The Android mobile phone platform is no longer the sole province of T-Mobile. Sprint has announced its own Android smartphone, the HTC Hero. HTC is a large and growing smartphone maker, with many good offerings.

Adding the Hero to the line is a good sign for Android, Google’s open-source software for phones. Android is an iPhone-like operating system, with an online app store much like Apple’s. Since it’s open source, anyone can develop on the platform, and it doesn’t have to go through a rigorous (some say random) approval process like Apple’s (which has gotten Apple in  lot of hot water lately).

The Hero will sell for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate (I hate those things), and go on sale Oct. 11. Since it will be on the Sprint network, it should have much better coverage than the spotty T-Mobile network.

If you’re thinking about getting your first smartphone, and don’t have to buy for a little while, give this one a spin; you may find you like it. It has the advantages of the Android with the coverage area of Sprint. It looks like a solid offering.