HTC Rhyme Hits O2 UK October 17

HTC UK has confirmed that the Rhyme will be launching exclusively on carrier O2, with the handset hitting shelves on October 17. The Android Gingerbread smartphone, announced a short time ago for Verizon Wireless in the US, will be offered in the same plum purple, runs HTC Sense 3.5, and will be bundled with a desk cradle, light-up notification "charm" and several Bluetooth accessories, among other things.

The Rhyme itself has a 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and a front-facing VGA camera. There's also HSDPA, WiFi and Bluetooth, along with GPS. An arm-band for sports use is included, along with a matching purple wired headset that, despite recent phones like the HTC Sensation XE, isn't Beats Audio branded.

Pricing for the Euro Rhyme is yet to be confirmed, though it will be offered at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement on Verizon in the US. We're guessing it will be free with a new contract in the UK, probably around the £26-35 per month mark.

HTC Rhyme hands-on

[vms db07e7089f9b269c31f2]