Orange may be about to get its first Android phone. The mobile operator is rumoured to have acquired the exclusive UK rights to the HTC Hero – another iteration of HTC’s similar-looking range of Android handsets.
Orange is set to join the ranks of UK mobile operators with an Android on their books, according to Mobile Today. The mobile blog says it believes Orange has won the rights to offer the HTC Hero in the UK. The HTC Hero has already been snapped up by sister company Orange France.
The HTC Hero looks a lot like the Vodafone-exclusive HTC Magic, but on closer inspection lacks the Magic’s trackball and comes with a proper 3.5mm audio port for headphones rather than the mini USB atrocity used by the Magic and G1. When the Hero first turned up in HTC’s leaked roadmap documents it had an eye-searing shocking-pink colour scheme. Happily that idea seems to have been binned and a more sober black/charcoal has been adopted instead.
Better still, the HTC Hero will be the first Android phone to rock the new Android 2.0 – aka ‘Donut’. The new Android firmware was recently leaked and ported to the G1. It features more of a 3D look, with more user interface animations, Flash support and some social networking features. You can see a video of it in action here.
TBC | £tbc | Orange (via Mobile Today)
