T-Mobile launches Android phone MyTouch but Hero falls
T-Mobile has officially confirmed it will carry a second Android-based handset in the US, the HTC-produced myTouch 3G. But the carrier says it has no plans to carry HTC’s Hero handset.
The myTouch is already available in several countries under its original name, the HTC Magic; myTouch will be a branding name used in the US market. It will follow the G1 as the second major Android phone. (A couple of models are available from smaller manufacturers, while several handsets can be modified to run the system.) Launching on August 5, the myTouch will cost $199 with a two year contract.
The major difference between the myTouch and the G1 is that the former does not have a keyboard. It’s slightly slimmer and lighter and will be available with custom cases. T-Mobile says it expects it to outsell the G1, and the changes suggest it will be pushed as a mass-market phone compared with the G1, which came across more as a low-cost alternative to the BlackBerry range.
T-Mobile conceded the myTouch will face more competition than its predecessor as other firms continue to develop and market Android devices. The firm said such competition would benefit the entire Android concept.
Questioned during the launch, the firm said it doesn’t plan to carry the Hero, the third Android handset which HTC has developed. Given that Android is supposed to be based around open source and free competition, it won’t be surprising if HTC now does a deal for the Hero with a rival network such as Sprint or Verizon.
Unlike it’s sister HTC devices, the Hero comes with an audio jack and a multi-touch input. In theory it would be marketable as a low-cost take on the iPhone, though it may be that network carriers think that’s a battle that can’t be won.
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September 3rd, 2009
[...] USA revealed in July that it wouldn’t carry the device (having already picked up the G1 and myTouch handsets which run Android). It’s not known if [...]
September 3rd, 2009
[...] USA revealed in July that it wouldn’t carry the device (having already picked up the G1 and myTouch handsets which run Android). It’s not known if [...]