After its Wednesday unveiling in London, the first Android smartphone with widget-based HTC 'Sense' customizable user interface - the HTC Hero - was displayed at Pepcom's Digital Experience event in New York City too.

According to BetaNews, the HTC Hero smartphone, costing £429 - or nearly $710 - is available for pre-order at Amazon. co. uk. The new HTC device will be availability in Europe in July; Asia in late summer; and North America in fall this year.

Elaborating on the better user experience of Hero, a company representative told BetaNews: "Any manufacturer can use one of the stock 'Android Experiences,' but we're offering 'custom experiences." He detailed that the phone's singular custom feature, called "scenes," will enable users create different customized content profiles around "specific functions or times" in their life.

The NY event also saw the unveiling of the new GSM phone - the "shockproof, dustproof, and water-submersible" Sonim Land Rover S1.

The "ruggedized" phone's maker Sonim Technologies is working on plans to announce a US carrier relationship for its new device, which features GPS; 2 GB memory slot; FM radio; 2 megapixel camera; Bluetooth; and WAP browsing via a built-in Opera Mini browser.

The Sonim Land Rover S1, which is already available in Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and South Africa, comes with a $489 US price tag, with, as the company says, a three-year "unconditional guarantee!"