HTC Hero hits T-Mobile as T-Mobile G2 Touch

T-Mobile has had its version of the HTC Hero, named the T-Mobile G1-oh-no-wait-G2 Touch, hidden away for so long that it's turned black. But finally the phone, in its stealth-noir livery, is available for all to buy on TeeMob's Web site.

The pink provider is offering the G2 Touch for free on a £35-per-month, 18-month contract, which includes 700 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited Internet.

Compare that, if you will, to Orange's offering: £34.25 per month for 24 months, in a bundle with 1,200 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB per month of browsing.

We had some doubts about whether Orange was charging extra for Web browsing on the Hero, but it's confirmed that 500MB is included in the cheapest free-handset Hero contract, Dolphin 40.

Orange's version is dark grey, so if you're not bothered about the colour, and you're happy to go with either network, the choice comes down to the gory details of the contract. We like the T-Mobile version because of the unlimited Internet -- subject to a fair-use clause that means you'll get a warning if you go over a couple of gigabytes per month. It's also an 18-month contract rather than a two-year one, so the shackles will be off a few months earlier.

But 500MB is a heck of a lot of Web, and if you prefer chatting to surfing, you may want to go with the 1,200 minutes of the Orange contract.

T-Mobile told us it's wisely held back from messing with the phone. Other than the colour and the name, and a link to its Web 'n' Walk page, there's no difference between the G2 Touch and a stock HTC Hero.

Take a look at our full review of the luscious HTC Hero/T-Mobile G2 Touch and watch us drool all over its Android face.