HTC Desire to come in two flavours from 3UK! 

3UK released some PR this month saying that they were ranging the HTC Desire – nothing unusual there you might think, other than perhaps the fact they are slightly behind some of the other Operators (notably T-Mobile and Vodafone).  However, it’s this very fact that might be behind the definitely unusual stance of 3 releasing a generic version of the HTC Desire (aka devices that HTC will have volume available for), only one month ahead of the ‘3-branded version’!  Check out the PR itself:

But that isn’t all as 3UK today announces the launch date of the HTC Desire to 3’s blog community.  Sylvia Chind, Head of Branded Devices explains: “We’ve experienced unprecedented levels of enthusiasm for the HTC Desire from customer interaction on our blog and through our sales channels.  This feedback has been a key driver in our decision making around the Desire so we’ve decided to launch a generic, non-3 branded version of the phone early for those customers who just can’t wait. 

“We’re unbelievably excited to have this phone on our network, and we’ve been working really hard alongside HTC to launch as early as we possibly can.” 

This flagship touch screen handset comes with a wealth of social networking and internet applications.  Android phones are all about personalization and from launch customers will have their choice of over 20 thousand applications from the Android market.  Customers who buy the generic version will be able to download 3’s unique products and services – like Skype, Windows Live Messenger and 3’s specially tailored Spotify premium app – when 3’s branded version of the phone becomes available in around one months time. 

It’s a very .. er … unusual decision from 3UK, and in fact any Operator, because you don’t usually find multiple versions of the same handset being released so close to each other, or for that matter at all!  We can only assume it’s due to the fact that the Desire has been well-received, and is selling *very* well? 

Here are the other important details about devices/tariff cost:

The HTC Desire will available on 3 from £35 a month with unlimited internet, texts and 750 anytime any network minutes on a 24month contract.  Alternatively, it can be bought for £349 on Pay As You Go where, as with all 3’s phones, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and now Twitter are completely free to use.  Available from 20th April via www.three.co.uk and 3 Stores. 

So there you go – you can take your pick of generic or branded device, and if you want the branded device, it’s going to be following about one month after the generic one.