HTC's Desire smartphone will be available through Telstra from today.
HTC's hotly anticipated Desire smartphone will launch six days earlier than planned and will be exclusive to Telstra for six months instead of the previously announced three month arrangement, the telco said today.
Initially scheduled for release on 27 April, the HTC Desire will instead launch today due to "massive interest from Australian consumers."
"In response to massive interest from Australian consumers, Telstra has moved the launch of HTC Desire forward by almost a week to today," said Ross Fielding, executive director of mobility products at Telstra. "The accelerated launch means Australians will be the first in Asia-Pacific to experience this breakthrough smartphone."
Featuring a 3.7in AMOLED display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and an updated version of HTC's Sense user interface, the HTC Desire looks similar to Google’s Nexus One smartphone, which was launched globally last year but is not available in Australia.
The HTC Desire features an upgraded version of HTC's Sense UI and has a strong focus on the ability to customise the user interface's look and feel. HTC is pitching the ability to customise the Desire's interface as an advantage over the iPhone, which enjoys immense popularity but has been criticised for its closed nature.
The HTC Desire will be available to purchase online from Telstra's website today or initially from three flagship TLife stores in Sydney Melbourne and Perth. Other Telstra stores across Australia should have the Desire in stock by the end of the week.
The HTC Desire will be available for $0 on Telstra’s $60 consumer Phone Plan for 24 months or $0 upfront on an $85 Ultimate plan for 24 months including 150 MB data. The Desire can also be purchased outright and unlocked from Telstra for $779.
For more information, check out our full review of the HTC Desire smartphone.
To see how the HTC Desire stacks up against the iPhone 3GS, check out our Desire vs iPhone smartphone showdown.
