The HTC Hero is the latest touchscreen smartphone to come with the Android OS. Despite its controversial, angled chin, the Hero is probably the best looking Android phone so far and it has several new improvements and enhancements. The all-new user interface, called HTC Sense, lets you view a log of all communication channels for a chosen contact. Simply choose a name from your contacts and within a single view you can see all calls, texts and emails plus all communications on the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

The 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen is very good and the user interface with trackball navigation is excellent. The Hero has 3G with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, a GPS receiver and a digital compass for automatic navigation and rotation of maps. The multi-touch screen also has a built in accelerometer for auto-rotate and zooming in the gallery and web browser is a treat. Tethering is available, which means the Hero can be used as a broadband modem. There’s a standard 3.5mm audio jack and stereo Bluetooth, but video playback is disappointing. MP4 video playback is poor in higher resolutions and there’s no support for DivX or Xvid. if you have no interest in watching movies on your phone then that shouldn’t be too much of a concern though.

The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.