HTC and Optus this morning just announced their latest Android release, the HTC Aria. Available from mid-October for $0 upfront on a $49 cap plan, including 1GB of data, the phone will be an Optus exclusive.
Running Android 2.1 the phone boasts a 3.2-inch HVGA screen and a respectable 5MP camera. But perhaps more interesting is what won’t be included, given HTC’s recent Android announcements. The Aria won’t, for example, launch with Froyo, instead coming with the Eclair flavour of Android and HTC’s Sense skin. It also won’t support the HTCSense.com online service, meaning you can’t manage, back up or track the phone online.
As you can see, the insides look just like the internals of the WinMo-rockin’ HD Mini, which is apparently based on HTC’s Horace Luke’s bright yellow Audi.
There’s no word on whether or not the phone will get a Froyo upgrade either, which coupled with the lack of support for all those recent Android announcements from HTC, kind of makes this outdated before it’s even on sale. Which seems to be a growing problem with Android at the moment…