YouTube video courtesy of HTC

Sprint will sell its first Android-based phone on October 11...

The Innovation and Openness of a True Mobile Internet Experience Coming Soon to America's Most Dependable 3G Network from Sprint on HTC Hero with Google

And, you will be able to get it for a relatively reasonable cost of $180 (after a $50 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Sprint's lowest cost service plan is $70 per month. That is the same as AT&T's lowest cost plan for the iPhone. However, Sprint's $70 also includes unlimited messaging which makes it a more comprehensive offering than AT&T's iPhone plan which doesn't include messaging at that price.

I would really prefer a phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard. But, the HTC Hero has some interesting specs including a 5 megapixel camera and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (unlike the HTC Touch Pro2 I bought last month). I may have to give this phone a closer look when it becomes available next month.