SINGAPORE : I made a poignant realisation after spending an inordinate amount of time with HTC's Hero smartphone - the digital world can be a setting where we can bring out the different personalities that we have.

You have your real-world self and then the one you portray on Facebook, Twitter or Second Life. You learn when to switch identities, and how to turn them on and off.

Much like the Hero.

You see, HTC has adorned the Hero with Sense, a custom user interface over the smartphone's Google-championed Android operating system.

HTC's Sense can switch between presets (called "scenes") that will load widgets and applications tailored to the different facets of your life, whether you're working, travelling or socialising.

Selecting the travel scene, for example, loads widgets like a travel clock that can track multiple time zones, a calendar to keep you to your schedule and a weather forecast tool. It also places practical applications like Google Maps and the camera within easy reach onscreen.

Alternatively, the work scene gives you one-touch access to email, a stock widget and your address book. You get the idea.

There have been online reports that complain about the slow loading of widgets but it seems our review set has been given a much more refined version of Sense that's responsive and can keep up with our almost-breathless pace.

The Hero is a fine piece of hardware with its angular lines and teflon backing (on the white version). Other features include a 5-megapixel camera, an oleophobic screen that attempts to resist smudgy fingerprints, a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro trackball that aids in navigation.

It's not perfect though.

Despite having HTC's Sense, the Android platform can still be daunting for a smartphone newbie.

Accessing the phone's settings, for instance, requires you to drill through a whole list of apps - which was why HTC had to create easy-to-access switches for you to activate WiFi and Bluetooth.

Also, why duplicate access to the smartphone's call feature with a tactile button and an ever-present onscreen button? It's confusing.

While the platform might not boast the breadth of applications that Apple has, Google has fewer restrictions so you can get the most out of your smartphone. This means that you can stream live video from the Hero's camera straight to the web with the Qik app or use Latitude within the Google Maps app so you can perpetually broadcast your location to friends.

Despite its slight shortcomings, the HTC Hero is, overall, a formidable smartphone. Here's hoping HTC will keep updating the smartphone's software so it can mature into a more refined Hero (S$898).

- TODAY/il