The word is those people in the UK who want the new HTC Hero can now pre-order the HTC Hero for £429 via Amazon.co.uk, who are expecting to begin shipping as of July the 15th.

That is about the right price for an unlocked smartphone like the HTC Hero, however there is word that Orange will be offering the HTC Hero for free on contract.

So unless you’re quite eager to fork over £429, especially in this economic climate, it may well be worth waiting a tad longer for it to hit Orange UK.