Best Buy has our backs. No one likes mail-in rebates and so the retailer is going to sell the Sprint HTC Hero for $180 out the door with a two-year blood oath.

Sprint Stores however will sell it too you for $280 and hand you a $100 MIR. But just like with the Palm Pre, you’re not going to have to deal with those shenanigans at Best Buy Mobile who is also the exclusive retailer to have the HTC Hero. So yeah, why would you buy one at a Sprint Store?

Best Buy®Mobile Will Sell HTC Hero™ Smartphone in Stores Beginning October 11

Best Buy Mobile will apply rebate savings for the new smart phone at the point of purchase to help customers avoid the hassles of mail-in rebates.

MINNEAPOLIS, September 3, 2009 – Best Buy Mobile, now in all 1,044 Best Buy locations as well as 48 standalone stores around the U.S., is the exclusive national retailer for the much anticipated Sprint HTC Hero™ smart phone, which launches October 11. The HTC Hero runs on Google’s innovative Android operating platform.

Customers who purchase the smart phone at Best Buy Mobile can avoid the hassle of mail-in rebates with instant savings applied at the point of purchase. The phone will retail for $179.99, after $150 instant savings, with two-year activation.

“We want to bring the absolute best mobile technology that we can to our customers and the HTC Hero helps us do that” said Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score. “The addition of the HTC Hero to our already extensive assortment allows our customers the convenience of comparing this new phone with other popular smart phones, such as the iPhone 3Gs, Palm Pre and Blackberry Tour, side-by-side and under one roof.”

Best Buy Mobile has become a leading destination for smart phone purchases, in part because of the promises the store offers its customers: better choice of phones and networks; impartial, informed advice; straightforward pricing; and someone to be there for the life of the phone.

In addition to the instant savings, Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving the mobile phone buying experience, including:

§ Upgrade Checker: A quick and easy in-store service that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade. When the upgrade time is nearing, customers receive a complimentary reminder call or email.

§ Walk Out Working™: Free in-store smart phone setup by a Best Buy Mobile Phone Specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth® headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smart phone.

The new HTC Hero runs on the Sprint network and is the first phone to feature HTC Sense™ – an intuitive, seamless interface experience built on the principles of personalization, connectivity and discovery. HTC Hero lets users view important content at a glance with a selection of customizable widgets that can be placed right on the home screen. Contacts’ information is easily accessible with all text exchanges, email conversations, Facebook status updates, Flickr photo albums and phone logs, neatly organized by contacts’ names. The integrated Flash player optimizes the HTC Hero for Web browsing while a dedicated search button provides for a more natural, contextual search experience that enables searches through Twitter, contacts, emails and in any other area in the smart phone.

About Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere, as well as a highly-trained staff to help customers make the most of their mobile phones. Best Buy Mobile locations feature more than 90 different handsets from nine carriers, and over 130 accessories. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends. Look for your mobile phone solution at Best Buy Mobile locations in every Best Buy store as well as in standalone stores nationwide.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five
Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; The Phone House; and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.