3 has announced that it will be offering the HTC Hero from next month - the first time that the network has had an Android-based smartphone on its books.
The Hero will be available on a 35 per month contract and, to sweeten the deal, 3 will be bundling the device with a Spotify Premium subscription. This will last for two years, matching the length of the minimum contract deal. However, the phone will still cost 99 upfront.
As part of the competitive deal, users will also get 750 minutes to any network, unlimited texts, unlimited web browsing, and free Skype-to-Skype calls.
The mobile version of Spotify was released last month simultaneously for the iPhone and Android platforms. That said, it was only available in a Premium version costing 9.99 a month, as opposed to the free, ad-supported desktop version.
The 3 deal is the first to offer Spotify Premium as part of a mobile contract.
"This partnership continues our commitment to bring popular internet services to our customers. Spotify Mobile is a fantastic digital service, which gives consumers the ability to enjoy and share music in an affordable way", Charlotte Blanchard, director of products and services at 3, said in a statement.
Blanchard also said that 3 would be extending the deal to mobile broadband customers at some point in the future.
The deal puts 3 in direct competition with Nokia's Comes With Music handsets, whereby those purchasing a compatible handset gain access to thousands of music tracks too.
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