Head to head: iPhone 3GS vs HTC Hero

The two handsets are really set apart by their cameras. While you can take more than decent snaps using the iPhone 3GS’ 3.0 megpixel camera, they’re not mind blowing. The HTC Hero’s inbuilt camera is a whole two megapixels bigger and it also supports geo-tagging, meaning you can nail exactly where you were when that drunken office party picture was posted to Facebook.

Features

The iPhone 3GS features the (at the time at least) latest version of the iPhone operating system, 3.0, which brought with it the ability to send and receive MMS and copy and paste among other things. Both are considered almost basic human rights in the mobile space these days so their arrival was a welcome relief for die-hard iPhone fans considering their options. It also likely swayed many users who had previously ruled out the iPhone for those very reasons.

The HTC Hero, on the other hand, boasts the 1.5 version of the Android OS, otherwise known as Cupcake. It’s also the first HTC handset to feature the company’s new Sense UI, which serves up colourful, context-sensitive menus aplenty.

The Hero boasts a context sensitive search function too, which adapts depending on what application you have open at the time. The iPhone 3GS doesn’t ignore the power of search either, but its Spotlight search functionality is across the board rather than specific to each app. Both options have their merits.

Whether you’re a business user or a consumer, the ability to personalise your device - beyond buying a different coloured case to your friends/colleagues – is key. Both handsets offer this option, with the iPhone 3GS letting you move the position of icons around so what’s dear to you is also nearer to you. The Hero goes one step further with customisable widgets and home screens that bring a little bit of the desktop to the handset.