HTC Hero's UK launch pushed back to July 24th or later?

The official time box for the launch of the HTC Hero in Europe is July -- entirely too broad a date range for the most celebrated Android device to date. That leaves the Hero hopefuls idle, aimlessly wandering the dank HTML corridors of on-line retailers for more detailed clues. In hopes of slaking that jones, we just learned that Amazon UK has pushed its release date back from July 15 to July 24th while another site, Devicewire, says via its Twitter account that it won't have stock until the first week of August. There, feel better?

[Thanks, Drew T. and Sam P.]

Read -- Devicewire tweet
Read -- Amazon UK

[Siberia @ Jul 14th 2009 8:56AM]

Actually I think some people already have it - http://twitter.com/takealeft/status/2630268197

[TT @ Jul 14th 2009 8:58AM]

That's the HTC Magic, we're talking about the HTC Hero here.

[sanki @ Jul 14th 2009 9:01AM]

He has the HTC Magic, not the HTC Hero. Those are two very different Android smartphones.

[DudeGuyLikesAndroid @ Jul 14th 2009 9:04AM]

@Siberia OMG NOOB!!! jp, jp.

still no word on a stateside release or am i just straight ig'nint, dawg? hoping for t-mobes :O

[S @ Jul 14th 2009 9:14AM]

I agree, I'm an idiot haha! I knew they were different but saw his tweet this morning and got completely confused. My bad :P

[dan @ Jul 14th 2009 4:14PM]

I think, as all of you do, that photo angle is really misleading because the machine is really quite bulky, not at all like the Toshiba or NTT smartphones coming out just now... Those really ARE 9 mm thick smartphones, as opposed to this one which LOOKS 9mm thick only from a couple angles...

It's like being parallel to the edge of a mathematical cone. Yes, it's a degenerate case, but a pair of intersecting lines IS still a conic section.

[htowngator @ Jul 14th 2009 9:09AM]

What frequencies does it use? Will it be compatible with t-mo or AT*T stateside?

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 14th 2009 10:38AM]

Good question. And what does "SIM FREE" mean anyways?

[Phoenix @ Jul 14th 2009 10:54AM]

sim free means it comes without a sim card. This means it isn't tied to any operator.

This may seem strange to Americans, but here in the UK it's quite common to buy your phones like this.

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 14th 2009 9:09AM]

T-Mobile are going to call it the G2 Touch...

[BDE @ Jul 14th 2009 9:12AM]

Release has been delayed in Belgium too.

[Rob @ Jul 14th 2009 9:23AM]

I can't wait for this phone/mini supercomputer. My money is ready and waiting as soon asits available (thankfully in the UK, so at least we are definitely getting it).

One of the major things that Apple gets right is making a product available as soon as possible after its announced.
Palm announced the Pre way too early. Those people who may have upgraded on the impulse of gadget lust have now had time to consider whether its the right purchase. I suspect that they will have lost a lot of sales here in the UK to Apple and the forthcoming Hero (me being one of them).

And if they keep doing the delaying thing with the Hero they could find themselves in the same boat and driving people to other devices. Not that I really want to get tied into the Apple Ecosystem, but a new toy is needed pretty soon.

[mitt @ Jul 14th 2009 10:24AM]

couldn't agree more about early announcements. i think the pre is going to fail pretty hard in the UK, so much new hardware will be out by the time it finally arrives.

I was so ready to buy this, but now i'm wondering again between this and the samsung galaxy

[Beth @ Jul 14th 2009 10:36AM]

Yes, that is so true - I'm waiting (im)patiently for this model, purely because it's the first HTC Android on my tariff (Orange UK) and I'm uberexcited. But if something else is announced between now and July 24th, who knows where my fickle consumer sense will take me? If i could preorder on contract i soooo would too - i have no idea whether it's going to be a mad rush for this phone or if everyone will be going for the N97 around the time of release...

[JeremyOLED @ Jul 14th 2009 9:14AM]

I've heard from a supposed Dutch insider that the reason for the delay is that all the units still need to get the updated software, and that HTC isn't being completely open with distributors about the whole "when will we actually get these things" thing.

I'm just glad I live in Europe so I can get this thing as fast as possible...

[Dking @ Jul 14th 2009 10:46AM]

handtec has it for 394 pounds..

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 14th 2009 9:22AM]

...and why buy it from Amazon for £430 when it will be free from T-Mobile UK on a 18 month contract (£40 per month).

[t @ Jul 14th 2009 10:14AM]

Because that works out at £720 in the long run, and will be locked to T mobiles network. If you buy it from amazon its unlocked so you can use it with any network and any price plan, which may or may not work to your benefit.

Ive also seen it priced at £400 from some online retailers.

[Kelmon @ Jul 14th 2009 9:49AM]

Well, this is a wild stab in the dark you understand, but I suspect you'd do this if you didn't want to use T-Mobile and the phone isn't available from your preferred cellular service provider.

[Steve @ Jul 14th 2009 3:06PM]

this is what im doing,

Im on three mobile (and happy with my bro working for them so i get a discount on three contracts) so im gunna take out a sim only deal £10 a month no set contract, + a employee discount.

which is alot cheaper then my £35 a month im on at moment (sim only deals rock!!!!) so the £25 a month i save over 18months = £450

So im saving money in the long run, :D

[haX0r @ Jul 14th 2009 9:48AM]

Me want but TMob is going to kill the deal for me. Worst 3G coverage out of the four majors in the USA is TMob.

[Ben @ Jul 14th 2009 11:02AM]

Nobody said it was going to TMobile in the US. In fact, those FCC docs from a while back seem to indicate that it'll go to AT&T (although, I worry that they might not want it for fear of cannibalizing sales of the crappy HTC Lancaster).

[Fais @ Jul 14th 2009 10:19AM]

I’m pretty sure that T-mobile US have said they won’t be releasing the Hero for they are concentrating on the MyTouch 3G (awful name). It’s T-mobile UK (and Orange) that have announced it. There is some talk about AT&T and Sprint in the States but nothing official it doesn’t affect me though I’m from the UK.

Does anyone know if the white Hero is available on any on the carriers form what I’ve seen so far it seems that it is only available offline.

[Rob @ Jul 14th 2009 11:11AM]

Not sure. I know that Orange has Graphite exclusively. T-Mobile has black exclusively. Not confirmed, but it looks like Carphonewarehouse might have pink exclusively (networks not confirmed).

None have confirmed availability in white yet.

I was looking at a deal from Expansys.White HTC Hero £79.99 on a 12 month contract for £35/month. Minutes and texts are quite low (200 of each), but then I mainly use the internet and generally use no more than an hours worth of minutes a month. Or Free on 18 month with more minutes and texts. 12 month contract means a new Snapdragon based android device in 12 months!

Or you can just buy it off contract for £400.

I'm with you on this one. I think it is one of the few phones every that actually looks good in white. I'll be getting white if I can.

[Beth @ Jul 14th 2009 10:31AM]

huff. why must they make us wait? why? huff. sulk.

[Rob Bourne @ Jul 14th 2009 10:37AM]

Slightly off-topic, but will the Lancaster - or any other Android device with physical keyboard - be coming to the UK?

I love my G1, but it's not going to last forever and I much prefer having the option of a physical keyboard, no matter how good the Hero and Rachael look.

[jp @ Jul 14th 2009 10:46AM]

Boo. This happens to me every time I preorder something ... will I ever learn?!?!

[vic @ Jul 14th 2009 10:52AM]

At the day before I purchased iphone 3Gs, I went to check Android Gphone (T-mobile?) and Nokia N97 (vodafone Liverpool) first, the international settings on both phones are very poor, only several european languages, the staff couldn't help at all, he was surprised himself with the limited function on N97. I hope Hero has improved on this.

[switchbitch @ Jul 14th 2009 10:57AM]

Looking on the bright side, all the video demos of the HTC Hero have shown minor issues with the firmware. A bit of lag here and there, a couple of surprising glitches...

I'm happy to wait a week or 2 for a firmware revision which will ensure the whole device experience is glitch free. I'm sure everyone at HTC is sweating their balls off right now to make this thing totally shit hot.

[rockanon @ Jul 14th 2009 11:22AM]

I'd import this phone but I'm pretty sure the US T-Mobile 3G network is on different frequencies than it's UK counterpart? Seems impractical to me...

"If you buy a BMW locally it'll easily go over 100mph no problem, import it and you're top speed's capped at 55. enjoy!"

[koby12 @ Jul 14th 2009 12:13PM]

I am importing this; it will work on edge frequencies for Tmobile US or ATT. Personally i don't feel the cost of 3G is worth it when i have edge for $6 a month unlimited. Plus with 4G a few years out, i'll just wait for that. I bought it from an ebay seller who had to push back the release date (like everyone else) but according to him it should ship out to me end of this week unless he emails me again and mentions a date similar to what this post says.

[encosion @ Jul 14th 2009 12:07PM]

eXpansys still have it as: Expected release date 20th July 2009. They were initially saying the 16th... Cheaper too: £400 plus 2 x £15 vouchers (although they can't be used for memory cards WTF!?!)

[Imran @ Jul 14th 2009 4:42PM]

Yeah they probably expect that's the first thing people would buy with the vouchers, I was planning on using the £30 to get a pair of stereo bluetooth headphones but then I read the T&C's which stated 2x£15 vouchers :(

[mrpinkbunny @ Jul 14th 2009 12:20PM]

Don't know if anyone else has seen this one, but slashgear has a 15minute video of this device. http://www.slashgear.com/t-mobile-uk-g2-touch-aka-htc-hero-due-this-month-1049045/ The landscape rotation looks slicker than the early videos and he talks about non-HTC widgets. Best video I've seen yet and I've watched A LOT!

I can't wait for this phone, I've been ringing the guys at Orange everyday!

[Fais @ Jul 14th 2009 2:01PM]

This guy spent a week with the phone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wELCCUchWhc

[Mofongo @ Jul 14th 2009 12:33PM]

I really want to have my friend in London buy this phone for me and ship it over Stateside. Does anyone know if I'll have some problems with it working? I have T-mo btw.

[Sylar @ Jul 14th 2009 12:41PM]

well i have ordered me one about like a week ago with a delivery date of 14 june
woke up today to find a message from the provider saying that i won't be receiving it at least until the 23rd of july so i cancelled my order.
i live in the Netherlands btw

[Anonymous @ Jul 14th 2009 1:07PM]

It was actually pushed back to August 15th..

check it out: http://www.amazon.co.uk/HTC-Hero-Android-Mobile-Phone/dp/tech-data/B002BWPWRQ/ref=de_a_smtd/278-7958434-8417761

[InnocentEd @ Jul 14th 2009 1:23PM]

But will this delay me getting an unlocked one on eBay anytime soon :P hahaha

[Imran @ Jul 14th 2009 4:40PM]

The one I pre-ordered from expansys.com for £400 with £30 vouchers is still on track for the 20th July and hopefully will stay that way!! If it does I'll have mine this time next week :D

http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=184566

[DiEg0 @ Jul 17th 2009 4:30AM]

This has been moved to 15 August...