HTC Hero and Spotify arriving on 3 next month

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3 has announced that it will be offering the HTC Hero from next month - the first time that the network has had an Android-based smartphone on its books.

The Hero will be available on a £35 per month contract and, to sweeten the deal, 3 will be bundling the device with a Spotify Premium subscription. This will last for two years, matching the length of the minimum contract deal. However, the phone will still cost £99 upfront.

As part of the competitive deal, users will also get 750 minutes to any network, unlimited texts, unlimited web browsing, and free Skype-to-Skype calls.

The mobile version of Spotify was released last month simultaneously for the iPhone and Android platforms. That said, it was only available in a Premium version costing £9.99 a month, as opposed to the free, ad-supported desktop version.

The 3 deal is the first to offer Spotify Premium as part of a mobile contract.

“This partnership continues our commitment to bring popular internet services to our customers. Spotify Mobile is a fantastic digital service, which gives consumers the ability to enjoy and share music in an affordable way”, Charlotte Blanchard, director of products and services at 3, said in a statement.

Blanchard also said that 3 would be extending the deal to mobile broadband customers at some point in the future.

The deal puts 3 in direct competition with Nokia’s Comes With Music handsets, whereby those purchasing a compatible handset gain access to thousands of music tracks too.

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