HTC Hero With Spotify On 3: Pricing Details, Release Date Announced

Earlier we reported on mobile network 3 UK inked a deal to offer music streaming software Spotify on mobile phones, now we finally have details on the hows and whens – and it’s good news!

Spotify on 3 will come bundled with the Android-powered HTC Hero, a handset which has won its fair share of plaudits including Gadget of the Year at the 2009 Stuff Awards, and bagging Phone of the Year at both Mobile Choice and T3′s Gadget Awards.

Available on a 24-month, £35 Internet Texter Plan from November 3rd, the handset will cost £99.99 upfront and bundle a “free” 24 month Spotify Premium subscription code (worth £240) right in the box.

The deal enables owners to become fully-fledged VIP members of the Spotify service, allowing music to be streamed and downloaded for offline use on both their home computers and mobile phones.

Charlotte Blanchard, director of Products and Services at 3, said: “We have built this service into an attractive, well-priced package. Over time, our deal with Spotify will extend across a range of our products including mobile broadband.”

Interesting to see how some savvy decisions have enabled 3 to be in a far stronger position than Nokia’s flagging ‘Comes With Music’ service, with a mere 107,000 users at last count.

Spotify has been given a new lease of life – and new sign-ups – since taking their solution to Symbian, iPhone and Android handsets, and this deal is the perfect way to court the casual consumer.

As Blanchard says, they intend to roll this out to other products in the future…who’s to say that a certain fruity phone won’t have a giftcard for Spotify in the box if they get their hands on it in 2010?

Tags: 3, 3 Mobile, 3 uk, hero, htc, htc hero, htc hero deals, spotify premium