The HTC Desire (check out our full review here) is officially available on U.S. Cellular today for $199.95 after a $70 mail-in rebate and with a 2-year contract. HTC's device is the second Android powered phone to hit US Cellular this year; it will be followed by the Samsung Galaxy S in October and 2 LG phones by years end.
Full press release is after the break, if you're into that sort of thing. Anybody on this little-carrier-that-could looking to pick one up?
HTC DESIRE(tm) SMARTPHONE AVAILABLE AT U.S. CELLULAR TODAY
Carrier Becomes First in United States to Offer the Much-Anticipated Device
CHICAGO (August 27, 2010) - The wait for the U.S. debut of the HTC Desire smartphone is finally over. U.S. Cellular began selling the popular Android-powered handsets today in stores and online at uscellular.com, becoming the first carrier to bring the popular smartphone to customers in the United States.
"The buzz for the HTC Desire has been amazing," said Edward Perez, vice president of sales and marketing operations for U.S. Cellular. "Our customers deserve great phones, and now they can be among the first to own one of the best Android-powered devices on the market."
The HTC Desire smartphone is the second of five phones that run the Android operating system joining U.S. Cellular's smartphone lineup this year. Customers welcomed the Samsung Acclaim(tm) last month. The Samsung Galaxy S(tm) will be added in October, followed by two Android-powered phones from LG.
For U.S. Cellular customers, the HTC Desire smartphone also comes with the company's industry-first, customer-focused programs, like Overage Protection and Battery Swap.
U.S. Cellular is offering the HTC Desire smartphone for $199.95 after $70 mail-in rebate with a two-year contract.
About the HTC Desire Smartphone
The HTC Desire smartphone boasts a slim, stylish design with a vivid 3.7-inch Super LCD touchscreen. Features include a five megapixel, autofocus camera with flash, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi capability. The Android TM 2.1 platform opens the door to a growing Android Marketplace (tm) of more than 70,000 applications, many of them free.
HTC Desire's 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon(tm) processor offers a true mobile computing experience on U.S. Cellular's nationwide 3G network, allowing customers to quickly download applications and music, browse the Internet and share pictures and videos. The phone also comes preloaded with U.S. Cellular applications such as My Contacts Backup, City ID, Tone Room Deluxe and Your Navigator Deluxe. In addition, customers can easily access Google services like Gmail, Google Maps and Google Talk instant messaging, and synch their Google calendars and contacts.About U.S. Cellular
The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe a wireless phone enhances people's lives and a wireless company should be in the business of bringing people together. U.S. Cellular has a wide range of monthly plans, including those with unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited free incoming calls and options to prepay. The company has a growing catalog of phones like the BlackBerry® Bold, the touch-screen LG Tritan and the HTC Touch(tm) Pro 2 smartphone and the Android-powered Samsung Acclaim and the HTC Desire smartphone, which offer e-mail and Web access. Those features are delivered 10 times faster over U.S. Cellular's 3G Mobile Broadband network. U.S. Cellular believes in the power of the community and has made a commitment to invest more than $4.5 million in teachers and schools during 2009 and 2010. Based in Chicago, the company serves 6.2 million customers across the country. To learn more about the company visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. You can also check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.
Reader comments
HTC Desire officially available on U.S. Cellular today
Picked it up yesterday it makes the sometimes slow network very fast. Now if I can get used to Android ill be set. Blackberry convert.
Same page as mrwolf... Been using BlackBerry for 4 years and switched yesterday. Wow is all I can say. Runs very smooth/fast and I'm already used to the interface, keyboard, etc. Way to go USCC!
I bought one yesterday as well. It's extremely excellent; very responsive. They did leave out the FM radio that came in the European version, but that is a small thing, since streaming media is so readily available.
US Cellular also has a $20 Android Market gift card offer for anyone buying an Android phone in the next few weeks. Just go find the offer on their web site, and fill out the forms with numbers from your Desire package.
I used Android on my old HTC Touch Vogue for a long time, hacked, and this is a huge upgrade.
Also the Desire says that it has firmware version 2.1 update 1, and this "update 1" seems to have enabled HD video recording.
I pick up two yesterday as well...so far it is a great phone. I am coming from both a BB Tour and an iPhone 4. It's probably to early for comparisons, but I am loving the Desire.
KMAN, I have been trying to redeem that $20 Android Market coupon to no avail...keeps telling me that the system cant find my MEID#. Did it work for you? I even called the store and was told that the offer was only good on the Acclaim.
Yeah, got it to work.
Go here:
https://www.web-rebates.com/USCellular/Android/PreRegisterStepA.aspx
and enter your MEID DEC.
...there are a lot of steps but you get the card in the end so its worth it. Droid on!
I pick up two yesterday as well...so far it is a great phone. I am coming from both a BB Tour and an iPhone 4. It's probably to early for comparisons, but I am loving the Desire.
KMAN, I have been trying to redeem that $20 Android Market coupon to no avail...keeps telling me that the system cant find my MEID#. Did it work for you? I even called the store and was told that the offer was only good on the Acclaim.
I bought the phone yesterday,too and am also a BB convert. The UI took some getting used to, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. Now, if only I could hit the space bar instead of the v button I would be very happy.
I also got the $20 Android market card online. Went to the site and it gave me a number to use. Just haven't found an app I want to pay for yet to test it out lol.
THIS SERIOUSLY HAS TO BE THE MOST WHITEST HAND I EVER SEEN. EITHER YOUR HALF DEAD, BEEN SWIMMING TOO MUCH, OR YOUR DAD WAS A POLAR BEAR BUT EITHER WAY WTF ARE YOU DOING IN THE SUN!
I got one of these the other day. Very snappy. I have an iphone 4 as well, so i have been spoiled by that screen. Does anyone have root info on this piece?