnt hero, and verizon hero, and the verizon hero looked much better. I never cared much for it in pictures, but in person I'll admit it's one good looking phone, even next to the droid dummy that was there.
Nelly36 @ Nov 4th 2009 5:49PM
the more I read engadgets articles, the more my felling grows that engadget had a verzon love fest and really kicks sprint to the curb. No matter what they dish out.
Chunky @ Nov 4th 2009 6:18PM
I don't understand why Engadget is always on Verizon's nutsack either and why Sprint is always the whipping boy. Pay for play?
deberrc @ Nov 4th 2009 6:50PM
I have the Hero. It's just the best. Sprint has been good to me for about 5 years, I don't understand the Verizon lovefest either. ( previously all the Treos, WinMo, Blackberry ) oh, and Ipod Touch.
WiiFTW @ Nov 4th 2009 7:25PM
Agreed on the Hero. Though I'm new to Sprint, the cell reception has been above my expectations. I've had Verizon for 2 years (a lowly Razr), and when the time came to re-sign/upgrade, they wouldn't allow smartphones (without a $30 fee per phone) on the family Connect plan (which is comparable in price to Sprint's Everything Data Family plan). Thus I switched and am getting better service in my area as well as a much better phone.
Steve @ Nov 4th 2009 6:55PM
Been playing with these for a bit now...I think the Motorola is definitely the King Nerd phone (so the one I'd have, haha) but VZW will push wayyyyy more of the Eris, especially to women. The one thing that bugged me about the Eris is that the volume up/down button feels like it's going to fall off all of our demo units, and the touch buttons on the bottom row take a very specific type of press to work. It's something that's pretty easy to get used to though.
ari @ Nov 4th 2009 8:17PM
yeah, the Eris is the subdued feminine phone and Droid is the pimped out alpha male phone.
Dwayne @ Nov 4th 2009 7:24PM
I would choose this over the Droid too.
Plexus @ Nov 4th 2009 8:04PM
I have the european version (or actually the "rest of the world" version) of the Hero and it's just too good to describe to anyone who hasn't experienced the sheer brilliance of the Android+ senseUI + android market free apps cocktail.
Unfortunately though the american versions of it are so ugly that this little jewel will hit the american shelves seriously handicapped.
This particular one however , while still being much worse than my own Hero, at least is not as offensive or as an insult to good taste like the others I have seen.
Still if I would be an american I would definitely choose the Droid instead.
Just like last week I sold my excellent HTC TouchHD because I preordered the HD2, I am pretty sure that as much as I love my Hero it will have to go too as soon as the Moto Milestone hits our decrepit continent's shores.
Bill @ Nov 4th 2009 9:37PM
New Jersey woman $40? That's pretty high-end, if you ask me.
Lauren @ Nov 5th 2009 10:30AM
I actually got the unexpected pleasure (for someone not in the wireless industry) to touch and play with the Droid Eris and the Verizon Droid today. After much geek-ing out I was pleased to note the Eris was a bit thinner and seemed more solid with a bit more weight (but in a good way). I can see what he means by "feels better in the hand". The droid is also beautiful and I can't wait for these phones to come out like...immediately!