HTC confirms it has no plans to release a Next G version of its Hero smartphone in Australia, despite a compatible 850MHz 3G model being available in North America.
So you want Australia’s best Android smartphone on Australia’s best mobile network? Well, you’re out of luck.
Anthony Petts, HTC’s Sales and Marketing Director for ANZ, has confirmed that the company won’t be bringing a Next G version of its Android-powered Hero handset into the country.
“At this stage there are no current plans to launch a 850MHz model in Australia” Petts told APC. “At the moment we feel the 900/2100MHz version provides a great smartphone solution for Australian customers.”
That 900/2100MHz model runs on the dual-band networks of Optus and Vodafone as well as Three’s 2100MHz-only 3G service.
HTC also produces a variant of the Hero which supports 3G on the 850MHz band, making it compatible for use with Telstra’s Next G network – but that model is sold only in the US and Canada.
Many local Android fans and Next G customers are choosing to buy these 850MHz models online, despite the lack of local warranty coverage.
It’s a situation which Petts cautions against, but ironically one which HTC itself has created by giving would-be customers no alternative but to take their money offshore and take the risks which come with that.
Several 850MHz Hero handsets are already listed on eBay, some with carrier branding (typically for Canada’s Rogers and Telus networks) and some without.
ImportGSM also lists the Next G-compaible Hero for US$629.