T3 has been hot on the trail of the HTC Hero’s release date since we had our first hands-on experience last month. Not just because of our commitment to bring you the hottest news, but because we all want one for ourselves.

HTC and exclusive networks Orange and T-Mobile are remaining tight lipped, but the first chink of light has emerged from the retailer Cleverkit, which claims it will have the phone in stock by Tuesday 21st July. SIM-free and unlocked for £439.

- Video: Extensive hands-on with the HTC Hero

- Gallery: Get a closer look at the best Android phone yet

- Check out the Hero’s hottest challengers in our smartphone test

- Vote for HTC in the 2009 T3 Gadget Awards

Could this be the release date for HTC’s third and best Android phone incarnation to date? We knew we’d be able to get our paws on the phone, boasting HTC’s new ‘Sense’ UI, sometime in July, but here is the first inkling of an actual date.

The HTC Hero follows on from the success of the T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Magic, but is the first handset to take the Android software and innovate beyond the bare bones and the results are something to behold.

Check out our video hands-on to see for yourself why we couldn’t be more excited about this nailed-on iPhone killer.

Link: HTC (via Cleverkit)

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Full published article at: http://www.t3.com/news/htc-hero-to-arrive-on-21st-july?=39581&cid=OTC-RSS&attr=T3-News-RSS

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