Sprint Nextel on Thursday said it will be the first U.S. carrier to offer the HTC Hero, its first Google Android-based phone, complete with built-in Google mobile services. The Hero will roll out on Oct. 11 at Sprint’s retail channels and at Best Buy stores. With a two-year wireless service agreement, the smartphone will cost $179.99 with $150 in carrier subsidies.
Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development for Sprint, called the arrival of the Hero and the Android platform on Sprint’s network an important milestone.
Indeed, Packingham made a bold claim that is sure to draw fire from AT&T and Verizon Wireless: “With the dependability and coverage of Sprint’s 3G network, HTC Hero users will appreciate a much better experience than is possible now with any other Android phone operating in the United States.”
But Mike Disabato, a senior analyst at the Burton Group, has a different view. “The Sprint network is probably not up to par with what Verizon has or AT&T has,” he said, “but the HTC Hero should perform all right on the Sprint network.”
A User-Focused Phone
Arguments about networks aside, the HTC Hero will give Sprint something other U.S. carriers don’t have yet. The Hero features HTC Sense, which lets users customize the phone.
Users can populate their home screen with the widgets they choose and create and switch between what HTC calls “scenes” to reflect different aspects of their lives. For example, a work scene could include stock updates, work e-mail, and a calendar. A play scene could have music, weather and a Twitter feed. A travel scene could offer instant access to local time, weather and maps.
“HTC Sense on HTC Hero revolves around three basic principles: Make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. “These principles…