mobileu.co.uk

Free Spotify subscription bundled with HTC Hero

The HTC Hero will come with a free subscription to Spotify, thanks to the music streaming service's collaboration with mobile operator 3.

Already available on the Apple iPhone through O2, Spotify Premium enables smartphone users to stream unlimited music for £10 per month, with the HTC move marking the first time it has been included in a monthly mobile tariff.

From November, customers who sign up to a £35-per-month, two-year contract on the Google Android-based Hero will be able to access ad-free music on their computers and synchronise playlists with their smartphone.

"We're intent on offering people a high quality, simple yet powerful portable music experience at a fair price," commented Faisal Galaria, Spotify's head of business development.

Although customers who opt for the deal will have to pay a one-off fee of £99 for their Hero handset, their contract will include free Skype-to-Skype calls, 750 minutes of calls to other mobiles, unlimited calls to other 3 subscribers, unlimited texts and unlimited mobile internet.

The HTC Hero boasts a touchscreen and a five-megapixel camera and is capable of running multiple applications at once, and the Spotify Premium subscription will be supplied via a voucher with the device.