Android availability in the U.S. has been limited in the past, primarily because there was only one carrier who offered Android hardware. That is about to change, with Sprint joining T-Mobile in the very exclusive list of providers selling Android devices.
In early October Sprint will introduce the Hero with an estimated price tag of about $180 after applying dealer discounts, coupled with a service plan. The HTC-designed phone will feature the standard assortment of Google mobile software, ranging from Google Maps to Gmail and more.
In what's becoming a growing trend, in order to fetch the Hero from Sprint someone will need to pay for an unlimited data plan. Once Sprint puts the Hero up for sale, they'll be T-Mobile's only competitor for Android-based phones. The market for them remains relatively small, though T-Mobile did manage to crank out over a million of them shortly after launch.
Having multiple providers undoubtedly helps Google and HTC, who both have vested interest in seeing Android succeed. With two huge mobile vendors offering Android phones, it seems likely that others will follow suit. Soon, we may see a plethora of Android devices on the market.