The HTC Wildfire is finally available from mobile network operator Vodafone UK. According to the most recent announcements, the device is available for free on several contract offers by the network operator.

Our recommended pick would be the 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years which gives the user unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and about 500 MB of data allowance each month. The offer takes full advantage of the device’s social networking capabilities, which is much recommended for anyone who wants to have the full value of owning this impressive Android handset.

In terms of specs, it is hard not to be impressed with what the HTC Wildfire has to offer. First off, the device comes with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen. A typical display for a mid range handset, it handles video playback and web browsing quite easily. The screen will support multi touch gestures, has an accelerometer, a proximity sensor that will automatically shut off the screen when used for a voice call and the HTC Sense user interface. Aside from the touch screen, there is an optical trackpad on the bottom of the device as well as support for movement gestures which will allow users to instantly switch the device to mute or to “dim out” an incoming call.

With the Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU, apps run fairly fast on this Android OS. Just do not expect to get super smooth performance when running resource intensive games. But for most phone functions, the CPU is able to provide a stable and fast experience.

The Wildfire’s main features focus heavily on social networking. It has several integrated apps that would allow users to easily access accounts on Facebook and Twitter as well as file hosting sites such as Flicker and YouTube for uploading media content to be shared.

Vodafone UK and three other mobile networks (Virgin Mobile, 3 UK and T-Mobile), have confirmed that the HTC Wildfire Android smart phone is indeed coming to the UK. While no launch date has been set, there are rumours that the device will be available by next month with some very affordable HTC Wildfire deals on offer.

In any case, this latest HTC offering is one for the mass markets as it focuses more on features than the hardware. HTC has recently been releasing one high end device after another and the Wildfire is a welcome break from the pattern. As one might expect from an HTC Android, this device makes use of the HTC Sense user interface and a few nifty additions from the Taiwan based manufacturer.

The Wildfire is basically a social networking smart phone. Thanks to the new Friend Stream function, users will be able to track the latest posts and uploads of friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and more. And this is why a good data plan is useful for this smart phone; it will make you want to stay connected online as much as possible.

Even the address book is chock full of new features, each contact’s details can be easily seen and thanks to the threaded conversations, you can instantly keep track of the most recent topics that you have been discussing –it also helps keep track of forgettable details like numbers, dates and more. Also new to the Wildfire is an app sharing widget which will allow you to recommend apps to your contacts that also use HTC Android smart phones.

This handset comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera, and a 528 MHz processor. Vodafone UK is offering the handset for free under its two year, 15 Pound monthly tariff contract (but it is recommended that buyers get a plan that comes with at least 1GB of internet data allowance).