GSM HTC Hero headed to AT&T/T-Mobile?

HTC Hero fans of the USA, rejoice. The Boy Genius Report tells us that an suspiciously familiar-looking phone will be released stateside.

The FCC photos show a large-chinned, beautifully angular handset with an Android-friendly button layout, a trackball, and what looks like a 3.2″ touchscreen. It’s safe to say that this is the HTC Hero, and what’s more, it’s the original-design Hero, which, unlike Sprint’s version, hasn’t been beaten with the ugly stick of industrial design.

What’s notable about this phone is that the specs list it as a GSM device. However, the radio bands are not listed, meaning we can’t say with any certainty whether it’s bound for AT&T or T-Mobile. However, this blogger thinks there’s reason to hope for AT&T.

It makes almost no sense for T-Mobile to release this phone. Spec-wise, it’s almost identical to the MyTouch 3G, which was recently released and is still being heavily advertising for. T-Mo currently offers four Android handsets, each with its own unique feature set:

• HTC G1: “The Geek” QWERTY Slider with Trackball, the original Android geek phone
• HTC MyTouch: “Geek Chic” All-Screen with Trackball, and a toned-down chin for the vain
• Motorola CLIQ: “The Tween” QWERTY Slider with 5-way d-pad, Social Networking integration, for the Status Update generation
• Samsung Behold II: “The Crazy Uncle” Beautiful AMOLED Screen and solid hardware coupled with a deeply demented interface.

At T-Mobile, the Hero would sit somewhere between the MyTouch and the CLIQ. It has Sense UI, which is major step up from the standard Android interface, but not quite as feature-focused as the CLIQ. It can’t use it to replace either the G1 (no keyboard) or the MyTouch 3G (too few color options). The T-Mobile Android family just doesn’t have room for the Hero.

Just as much as the Hero makes no sense for T-Mobile, it makes perfect sense for AT&T. First of all, the Hero would be a safe bet. It’s unlikely to steal any sales from the iPhone, with its smaller screen and inferior media capabilities. Secondly, the Hero could offer AT&T shoppers a much-needed budget smartphone option. Verizon’s Droid Eris (a Hero by any other name) sells for a scant $99, and Verizon is even doing a buy-one-get-one offer on it this weekend. It’s not cutting-edge handset, so AT&T could feasibly price the Hero as low as $50 on contract. At that price, many who were reluctant to buy a smartphone might take the plunge. They would, of course, be roped into a 2-year contract with a required monthly data plan of $30 or more, which is, of course, where AT&T makes the most money.

Either way, the Hero is coming to the US, stay tuned for more updates!

Related posts:

1. T-Mobile Promotes DoubleTwist with myTouch
2. T-Mobile VP – myTouch 3G Getting Android 2.1 and Sense UI
3. Android 2.1 on HTC Hero