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Amazon UK has put the unlocked HTC Desire Z up for sale with an 11 October release date, pricing it at £430. This matches the price we saw yesterday from another online retailer, Mobile Fun. It had a slightly different 8 October release, however.
We’re not sure whether Amazon cut the price of the smart phone to match that of Mobile Fun, as it says it’s a £70 discount from a £500 RRP. But whatever the case, we think this is quite reasonable, especially as it’s not on contract and original SIM-free HTC Desires are still going for around £400. When the networks pick the Desire Z up on contract, it should be available from £35 a month, possibly with an upfront handset cost.
The HTC Desire Z is the one with the full physical keyboard, which swivels out on a nifty hinge. It carries a Qualcomm 7230 800MHz processor, a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, and runs straight out of the box with Android 2.2 Froyo. We’ve got a photo gallery here so you can get up close and personal.
If you want a touchscreen-only device, you’ve also got the new HTC Desire HD. This is available from an online retailer for £460. T-Mobile has already announced availability, offering it free on a £40 per month two-year contract, but it’ll pay to shop around once tariffs are properly confirmed.
The Desire HD is more like the original HTC Desire than the Z, and runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon 8255 processor. It has a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, 8-megapixel camera and records 720p HD video. It also comes with Android 2.2. Eye-melting pictures of the enormous smart phone are here.
The launch of the Desire HD and Z has nicked some of the buzz from Nokia, which this week released some snazzy phones running Symbian 3 in the C6-01, C7 and E7. LG, almost unnoticed, released two entry-level Android phones, the Optimus One and Chic.
The next big launch we’re waiting for, which could come as soon as next month, is Windows Phone 7. That will be very interesting, because a number of handset makers will be launching phones with Microsoft’s totally revamped mobile OS. A veritable flood of Android and Windows Phone gadgets are heading this way this autumn.
So take a deep breath. If you’re looking for a smart phone now what are you going to do? Go for a Nokia Symbian 3 device or an HTC Android? Or wait until Windows Phone 7 takes its bow? Or will you keep it simple and go with Apple? Let us know.
