The German branch of Amazon has already listed the newly-unveiled HTC Desire Z for €549 ($713) without a contract. That is a bit on the steep side, but not out of whack with what a high-end smartphone usually costs shortly after its premiere.

Considering the peppy Snapdragon chipset running Froyo, and the slick QWERTY keyboard in the aluminum Desire Z, is this a price you can swallow easily? Or would it be better for a carrier to take most of the hit, in exchange for your mobile soul on a two-year contract?
source: Amazon.de