Sprint, the US network provider is planning to launch a new smartphone manufactured by HTC and functioning on the Android mobile operating system.
With this Google’s Android OS finds itself another carrier in the US after Verizon. The HTC Hero smartphone will be offered by Sprint this October.
The Hero is a feature-rich smartphone with a competitive price, but will it bump up against another top-shelf Sprint phone, the Palm Pre.
The Hero will sell for US$179 after a $50 instant savings, and a $100 mail-in rebate.
Beginning Oct. 11, Sprint will join T-Mobile as wireless providers offering Google Android OS phones. The HTC Hero will also join the Palm Pre as Sprint's answer to Apple's iPhone and other high-tech, feature-laden phones.
Access to Google Search, Maps, Gmail and YouTube, as expected; lead the highlighted features, along with Android Market applications for Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, MySpace, Amazon and Pandora Radio. The HTC Hero also has a 5 -megapixel camera and camcorder, WiFi capabilities and a slot for a microSD card.
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