The third Android phone to land in the US, the HTC Hero, has been confirmed for an October 11 launch date on the Sprint network. While the Sprint-branded version gets a slight redesign from the European version, that's not the biggest surprise here. Priced at a cool $180 with a two-year contract, the HTC Hero is less expensive than the Palm Pre (also on the Sprint network) and the T-Mobile myTouch 3G (also on HTC-made Android phone), which are both $200, respectively.
The Hero's price point is a wise decision on Sprint's part and makes them a direct threat to T-Mobile's Android stronghold. While the myTouch 3G and the G1 are solid phones, they just can't compete with the Hero's 3.2-inch multitouch screen, 5-megapixel camera, and speedy 528-MHz Qualcomm processor. And its eligibility for Sprint's ultra-affordable $100 Everything plan makes the Hero all the more desirable over the myTouch 3G.